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Linnea Dale Mohn, welcome
to BassGirls.Com - Where are you based?
Minneapolis, Minnesota
At what age did you first take a
bass in your hands? 21
What attracted you to playing bass?
At live shows that I'd go see, I'd key into the bass lines...I was always
listening to that part. That and my axe is sleek and shiny. There is
something very bad-ass about holding her.
Did you play any other instrument before you started playing bass?
Yep, piano. I'm a cello novice and I
studied voice for a while in college...does that count as an instrument?
(The most complcated of all instruments Linnea! - Ed.)
Can you remember the first piece you
ever learned on bass? I remember
trying to hack out the Pixies - Mr. Grieves, I don't think I ever actually
figured it out...I should try that song again. I think I could learn it
easily now.
What was your very first band?
'Coach Said Not To'
What other bands were you a member
of? Short-lived electronic project
in which I sang, danced and played keys called 'Oh! Operator'...I miss the
Oh!
What's your current band?
'Coach Said Not To'...alive and well
What's your main bass?
A Japanese made Fender J-Bass
Body colour/wood?
Black enamel edged in Ivory Enamel...sleek
and shiny.
Neck/fingerboard?
Fretted basswood
Do you think that the wood effects
the tone/sound/sustain of your bass?
Definitely...density, flexibility (how the
tone reverberates through the guitar), lightness...the same qualities that
make a bass player good/bad *wink*...flexibility being the most impressive
of the skills.
Have you a preference for active or
passive electronics? I guess I'm on
the fringe...don't feel that this debate really gets my blood
boiling...not in the way that "tastes great, less filling" used to when I
was 8. For my purposes passive works just dandy...I get a nice, smooth,
even low-midrange which suits my band nicely.
What strings to you like best?
Fender or GHS roundwound...I'm
toying with trying flatwound strings for a mellower sound.
How often would you change your
strings? I restring with a new set
once a year...but will boil and restring every couple of months...or when
the tone starts sounding muddy.
What is your backline bass amp
setup? None right now...I'm in the
market...I would ideally like an Ampeg tube head and 4 x 10" cab setup. Or
a matchless nesting tube amp. I think 100 watts would suffice...'Coach'
isn't really out to shake the walls down.
Fingers, plectrum or both?
Both depending on the tune.
Which plecs?
I like the heavy weight tortoise shell picks...Dunlop or Fender (brand
loyalty much?)
Have you played double (upright) or
acoustic bass? Nope...I'd love to
learn.
What type of music do you play?
'Coach Said Not To' my primary band,
plays a conglomeration of folk-rock, jazz, rock and spritely pop. It can
run the gamut. We are a four piece...bass, guitar, drums and keys.
Who do you listen to when you're not
playing? My sister (Eva, who plays
guitar in 'Coach') just turned me on to 'Kings of Convenience', I also
like Devendra Banhart, Yann Tiersen, and I'll dance whenever 'The
Black-eyed Peas' are on the stereo.
Have you recorded/released any CDs?
One self titled E.P. in local stores. We're gearing up to record a full
length in January.
What was your best gig/venue ever?
The Fitzgerald Theatre in St.Paul with Garrison Keillor. He was doing a
series of cabaret shows called 'The Rhubarb Show' and we were fortunate
enough to play one.
What was your worst moment onstage?
Forgetting to down tune for a song and then grimacing at the band thinking
that they were screwing it up...I realized later that it was my fault.
Were you ever on a TV show?
Well, yes, Nate on Drums, a local show that I also write for had 'Coach
Said Not To' on before I was ever part of the show. I joined the cast
shortly thereafter.
Did you ever make the cover of a
magazine? Not yet.
What's your favourite album/CD?
Jeff Buckley's grace from beginning
to end.
Do you play any other instruments?
A Kawai upright piano
What other instrument would you most
like to play? Cello...I'd like to
pick that up again.
What was the best concert you were
ever at (in the audience!)? It's a
tie between 3. Arcade Fire, Spiritualized, and Stereolab.
Do you sing?
Yes, yes I do.
Have you ever performed onstage without your bass?
I've been involved in theatre for a long time, both professionaly and as a
student.
Have you played outside your own
country? No, but that is the goal.
What's your opinion on basses with
more than 4 strings? More octaves?
My hands are small...I prefer 4 string for the width of the neck.
What do you feel is the bass-players
function in a band? Tone and pulse.
A good bass player will make you forget that your hearing the bass...it
will fill out the other instruments seamlessly. Chris Morrissey (from
Mason Jennings Band and Bill Mike Band) and Kim Deal (Pixies, Breeders) do
this...I try to emulate it.
What are your ambitions?
To play and write music until I'm too
exhausted to keep going. This could be 50 years from now...or next
Tuesday!
(see Links page for website) - Ed.
thanks to Linnea for being part of BassGirls.Com
text and images are copyright
of Linnea Mohn and
BassGirls.Com
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