hello chaps

[Monkey Steve]

New to all this but it seems like a groovy place to hang out.

Been playing bass for about 30 years now...dear God, how did I get so old? Started off in thrash metal when that was brand new, but quickly moved on from "we're going to rule the world" to "it's a great way to spend the evenings" with a proper job to keep me in beer and bass strings.

Over the last decade or so I have occasionally cheated and deviated from the true path of righteousness...a drummer in a punk covers band said "we need a guitarist, you've got a guitar, how hard can it be?" Turns out it's not very hard at all. And I learned that when you go out playing Sex Pistols and Clash covers at the weekend, people pay you actual cash money. I currently have more guitars than basses...please tell me that this doesn't make me a guitarist. I may have to sell some on principle, or more likely buy some extra basses just to get the numbers up.

My last lot was back on bass in a "classic rock" style band with a load of death metal musicians (who insisted it was "classic rock", I think it was just "heavy metal") some of whom are quite well known in that sphere, so at least six people in Camden would recognise them. Didn't manage to persuade any of those six to come and see us though, and we split up after our singers inability to Just Say No got the better of him. Lovely feller. Don't lend him money. But we got a nice demo out of it.

Discussions are ongoing about a new band with some of the old lot, less "classic rock" and more "extreme metal" or at least a bit more unpleasant in nature.

The one advantage of age and having a proper job is that you can afford nice stuff. My current bass line up is a 1975 Rickenbacker 4001 (my first proper bass - never getting rid of that one even though I rarely play a 4 string any more), a Warwick Streamer JazzMan 5 string, a Wal mk 2 5 string (that I bought from Dean Garcia of Curve fame - he got given it by Ian Waller), an Ortega Ken Taylor model 5 string acoustic, and I'm currently waiting on delivery of a Warwick Custom Shop Streamer Stage 1 5 string. Ordered but not paid for before the Brexit vote...they didn't get me the invoice in time so it cost me about £650 extra when the exchange rate dropped...so much for German efficiency...

Oh, and a 4 string EUB from Far West - an early RedHead I think.

Clearly I am a single man at present.

As and when I get to play live that goes through an Ampeg SVT 2 Pro, with some Marshall and Warwick cabs.

[baldwinbass]

Hi Steve, welcome to Basschat - that's an impressive list of kit, I'm a Warwick fan too, and you've a really interesting life history. There's so much useful info on this site, and a lot of support if needed.

[discreet]

[SpondonBassed]

Welcome Steve. That's the trouble with being a single man, GAS gets the better of you because no-one has your back, so to speak.

[size=1]Just search this site for "GAS" if you think I am only talking about flatulence.[/size]

[discreet]

Ah, it's just simple lack of female supervision...

http://mwlfs.cheezburger.com

[Monkey Steve]

Thanks guys. I've been "lurking" for a while and thought I'd finally jump in. As and when I've had queries over the years I've usually been able to find an old thread of yours that answers it.