My bass life winding down?

[Al Krow]

Really enjoyed this thread and I'm glad it's an unfinished story. 

(It's also a tale that means I never need feel guilty about buying gear again. You got through 100 basses? No really one hundred... yes actually ONE HUNDRED basses... that's a ton of basses!) 😋😁

[ubit]

So you bought your wife a Ukelele and it’s you that’s playing it? 🤔. I think I’ve come across this type of thing before! 😂

Edited February 16, 2019 by ubit

[ubit]

I lost all interest in playing for a while. My job means I work away a lot on an ad hoc basis. It’s rubbish for making plans. Mrs Ubits son was staying with us and the spare room/music room became cluttered and full of rubbish. The fact that her son was omnipresent in the house deterred me from noodling. He’s at Uni now and I’ve cleared the music room. Result? I now go in and play whenever I want and I’ve got a renewed desire to play things and learn new bass parts. It feels great!

[GreeneKing]

13 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Really enjoyed this thread and I'm glad it's an unfinished story. 

(It's also a tale that means I never need feel guilty about buying gear again. You got through 100 basses? No really one hundred... yes actually ONE HUNDRED basses... that's a ton of basses!) 😋😁

I keep on remembering basses that I forgot to add to the total too.......

[Al Krow]

Just now, GreeneKing said:

I keep on remembering basses that I forgot to add to the total too.......

Come on then: bit of homework for the weekend for you: can we get a list of all your basses (and if you're feeling brave ranked in order of which you liked the most!)

I suspect folk will be more interested in that list than they care to admit (bit like what colour bass is actually the most popular) 😂

 

[GreeneKing]

9 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Come on then: bit of homework for the weekend for you: can we get a list of all your basses (and if you're feeling brave ranked in order of which you liked the most!)

I suspect folk will be more interested in that list than they care to admit (bit like what colour bass is actually the most popular) 😂

 

It's a subject that I addressed elsewhere so I'll look for the info. Every now and again someone will say 'remember ...... that I bought from you' and my mind will go 'kerrching, +1' 😆

To be honest, considering my abilities with the instrument, it's a little embarrassing..

[NikNik]

On 01/03/2018 at 14:27, GreeneKing said:

About 22 years ago, at the age of 41, I was walking my beat in Plymouth along College Avenue, past Manson’s Music and I peered into the window. That re-triggered my desire to learn to play a musical instrument. I’d been keen at school, but my parents decided that as they weren’t musical neither was I and that the fiver deposit on the school trombone wasn’t going to happen despite the music teacher pushing for it. I’d been a marching band snare drummer and I’d had a bit of bandsman trombone practice time in my previous 20 odd years in the RN but that was it.

Why bass? To be honest it was because I thought it would be easier, oh and different. I bought a headless Hohner Jack from Manson’s and my bass journey commenced.

Bands, who’d have them eh? I got involved with some work colleagues and friends in Plymouth and we struck up a regular practice in Saltash Rugby Club. It was pretty dire, I was pretty dire too to be honest and we sort of collapsed after a while. I learnt a lot though and the taste for gigging was firmly instilled in my brain. I also started listening to bass and becoming sort of ‘bass centric’ in my interests and music tastes.

In 2004 I moved North to Kendal for a change of career. I had by now acquired a superior case of GAS that would see over 100 basses pass through my hands to date. I think that’s quite an achievement although I’m not sure if it’s one to be proud of. I actually had 27 at one point (yes I was single at the time). I saw an ad in Mad Monks in Kendal for a bassist and headed North to Penrith for an audition.

My first ‘proper’ band? Well sort of. Regular practice with 3 local guys who were all older than myself and generally a well-heeled bunch. The band’s music was supposedly a democratic choice but the singer/lead guitarist had a habit of going down the pub, referring to us as ‘his band’ and stating that he wasn’t going to play any of that crap that the bassist suggested. The Rolling Stones were the best band in the world and ‘Dead Flowers’ was their best number…..

So, the writing was always on the wall really. The other guys were great, and we actually gigged three times. We opened at a local ‘mini-festival’, did one gig in the local for our supper and one charity gig. I loved it and put up with a lot of aggro in the hope of becoming a regular gigging band, but it wasn’t to be. A shame really. It got bitter and twisted at the end, mainly between the said lead guitard and the rest of us.

I then had the experience of getting into a punk band that folded and then re-formed with a new bassist. The lengths some people will go to to avoid telling someone that they have another bassist who’s their mate etc. and fits the band image better.

Finally, a really long stretch with a group of guys in Kendal who were actually good, particularly the lead guitarist, but we never made a gig. At the best we sounded really good. All classic rock which became very tiring after a while. I think that some of the guys didn’t really want to or have the bottle to gig but wouldn’t admit it. This all went on with the odd change of personnel for years.

Recently I thought, enough is enough. I was completely dis-heartened. I sold my rig, sold some basses and thought I’d retire to a bit of noodling in the bass cupboard.

It hasn’t really happened. The basses and practice combo have just sat there gathering dust.

And then I bought my wife a ukulele.  That’s it, I’m a bit smitten! I’ve succumbed to the Uke syndrome. All that life of bass, buying, selling and swapping at clandestine meeting in motorway services has stopped. A whole era seems to be winding down and coming to an end.

I still have 5 basses and my TC 250 Combo. I’ve 2 custom ACGs that I don’t intend parting with, a full Uber top spec bubinga and wenge Finn 5 and my special holly topped headless Salace. I also have Rita, a Musicman Sterling with a Nordstrand that used to be well known in these parts. I’ve owned her twice and she stays. That leaves my pearlescent white Nanyo Bass Collection 5 that I’ve just bought from Mick and fettled with a Glockenkland pre. Finally I’m a umming and ahhing about whether to keep my soft aged Fiesta Red Sandberg 5 string P bass. It’s beautiful. I was never one for relic finished instruments but this just works. It sounds wonderful and weighs 7.5 lbs. But however much I love it I’m not playing it so what’s the point? Hmmm…

So a long journey and life always changes. I've met some great people and made life long friends. I just thought I’d share. If anyone is local to me I have a load of bass books and odds and ends sat around. I don’t really want to advertise and post etc.

So, statistically not good. 22 years, more than 100 basses and 3 gigs! Well life isn't always as you'd want it to be and if you don't have the right ingredients around you you'll never bake a cake  

I'm, off to play my Uke

Peter

 

 

Keep playing, lad.