Newer than a new thing - hi!

[Minininjarob]

Hi I’m Rob and I’m in Yorkshire. 46 years old and I’ve always wanted to play guitar. Tried to play bass about 10 years ago and just couldn’t get past the initial stage, it was just too hard. 
Wanted to try again and a good friend lent me his 4 string (not even sure of the make) active bass and a little Fender rumble practice amp.  Both of them hum and rattle like crazy but as I’m a newbie I don’t care! Anything’s better than nothing right?

 

Anyway I have started to try and play my favourite music - American punk (offspring/bad religion etc) and am finding it’s harder than I thought BUT there’s loads of YouTube videos which I am learning some basics from which have been really helpful and I think I might be hooked already. 
 

Been out looking for my first bass for myself and I’m set on a Precision Bass as anything else leaves me cold - you’ve got to be excited to pick it up haven’t you? I did try a few different types first in shops but as soon as I plugged in a PB and hit a note I knew it was the one for me! Not pulled the trigger on one yet but a player series PB in tide pool blue has been sitting in a few online baskets on my PC already - I will buy from a local shop though (shout out to Peter at Rich Tone in Sheffield who was super helpful - I will be back to buy from there). 
 

i know some might say get a cheaper instrument than a Fender - I know a player series isn’t £400 better than a Squire - but I can just about get the Fender so why not? I’m not getting any younger, may as well get what I really want. 

 

Looking for an amp - Fender and Ashdown ones I have tried so far have been my favourite - may go 2nd hand on the amp, I have a close friend who owns a back line rental company who can fix things if I get a problem. 
 

So far have learnt that my fingers are too short (I’m not tall myself anyway), it’s harder getting an even rhythm and tone than I thought but turning even that little amp up is addictive - even when I sound so bad!!

 

I am insisting on practising standing up, it’s just more fun to me and it doesn’t hurt me even after an hour or so. While I’m playing with a pick (the sound I prefer) which suits the music I love I want to play a bit of everything eventually so trying all sorts - managing to play along to a simpler song (Maggie Roger’s Leave a light on) quite well was a wonderful experience. 
 

Anyway, hope I can pick up some tips and encouragement on here, have a great day y’all. 
 

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by Minininjarob

[SpondonBassed]

Welcome Rob.

[Reggaebass]

Welcome Rob 👍

[Tim2291]

36 minutes ago, Minininjarob said:

Hi I’m Rob and I’m in Yorkshire. 46 years old and I’ve always wanted to play guitar. Tried to play bass about 10 years ago and just couldn’t get past the initial stage, it was just too hard. 
Wanted to try again and a good friend lent me his 4 string (not even sure of the make) active bass and a little Fender rumble practice amp.  Both of them hum and rattle like crazy but as I’m a newbie I don’t care! Anything’s better than nothing right?

 

Anyway I have started to try and play my favourite music - American punk (offspring/bad religion etc) and am finding it’s harder than I thought BUT there’s loads of YouTube videos which I am learning some basics from which have been really helpful and I think I might be hooked already. 
 

Been out looking for my first bass for myself and I’m set on a Precision Bass as anything else leaves me cold - you’ve got to be excited to pick it up haven’t you? I did try a few different types first in shops but as soon as I plugged in a PB and hit a note I knew it was the one for me! Not pulled the trigger on one yet but a player series PB in tide pool blue has been sitting in a few online baskets on my PC already - I will buy from a local shop though (shout out to Peter at Rich Tone in Sheffield who was super helpful - I will be back to buy from there). 
 

i know some might say get a cheaper instrument than a Fender - I know a player series isn’t £400 better than a Squire - but I can just about get the Fender so why not? I’m not getting any younger, may as well get what I really want. 

 

Looking for an amp - Fender and Ashdown ones I have tried so far have been my favourite - may go 2nd hand on the amp, I have a close friend who owns a back line rental company who can fix things if I get a problem. 
 

So far have learnt that my fingers are too short (I’m not tall myself anyway), it’s harder getting an even rhythm and tone than I thought but turning even that little amp up is addictive - even when I sound so bad!!

 

I am insisting on practising standing up, it’s just more fun to me and it doesn’t hurt me even after an hour or so. While I’m playing with a pick (the sound I prefer) which suits the music I love I want to play a bit of everything eventually so trying all sorts - managing to play along to a simpler song (Maggie Roger’s Leave a light on) quite well was a wonderful experience. 
 

Anyway, hope I can pick up some tips and encouragement on here, have a great day y’all. 
 

 

Welcome Rob, and good call on the Tidepool blue  keep an eye out for second hand ones! Mines a Mexican Jazz bass that I from a good friend for an absolutely crazy deal!

[Franticsmurf]

Hi Rob. My hands are too small to be a bass player, but a bass player is what I am. It just means I have to move my fingers a bit further that other folks. 😃

[Minininjarob]

3 hours ago, Tim2291 said:

Welcome Rob, and good call on the Tidepool blue  keep an eye out for second hand ones! Mines a Mexican Jazz bass that I from a good friend for an absolutely crazy deal!

oooh that Jazz is lush. 
 

You will all think I’m crazy but I was in Gear4Music on Saturday and had a tidepool blue PB in my hands and my wife said “are you going to buy it then?”  And I didn’t. Sorry. 
 

I suppose G4M just felt like an Argos store and I got so much help from Rich Tone in Sheffield I wanted to get it from them and they’d set it up for me too. 
 

Been looking for 2nd hand for a while but I wouldn’t know what to check when I picked it up so new is a bit safer for me. Good to get a good relationship going with a shop who can provide backup - I used to work in retail and I like to use local shops. 

[Minininjarob]

2 hours ago, Franticsmurf said:

Hi Rob. My hands are too small to be a bass player, but a bass player is what I am. It just means I have to move my fingers a bit further that other folks. 😃

My thoughts exactly! You just got to live with what you have to work with!
 

You should see my wife with a PB on her, she’s only 4’11” and it looks huge on her - but so cool!!

 

 

[ezbass]

 

Great intro. P bass with a pick for US punk? What’s not to like? Those Tidepool P basses are so cool, I’ve come close to buying a mostly unnecessary one of those on more than one occasion and I still keep looking (I think they look even better with a tort scratchplate, YMMV). 

[Richard R]

Welcome aboard!

 

Shout out to local music shops, especially the independents 🥳

 

I would strongly recommend taking a look at both StudyBass.com and Scotts Bass Lessons.  I was an newbie 4 years ago, aged 51, and thise sites were fantastic for getting the basics right. StudyBass.com is completely free and isn't as shouty as Scott can be. Getting things like hand position, bass position, how to avoid injury and RSI are really important. Then there is the nominally less interesting stuff like scales and chords, but mix those in with tunes you like to build good muscle memory. 

 

Welcome to a great hobby, and a friendly forum. 🎵🎵

[Ricky 4000]

Great intro - Welcome Rob 👍

[MungoBass]

Excellent intro! Welcome Rob. Great choice of bass!

[nikon F]

i too have small hands and short fingers ,,i got a p bass when i started about six years ago.wish i'd got a jazz instead of the p as i find the thinner neck of the j suits me better.but i didnt know any different at the time.

[msb]

Nikon F !  I got my first Pbass trading an F2 with a pentaprism and 85/1.8. 
Still have the Pbass , sold the old Nikon stuff but still have an S2

 

 

[nikon F]

nice quiet shutter ,, unlike the F that sounds like an old dustbin lid hitting the floor. i believe @ped might also be a rangefinder type of geezer.  

[msb]

I had that old motor drive on my F. It made quite the racket. I think it was the F36 version. Primitive thing.
I was also nutty about Leica rangefinders , and still have some. 

[Minininjarob]

On 04/10/2022 at 18:30, Richard R said:

Welcome aboard!

 

Shout out to local music shops, especially the independents 🥳

 

I would strongly recommend taking a look at both StudyBass.com and Scotts Bass Lessons.  I was an newbie 4 years ago, aged 51, and thise sites were fantastic for getting the basics right. StudyBass.com is completely free and isn't as shouty as Scott can be. Getting things like hand position, bass position, how to avoid injury and RSI are really important. Then there is the nominally less interesting stuff like scales and chords, but mix those in with tunes you like to build good muscle memory. 

 

Welcome to a great hobby, and a friendly forum. 🎵🎵

Thanks - I have enjoyed Scott’s Bass lessons on YouTube but I would prefer something free. 

I’ve been having a chat with a bass player friend and he was explaining scales to me so I’d better get started on them 😂😂

[Minininjarob]

I have to admit I’ve been looking at bigger and bigger amp setups but I know they’ll all be too loud at home BUT I’m wondering how much I care…. 😂😂😂

It’s chuffing addictive turning even my little practice amp up and really going for it. I was trying a couple in some shops and thought it was very amusing that there was a few people hunched over Strats twiddling away (what are they playing??) and there’s me stood up with a big amp connected in and turned up making the excuse the salesman that “I really need to hear it properly”. LOL. 
 

If anyone has a spare Ashdown combo for sale let me know….. 😂😂

[Ralf1e]

On 04/10/2022 at 15:13, Minininjarob said:

oooh that Jazz is lush. 
 

You will all think I’m crazy but I was in Gear4Music on Saturday and had a tidepool blue PB in my hands and my wife said “are you going to buy it then?”  And I didn’t. Sorry. 
 

I suppose G4M just felt like an Argos store and I got so much help from Rich Tone in Sheffield I wanted to get it from them and they’d set it up for me too. 
 

Been looking for 2nd hand for a while but I wouldn’t know what to check when I picked it up so new is a bit safer for me. Good to get a good relationship going with a shop who can provide backup - I used to work in retail and I like to use local shops. 

Buying with the set up is a really good call. It will transform it and make learning a joy instead of a chore.

Lots of people buy badly set up guitars and basses and can't get on with it so give up.

Hint. You can buy finger stretchers and exercisers.

[PaulThePlug]

...I know a player series isn’t £400 better than a Squire... I’m not getting any younger, may as well get what I really want.

 

What ever inspires you to pick it up more often is possibly money well spent... As a Hobby, every time you pick it up for an hour it gets cheaper! And as you say... Why Not!

Edited October 10, 2022 by PaulThePlug

[Minininjarob]

Well after all that talk about getting from a local shop I noticed Fender had them for £729 with 10% off first order so got one delivered for £650. Got it yesterday and it sounds amazing!!! That saving will pay for the accessories from a local shop instead - I couldn’t pass that price up. 
 

Oooh it’s flipping gorgeous and it sounds amazing!!!

 

Sorry about the state of the bed but that’s where it’s living now! 

 

[Tim2291]

6 minutes ago, Minininjarob said:

Well after all that talk about getting from a local shop I noticed Fender had them for £729 with 10% off first order so got one delivered for £650. Got it yesterday and it sounds amazing!!! That saving will pay for the accessories from a local shop instead - I couldn’t pass that price up. 
 

Oooh it’s flipping gorgeous and it sounds amazing!!!

 

Sorry about the state of the bed but that’s where it’s living now! 

 

Looks awesome and a good price too!

[Richard R]

On 10/10/2022 at 11:07, PaulThePlug said:

As a Hobby, every time you pick it up for an hour it gets cheaper!

Now that's what I call thinking!

How come I can't think of things like that??

 

[Tandro]

6 hours ago, Minininjarob said:

Well after all that talk about getting from a local shop I noticed Fender had them for £729 with 10% off first order so got one delivered for £650. Got it yesterday and it sounds amazing!!! That saving will pay for the accessories from a local shop instead - I couldn’t pass that price up. 
 

Oooh it’s flipping gorgeous and it sounds amazing!!!

 

Sorry about the state of the bed but that’s where it’s living now! 

 

Noice....I think somebody better step up quick and give you the pep talk about G.A.S.....or not  

[Minininjarob]

51 minutes ago, Tandro said:

 

Noice....I think somebody better step up quick and give you the pep talk about G.A.S.....or not  

GAS?

[MungoBass]

14 hours ago, Minininjarob said:

GAS?

Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. 
 

😀