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Of course. I learned early on (12 years ago) that I would be a rubbish bass player. So I focused on what I was good at and enjoyed - packing, sending and receiving cardboard boxes and selling gear at a loss. I could probably be as happy just sending myself empty boxes to open.

I was considering IEMs but if they make you that belligerent I think I'll give them a miss.

As long as it doesn't jeopardise the roof over your head or the food on your table then fill your boots. Whose business is it but yours? I think we'd all get on a lot better if we stopped worrying what other people think about us when it comes to something as unnecessary and frivolous as bass gear. Hi pot, I'm kettle, please don't hate me

It’s so much more than just a hobby (I hate that term), it’s a way of life. For me, playing bass, and creating art, gets me through a bad day and makes a good day better. I’ve had an awful week. It’s been very stressful, both at work and for personal reasons. I felt very low on soul coal. An hour on my Thunderbird put a smile back on my face. It’s therapy, it’s energy, it’s SO important for my mental health. I love it.

Tbf OP - it’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves in some form over the years. Natural place to get to - the guitar industry is based on the dream that a new instrument will make us a new player. Spend what you like. - The new bass makes you happy, not a better player. - You’re the only person in the room that knows what bass you’re playing.

Oh I will learn. Where is that ignore button again? Ah found it.

Depends what you mean by better or improved. Personally i played faster when i was 20 and i was able to improvise better. Now 63 i feel that i fit better in bands. My attitude to playing has improved, I'm more acceptable to others and the needs of the band and not just my own needs plus i don't have work to worry about now. My accuracy has improved, my technique has improved in past 5 yrs where i'm not hitting the strings so hard and getting blisters on my plucking hand. I'm holding both my hands at "better" angles to reduce aches. I'm playing more and better gigs these days so that's an improvement. Modern amps with hi-fi tones have meant you hear every noise of your technique forcing you to play better so i guess i've improved there too. All in all i would say yes i got better after 50. Dave

So this has been my latest project…. details are in the “build diaries” thread. I can’t tell you how much I love this thing. I’ve spent too much on it, but it was fun, and a decent but modest Thunderbird has been transformed into an absolute beast. Thunderous, piano like tone….. it’s absolutely my current favourite, I can’t put it down. Again, details on the build diary thread. So is it worth spending the time and money on it? Absolutely yes, because I love it and plan to keep it. If I do sell it, I’ll loose money, so if it was something I was going to flip, I wouldn’t have spent so much. It’s a really awesome Thunderbird. My mate already has a Gibson and an Epi Pro….. he wants this one too. Very happy with it.

Didn't he experiment with headless?

@fleabag should try the old trouble & strife in this..

I once had a Capri that fell apart when it hit 50😂

It's difficult to quantify for me. When I was young the sheer energy and single minded determination I brought to bear were mind boggling to my elderly self. I would write and learn my bass lines for hours and, honestly, I listen to some of them now and I'm not sure I could even play them. Nowadays I play with a calmness, and an understanding I lacked then. Nowadays I can read music and gig songs I don't know from a chord chart. Nowadays I can gig in multiple bands across multiple genres. Nowadays I'm grateful to still be playing but envious of the crazy young thing that played his insane bass lines while leaping across the stage like a gazelle. A slim, young gazelle. With hair.

I've half remembered a story of a famous cello player who when he was asked why he still practiced every day at age 90 answered "well I'm just starting to get good"

I got stunning at 50 years 1 month.

If i see another ( how to play fretless video) ive never understood why bass players have to do endless vibrato on a fretless. It has a certain sound but for gods sake stop . George Duke with Chris Mcbride.

Picked this up today, it plays superbly well. The prior owner worked for Burns Guitars and did a full set up, changed the machine heads and strings etc. The action is nice and low , for a copy it's a really funky motown-sounding kinda beast!

Absolutely love it. I can’t put it down. Over the moon with it.

You're doing that old thing. . . . discovering a solution that suits you and thinking you've found the answer for everyone else. Amps are not obsolete. Last year I did gigs with 20 different bands. From fully pro to rank amateur and from festivals to the Dog and Duck. This appears to be my new normal. If I want any consistency in my stage sound I have to provide my own backline. You're suggestion does not even come close to being a solution for me.

No... ^ THIS ^ sounds like most 4 year olds!

You must never had heard the story of young Jimmy. His parents got him a bass and amp for his 16th birthday along with some lessons. After his first after school lesson his Mum asked 'what did you learn'. "I learned a quarter note riff on E" comes back Jimmy. Next week it's the riff on A. Following week Jimmy doesn't get home until midnight. Mum is beside herself. 'What the hell Jimmy where the f have you been?'. "We did the riff on B and a turnaround and I had a gig at the Dog'n'Duck".

I can't even remember being 50. I'll ask my carer if I have done anything of interest since then. Now, where did I leave my carer? Bass? Is it a type of fish?

I stuffed my kids in an orphanage, saved a fortune, and managed to score 2 x one off custom built basses to my specs. Happy days

Overthinking, detected...

Make Amps Great Again.

The main thing I’m taking from this thread is that some people like to ditch the amp and use IEMs and some people prefer to keep their amp and use a monitor. Anyone who’s ever heard me play would probably prefer me to keep the amp and the IEMs and just ditch the bass

Duude.. Running fifty people over, that's Hardcore.. 🤘

My 71 P, 40mm nut and just perfect

Stop bringing facts into it. What we demand is rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty.

There's no greater feeling than standing in front of a great sounding stack (in my case Ashdown ABM600 evo iv & a pair of cabs) dialled in and cranked up, playing a tight groove with a decent drummer, with a breeze on your back from the speaker displacement, and every note being felt through the floor.

I saw a jazz combo down at the Old Duke in Bristol one night; the bassist had a nice old antigua Jazz and my first impression was that he could really play, but it became apparent that he just didn't know when to stop really playing. Or playing at all. He took a solo, which was very impressive, but he just kept doing it. He widdled away all over the sax solo, he even kept on in the drum solo by which time all I wanted was for him to STFU. After a couple of songs my opinion of him had totally changed, and I just wanted him to take his nice old Jazz and feck off home.

I dream of being able to overplay

I remember auditioning a Gitwrist and our thoughts were, .... "well, his gear has got the job, shame about him" ..

Go on, I bet you were stunning at 49.

Hopefully the last edit I make! (It won't be). New (to me) Cali76 is a game changer for me! *Hotone soul press used as an expression pedal, which controls overdrive gain, a volume pedal and a bass wah within the ampero stomp. *Ampero stomp used for Ampeg SVT preamp into slight studio reverb with global eq providing targeted mid bumps as well as LPF and HPF. Also used for drive, various song specific eqs aswell as, envelope filter, stacked compressor, phase, and stacked drive and fuzz. Side note: what a dark horse the ampero II stomp is! Fantastic sounding modeller, with brilliant user interface. Their own model of bass drive (solid steel) sounds bloody marvellous, and I usually hate digital drives. Special shout outs to their green phase and moog envelope filter models too... personally find this to be quality over quantity, but what it does I'd argue it does best in class (2 x hx stomp owner here for comparrison).

It's always been the best therapy, but now I appreciate is twice as much. I had a small stroke, out of the blue a few weeks ago, and for a little while my left arm basically withered and died, leaving me with a useless claw. Luckily, over the next couple of hours my brain rewired itself, giving me some control back, and apart from the odd strange sensation it's pretty much normal now. I'm playing like a man possessed at the moment. You never fully understand the value of something until it's gone.

I don't play covers myself, but with my punter hat on, I can't think of anything more dull than watching a bunch of drones churning through a cover where everything played exactly the same as the original. Seems like a totally pointless exercise to me.

From a shop in Kidderminster. A lovely chap on BC gave me the heads up. Not a mark on it.fairly light for a V7. 9.3 pounds on my digital scales. It was set up badly and i was using the wrong allen key.thus my previous post. .fresh set of DR Low Riders. Monstrous tones. It makes me wonder why i spent thousands on very expensive basses in the past. £240 for this quality of bass, that preamp and those pickups that sound this good. Really.???!!!

Fresh off the Press...Overall? Not bad for the money

Living the IEM life...

I was without a Spector for a couple of years but now have a 6er which came to me via @Tjhooker Expanding my knowledge and range...

I echo everything already said. Joined my first gigging band at 58. Arthritis forced me to give it up but I still play along to Karaoke Version UK downloads (excellent) and will play a full 'gig' of an evening sat in my chair at home, playing one song after another straight through. My conclusions: Bass lends itself to mature playing. Playing fast (unless it's in a jazz or fusion context) risks sounding too busy. It was Duck Dunn (IIRC) who said he tried to play as few notes as possible. That becomes easier with age. And your confidence and feel get better. I'm playing the best I ever have (age: 65) and enjoying it more than ever.

True, but you should see the shapes I can throw. They keep my osteopath wealthy.

Its all in your head Michael now stop whining and get on with it Dave ( a youngster at 63 )

If you can afford it, it gives you joy and makes you want to play, stuff what anyone else thinks.

Just back from a rather splendid gig, 10 minutes walk from my front door. It’s not every day that an ‘80s star visits the boondocks.

Zappa wasn't playing Sex On Fire down the Dog and Duck, however.

Nothing wrong with playing with passion and exuberance. Keep doing it...