WOMEN WHO ROCK!
5 MUSICIANS ON WHY THEY PLAY THE BASS OR GUITAR
Across genres and generations, women guitarists and bassists are reshaping the sound and spirit of modern music with fearless individuality. From first inspirations to well-worn instruments, their stories reveal a deep connection between identity, expression, and the physical act of playing.
We’ve asked five of our favorite guitarists or bassists what drew them to their instrument and what their favorite guitar model is.
Francis of Delirium – Jana Bahrich
What drew you to the guitar, and what does playing it mean to you personally?
“The idea of playing the guitar started with seeing Nirvana play. In reality, though, I only really found the motivation to follow through so I could learn ‘Ho Hey’ by The Lumineers to annoy my friend, who hated that song, and I wanted to play it on her birthday. I love my guitars, but I don’t like being precious about them. They’re a tool.”
What is your favorite guitar model?
“The Fender Thinline MN Telecaster has been my workhorse tour guitar for the past five years. It’s lightweight, plays easily and sounds good with the right pedal combo. Most of the time, it’s held together by tape and a dream. It had a fall a few weeks back, but it’s handling it okay. It’s time for Fender to put more Thinline’s back out there.”
“Last year, I was looking for a second guitar since I couldn’t find the right thinline. I’d been looking for something with a lot of body and power. I went to a bunch of guitar stores, and while on tour in Brussels, I went to this place, Groove Street music and played their guitars. I plugged in this Yamaha guitar, the Revstar RSP02T. It sounded great, looked good, felt right. So those are my two go-to models at the moment.”
Mei Semones
What drew you to the guitar, and what does playing it mean to you personally?
“What first drew me to the guitar was the movie Back to the Future. There’s a scene where the main character, Marty, is playing a Chuck Berry tune in his room. I just thought it looked so cool, and it made me want to play electric guitar as well. Playing guitar brings me love and joy, and it’s something that will give my life forever.”
What is your favorite guitar model?
“My favorite guitar model is my primary electric guitar – a PRS McCarty 594 Hollowbody.”
Lily Seabird
What drew you to the guitar, and what does playing it mean to you personally?
“Guitar is fluid; it lends itself to so much movement when you’re playing it. You can manipulate its sound so much more than other instruments. You can make it sing, you can make it scream, snarl, or feed back. You can have multiple tones at once if you play out of multiple amps. You can play it, you can bang on it, and it will make a fucking awesome noise. Guitar is not my first instrument, but it’s the one I am in love with for sure. I taught myself when I was around 13 or 14 after listening to The Beatles anthology and Neil Young’s ‘Tonight’s the Night’ CDs on repeat.”
“Playing the guitar is so freeing, I taught myself, so it really has felt like there are no rules (unlike my first instrument, the saxophone, which I learned in school). When I was younger, I used to be afraid of it. I understand why it can get so fucking loud if you want, but to me now it’s just power. There’s no better feeling than ripping with my band, drenched in sweat, swinging that thing around.”
What is your favorite guitar model?
“My favorite guitar is my blue American Telecaster I bought when I was a teen from the guitar store in my town. I won’t ever change. It’s so versatile. The tone on a tele bites like nothing else.”
Mannequin Pussy – Maxine Steen
What drew you to the guitar, and what does playing it mean to you personally?
“I play guitar because of how much it gives back. It’s so reactive to how you play it that it reflects what you’re feeling in those exact seconds of playing it. Songs are often leaked journal entries.”
What is your favorite guitar model?
“I don’t have a favorite guitar. I think they all have different “powers” locked inside.
Special mentions: Gibson ES or Flying V, Nash anything, Fender Jaguars and Jazzmasters, Reverends, Danelec-tros.”
Blu DeTiger
What drew you to the guitar, and what does playing it mean to you personally?
“I was drawn to the bass really young; it felt different and cooler than anything else. I remember wanting to be unique, and the bass gave me that. When I started playing at seven, I was fascinated by how it wasn’t always the loudest instrument, but it was the one you felt the most. It sits in your body. You feel it in your chest, and that physical connection hooked me immediately.
Now, it’s everything to me. It’s my identity. It’s how I feel, hear, and understand music, and it’s how I express myself. I love that the bass lives between rhythm and melody. It can drive a song forward and be the backbone at the same time. Playing bass makes me feel confident, present, and deeply connected—to the music and to the audience.”
What is your favorite guitar model?
“My favorite has to be my signature bass with Fender. It’s based on a classic Jazz Bass, but we customized it with a Blu DeTiger Fireball® humbucker, a chambered ash body so it’s super lightweight, an active pickup for that extra punch, and a custom sparkly blue sky burst paint job that really stands out on stage. It really is my dream bass.”
