Baxlin

We are an adaptable lot, we humans, normally able to cope with life’s difficulties, so well done to the OP re the gig. I'm having to gradually adapt the way I play, as I have osteo-arthritis in my left hand, so far mainly in just the thumb and ring finger. Still OK on the bass, but I find I can’t play more than a couple of chords on a guitar, and it’s no-go on my 12 string. C'est la vie, as they say.....

What’s wrong with 'guitar luthier'? A luthier someone who makes/repairs stringed instruments, which usually consist of a sound box and a neck. Derived from the Latin (?) for Lute. Seems logical to me then that a guitar luthier is one who makes/repairs guitars. (Similarly 'driver' is generic, but 'bus driver' is specific) Back on topic, isn’t "pick" yet another Americanism? It’s a fairly recent change, it’s always been 'plectrum' for the 50+ years I’ve been playing guitars of one sort or another.

Was at a Barbara Dickson concert quite a few years ago when she recorded several tracks for a live album.

OK, we’re not gigging (yet, but two provisionally lined up), at 72, 72, 71, 65, and a mere youngster at 56, we don’t feel too old for rock and roll - or any music in our set. We started from scratch earlier in the year, initially just for the fun of it, but as we’d all been in and out of bands over many years, things came together fairly quickly. One of the best 'house bands' I’ve seen in a long time, The New Amen Corner, has a father and son in their lineup, so maybe there’s hope for the OP yet.

I’ve moved the strap button on my EB3 from the body onto the base of the neck. Only moved a few centimetres, but has made a noticeable difference. I covered the original hole by putting a short screw in it and adding a black plastic screw cover.

+1 for Autosol.

Not for me, I’m afraid, far too dear for any Squier (certainly one with no provenance), and I treat my basses like I treat my cars - keep them pristine.

Mine was a white Hondo P-bass, soon straight swapping at a 'cash release' shop for a strat copy guitar. This was after buying (for some reason I can’t recall!) a short scale Encore P (ish) bass. Again short-lived, and soon replaced....... As an aside, I bought the Encore secondhand, the reason for sale being that the parents of a teenage lad had bought it for him - he’d wanted to learn to play guitar, they thought it would be easier for him to learn on as it only had 4 strings. Wrong, and the lad never touched it......

My drum teacher took great pains to explain the difference between practicing and playing, and the importance of both.

I have flat wound on one of my basses, which 'seem' easy to clean, but even better, maybe, are the black tape wound on my EB3. Nowhere for grot to collect, so a regular wipe should suffice? Discuss..... off topic, but similar, I noticed my shower hose was getting a bit inflexible (and dull to look at). So I gave it a liberal spraying with limescale remover, a good rub down (!), and it’s as good as new.

Until fairly recently I’ve not either been in the position to, or TBH wanted to spend a lot on my basses, (too many other hobbies!) so over the years I’ve had Hondo P-bass (£70) to see if I could take to playing bass, Short scale Encore (yes, I admit to it!) Squier P bass, via eBay for £80-ish, sold for £145 While I had the Squier, I bought a ridiculously cheap 5 string Oldfield, and a Westfield 4 string, the latter which I de-fretted, both to see if I could take to the different instruments. Unfortunately not! But sold both at a profit..... Then I splashed out on a mint Epiphone EB3, again via eBay, for £150. Best bargain though was earlier this year, an EB2 shaped semi acoustic from Gear4Music, supposedly damaged and sold as B-stock. The only thing wrong, apart from needing a bit of setting up, was that the jack socket had lost its securing nut and had dropped into the body. Ten minutes with a bit of stiff wire, a nut from my spares box, and it was fully functional. Saved over £100 on the RRP. I think maybe at 71 I’m a bit old to start spending bigger money on basses, but I really would love a sunburst Gibson EB2. 😛

Bought my 12 string with money I was given for my 21st in 1968, I always think of it in that way, so this suggestion should work....

Helped out at a sort of gig yesterday. Three of my grand-daughters were taking part in a dance show, and my son-in-law did the sound and lighting (he’s a semi-pro DJ). Venue was a small theatre, but we couldn’t use their rigs, so I was roped in to help set up. As well as the usual synch’d music and lights he had ‘shadowgraph’ screens each side of the stage. The (almost) two hour show went off without a hitch, but I’m not sure the total of five hours set up and pack down time was completely worth it (except it was for our kids!!)

And worse/better...... All the cables etc our church band uses are 'communal', ie jacks, XLR, and cables for our individual in-ear mixers, and are stored in separate colour coded boxes. The cables themselves have TWO tags, one to match the box they are kept in, but the second tag denotes their length. Drummer needs long ones as he’s farthest from the stage box, bassist is closest so needs the shortest.

Who'd want this? When you can buy proven basses for less - that won’t have dodgy electrics, odd pickups, poor finish, be head heavy, or be pug ugly............ But each to his own, I suppose.

I gigged as a drummer in the 60s/70s, and last year took drum lessons for a few months. Last week, I was rota'd on our church band with a new-to-us but brilliant drummer, and afterwards he remarked how he felt my bass playing was complementary to and in sympathy with his drumming. I mentioned I’d been trying to revisit my drumming (I have a basic electronic kit), and he said it showed in my bass playing. I was well chuffed!

Just come across this thread, sorry..... Gear4Music was mentioned way back, I made them an offer on a 'damaged', sold as B stock, semi-hollow bass (EB-2 shape), got it for a tad over half price. The problem? The jack socket securing nut was missing and the socket had dropped into the body. Ten minutes fiddling with a bit of stiff wire, finding a securing nut in my spares box, and problem solved. OK, I had to play around a bit with the action, but that’s to be expected anyway with a new acquisition. Very happy with it.

If only I was 50 years younger..........

Congrats, Lefty, join the club! Even older than you, I'm also on our church band rota. Similar circumstances, different band/lineup each time, with an hour or so pre-service rehearsal, but due to younger bassists being away during school holidays, I seem to be a permanent fixture for the next few weeks. Our 'pool' includes the usual g, b, d, plus keys, flutes, sax, and one guy who plays an 'Electronic Wind Instrument', (EWI), played like a clarinet but with many synthesised voices. As you say, it’s often a challenge (at least to the older brain) when you’re completely self-taught, playing alongside 'proper' musicians, including several music teachers, but thoroughly enjoyable, with excellent fellowship. Malcolm

I have black tape wounds on my black (and chrome) EB3. I admit I bought them initially for the look, but I am more than happy with both the sound and the ‘feel’. I have flatwounds on my EB2-shape backup bass (also black and chrome!!) but will be changing to tapewound in due course.

I had my first guitar at 16, but sat behind the drum kit in bands then, in the 60s. Scroll forward many years, my daughter taking Music A level, playing in our church band, I picked the guitar up again to support her, but changed to bass when a much better guitar player joined. I’d be in my mid/late 50s by then, and at 71, I still play in a church band, as well as a jamming band with blokes ofmy age. So my message to the OP is go for it, and follow the great tips given in other posts. And ENJOY!!

I think if you buy CD direct from Amazon, you have access to the download as well, which seems to me a win-win.

Can’t other band members help out with storage/transport?

Touched on this in another thread, how in the past (or even now?) have you transported your gear, the more unlikely the better! For me, as posted elsewhere, my drum kit with a Frogeye Sprite. Bass drum strapped on the back. Also, when too young to drive, as much of the kit as I could carry on the bus..... this to rehearsal, my Dad took me to gigs (or booking as they were known in the 60s)

Ditto, in the last couple of years I have done a light refurbish on a 5 string, cleaned up and defretted a 4. Also quite major work on a ukulele banjo, all bought and sold (at a profit) via the bay.