MonoNeon, aka Dywane Thomas Jr., came up learning the bass from his father in Memphis, Tennessee, but for some reason, he decided to flip his dad’s 4-string bass around and play it with the string order inverted—E string closest to the ground and the G on top. That’s how MonoNeon still plays today, coming up through a rich, inspiring gauntlet of family and community traditions. “I guess my whole style came from just being around my grandma at an early age,” says Thomas.His path has led him to collaborate with dozens of artists, including Nas, Ne-Yo, Mac Miller, and even Prince, and MonoNeon’s solo output is dizzying—trying to count up his solo releases isn’t an easy feat. Premier Guitar’s Chris Kies caught up with the bassist before his show at Nashville’s Exit/In, where he got the scoop on his signature 5-string, Ampeg rig, and simple stomp layout, as well as some choice stories about influences, his brain-melting playing style, and how Prince changed his rig.
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Orange You Glad to See Me?
This Fender MonoNeon Jazz Bass V was created after a rep messaged Thomas on Instagram to set up the signature model, over which Thomas had complete creative control. Naturally, the bass is finished in neon yellow urethane with a neon orange headstock and pickguard, and the roasted maple neck has a 10"–14" compound radius. It’s loaded with custom-wound Fireball 5-string Bass humbuckers and an active, 18V preamp complete with 3-band EQ controls. Thomas’ own has been spruced up with some custom tape jobs, too. All of MonoNeon's connections are handled by Sorry Cables.
Fade to Black
MonoNeon’s Ampeg SVT stack isn’t a choice of passion. “That’s what they had for me, so I just plugged in,” he says. “That’s what I have on my rider. As long as it has good headroom and the cones don’t break up, I’m cool.”
Box Art
MonoNeon’s bass isn’t the only piece of kit treated to custom color jobs. Almost all of his stomps have been zhuzhed up with his eye-popping palette.
Thomas had used a pitch-shifting DigiTech Whammy for a while, but after working with Paisley Park royalty, the pedal became a bigger part of his playing. “When I started playing with Prince, he put the Whammy on my pedalboard,” Thomas explains. “After he passed, I realized how special that moment was.”
Alongside the Whammy, MonoNeon runs a Fairfield Circuitry Randy’s Revenge (for any time he wants to “feel weird”), a literal Fart Pedal (in case the ring mod isn’t weird enough, we guess), and a JAM Pedals Red Muck covers fuzz and dirt needs. A CIOKS SOL powers the whole affair.
DarkRay 5-String Bass
The all-new DarkRay 5-string bass unlocks a new range of sonic capabilities thanks to a growing collaboration with world-renowned bass accessory manufacturer Darkglass Electronics. Available in two new striking finishes, Starry Night, and a limited-to-100 White Sparkle. Starry Night will be available at retail while the White Sparkle is exclusive to the Ernie Ball Music Man Vault. The DarkRay 5 is all about tone and features a new 2-band EQ preamp designed specifically for this 5-string model. It offers three very distinct and useful tones: Clean, Alpha (distortion), and Omega (fuzz), each fully mixable via an onboard gain knob and blend control set to the player’s preference. In addition, the original DarkRay 4 bass will be offered in Starry Night, Obsidian Black, and the exclusive White Sparkle, which is limited-to-25, and only available in the Vault.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_1aRXY5fhY
Jason Richardson Artist Series Cutlass
The 2022 Jason Richardson Artist Series Cutlass guitar collection is the next evolution between the award-winning Ernie Ball Music Man design team, and virtuoso guitarist and composer Jason Richardson. For 2022, the Jason Richardson Cutlass is available in two exciting new finishes, Majora Purple and a limited Empress White. The Majora Purple finish features an exotic burl top, natural wood binding, all gold hardware, and is available through authorized Music Man dealers. The Limited Edition Empress White features a white sparkle finish, black hardware, and is limited-to-25 of each of the 6 and 7-string offerings. These limited edition Empress White instruments are available exclusively in the Ernie Ball Music Man Vault.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mGsfNxn60M
More info at: www.ernieball.com and www.music-man.com.