Hello from Hampshire

[Old Newbie]

Just thought I'd say 'Howdy'.

I'm oldish (mid-50s) but a beginner to this (hence the name). I faffed around with guitars for over 20 years without getting anywhere, but a switch to bass switched me on! I've been playing on and off since the beginning of the year.

Not sure if 'gigging' is the right word for playing at church but, if so, then I've 'gigged' a couple of times, the most recent being yesterday.

As a newbie, the gear is pretty basic, ie:

Peavey Milestone Bass (bought last year)
Fender BDEC Amp (for home practice)
Fender Bronco 40 Amp (for playing at church - it's a small mission hall & 40W is enough)

Before registering, I have already found this forum useful as a source of good advice. Thanks. :-)

[madshadows]

Hi and welcome

John

[Mickeyboro]

Which bit of Hampshire ? I lived in Bordon for 23 years! Oh, and welcome... 😊

[Old Newbie]

Thank you.

[Old Newbie]

I know it well - I lived in Whitehill for 10 years, but now live just outside Liphook.

[alyctes]

Welcome aboard

[Old Newbie]

Cheers.

[super al]

Welcome old newbie, I used to live nearby in Petersfield back in the 90s. Funny place, quite quaint during the day but a battlefield at night due to the amount of pubs and a nightclub. A mate said he saw Alec Guiness and Dave Gilmour on the high St (not at the same time!).

[Old Newbie]

Thank you. I know Petersfield well by day - probably my favourite town (I like old market towns). I have heard about the 'goings on' after dark, but I'm never usually down there at that time.

The village I live in no longer has a pub. There used to be one - an old coaching inn, but it eventually became the village school and is now a private residence. I know two things about it - one rumoured and one true. The rumour is that it is haunted, by a spectral coach and horses! The true fact is that there used to be a tunnel from one of the bedrooms in the place to the parish church (about 1/4 mile). I was shown the entrance but not allowed to investigate further for safety reasons.

Why a tunnel? Because we are only 20 miles or so from Portsmouth and the pub was a target for the Navy's pressmen! Church was sanctuary back then, so if you escaped through the tunnel and reached the church, you couldn't be press-ganged.

[obbm]

Welcome to BC from an Old Oldie who's just up the road from you.

[discreet]

Mid-50s isn't old on here, I can assure you.

[hairychris]

Grew up in Havant.... don't hate me. Still have family there & in Portsmouth.

And hello! Another guitarist playing more bass than guitar here.

Edited July 9, 2015 by hairychris

[Old Newbie]

Thanks for the welcomes gents. I guess mid-50s is middle-aged rather than old, but 'Middle-aged Newbie' didn't really work as a user name.

I still love the guitar and the sounds that others (not me) can get from them, but I just never felt one with it. Even though the bass felt strange the first time I picked one up, it also began to feel 'right' very quickly. Just wish I'd discovered this 30 years ago. Old dogs CAN learn new tricks, but maybe not that quickly!

Still, better late than never - power to all you mid-oldies out there.

[Dad3353]

Good afternoon, ON, and ...

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:167528]

Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

[Old Newbie]

Thank you. I'm looking forward to learning and sharing.

[lee4]

Welcome,it's good to have you here.
By the way,do you know Selbourne at all?
If so,I may see you at the beer festival in October!

[Old Newbie]

Thank you kindly. Yes, I know it (Selborne) well - I've walked up the zig-zag many a time, albeit not for a while.

When in October?

[iamtheelvy]

Hi from Portsmouth!

[franzbassist]

And hello from Alton

[Old Newbie]

Thanks gents. I see one of you lists your interests as having more effects than guitarists! I like a little chorus & reverb, just to give the sound a bit of depth, but I haven't experimented with anything else. Which effects do you use and how often do you apply them?

[iamtheelvy]

[quote name='Old Newbie' timestamp='1437510885' post='2826726']
Thanks gents. I see one of you lists your interests as having more effects than guitarists! I like a little chorus & reverb, just to give the sound a bit of depth, but I haven't experimented with anything else. Which effects do you use and how often do you apply them?
[/quote]

Are you referring to me sir? Well, my pedalboard reached ginormous proportions (something of a competition between myself and my guitarist...) some time ago and got so ridiculous to lug around that I went back to bass into amp and started again!

I would say that my essential effects would be an octave pedal (only use four-strings, so used for reaching those extra low notes, but also for a more synthy tone), an overdrive for an occasional bit of grit, and a chorus for a more mellow tone. At the moment, my main gig is with a covers band, so I have a number of pedals to try and nail the tones of other bassists, but then just a few that I have for fun!

[Old Newbie]

Aye, that I was. I have an amusing picture in my head of you and the guitarist lugging round humungous, front-door-sized pedal boards! I suppose as a beginner, I'm still finding my sound. The chorus and reverb suits the work I do in church, but I wouldn't want to use them all the time. At least, playing thro' a modelling amp, I can try out effects without buying loads of gear. The downside is that an effect is either selected or it isn't - I don't have that pedal-derived ability of being able to introduce an effect at a certain point in a song.

Thanks for sharing. I'm interested to hear how people have developed their sound

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='Mickeyboro' timestamp='1436213681' post='2816114']
Which bit of Hampshire ? I lived in Bordon for 23 years! Oh, and welcome...
[/quote]

Really? I worked in Bordon for 8 years.

[Old Newbie]

I see your current location is 'the bottom of Somerset'. Whereabouts is that? I know the area around Bruton & Wincanton very well - I regularly stay in a little village nearby, namely South Brewham.

[Woodinblack]

Yeovil - moved here a decade ago when I lost my job in Havant!