Monarch Virago Bass Acquisition

 A Facebook friend tagged me in a post and, when I went to see what it was, it was this.  I said, "Self, if that's not too spendy, we might have to get us one of those."  (Tax refund has gone to my head.)  I contacted the builder, one Broussard Walker and discovered that the bass wasn't too expensive and, with my tax refund, I could also buy that Rode NT2-A condenser microphone.

Broussard was apparently a furniture designer who retired from that business and started designing and building guitars and basses under the name Monarch Guitars.  This particular bass is the Virago.  Two were built in this finish, "Galveston Green", which is a lot like a deeper, darker seafoam.  So this is one of two.  I expect value to skyrocket by and by.

If it doesn't, if I can't become filthy rich from this investment, I'm going to be fine.  It turns out to be a great instrument.

It's a standard 34" scale bass.  Four string, obviously.  Controls are volume/volume/tone.  The bridge is chrome plated hardened steel, very familiar to those of us who grew up with Fender instruments.  The pickups will also be familiar; they are the same single coils found in Fender's Player Series Jazz bass.  Truss rod adjustment is at the body and is a wheel type of adjuster, much like those on my beloved Music Man basses.  This is very good news.

Fit and finish are great and the playability reminds me, shockingly, of a Fender Jazz.  The neck is maybe a little chunkier than a J, which is cool by me.  It came with some unknown roundwound strings which I immediately threw in the trash, where they belong.  (Sorry, Bob Nyswonger.) I replaced them with LaBella Low Tension Flats and suddenly had a thump machine on my hands.  Good for me, I say!  Accustomed as I am to my active basses, it took some knob twiddling to get this in my comfort zone but you passive freaks will find this much easier than did I.  

This is good value, my peeps.  An American bass for just under 1K is, these days, a rare thing indeed. Plus, hey, be the first on your block.  Unless you're on my block, then, well, suck it.

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