“When I was playing with Prince, I saw how he was using it and I just saw his swag with it, so I kind of adapted it”: MonoNeon reveals the one pedal Prince urged him to use, now a staple in his bass rig
The viral bassist also talks about how the Purple Rain hitmaker recruited him after seeing his YouTube videos
(Image credit: Derek White/Getty Images)
Dywane Thomas Jr., aka MonoNeon, has risen to the upper echelons of viral bassists. With his penchant for meme-worthy content that still highlights his bass talent, MonoNeon has managed to grab the attention of music industry icons like George Clinton and Mavis Staples, earn the approval of Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea, and perform at prestigious festivals like the Newport Jazz Festival.
However, without a doubt, one of his biggest flexes is playing with Prince.
In a recent interview with Premier Guitar, MonoNeon talks about the way the High Priest of Pop changed his rig. “I started using the Whammy when I was playing with Prince, because I saw how he was using it and stuff, and I just saw his swag with it, so I just kind of adapted it.
MonoNeon on Working with Prince, George Clinton & Mavis Staples - YouTube
“But I've always had one when I was playing with David Fiuczynski. But when I started playing with Prince, he put the Whammy on my pedalboard they built me at Paisley Park, and I just started to embrace it a lot more being around him. So yeah, my use of the Whammy pedal came from David Fiuczynski and Prince.”
Elsewhere in the interview, MonoNeon reveals how he got recruited by Prince in the first place. “I think he saw some of my videos on YouTube. I'm pretty sure he did. And his manager contacted me through email, and told me, ‘Prince wants you to come to Paisley Park.’ And when I first got there, I was hired to play with Judith Hill, one of his proteges.”
MonoNeon with Prince (Paisley Park 2015) - YouTube
MonoNeon then moved on to Prince’s new band, which comprised musicians like Adrian Crutchfield, the last horn man to perform and record with Prince, guitarist Donna Grantis from his backing band 3RDEYEGIRL, and longtime drummer Kirk Johnson.
“It still hurts me that it was so short, because he passed on and I just started playing with him,” MonoNeon adds. “But I'm using that inspiration and that fire and that time with him right now."
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In a recent Guitar World interview, MonoNeon referred to his time with Prince as “life-changing” and said it was the reason why he eventually started writing his own music.
Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.