Opinions sought: Older bass player at a crossroads (and hello again!)

[JoeEvans]

The double bass player here was 80 when this was recorded, touring internationally with a hot young fiddle player and gigging regularly at home (Hungary). He makes what he's doing look easy but there are very few people who could deliver that drive, power and rhythmic energy. So don't start thinking you're old at fifty, you're only just warming up!

 

 

[benthos]

Thank you all for the encouragment and suggestions - it really is appreciated!  Plenty of food for thought, there. 

[jazzyvee]

I gave my last Mesa boogie powerhouse cab to a local music service as I wasn't having any joy selling it. I probably have more gear than i actually need and apart from the cabs, they are all pretty weighty items. I do rotate them so they don't stand idle for years on end, well the guitar amps do but not the bass stuff.  I will be selling the guitar amps this year and getting a smaller more portable one that I can use practically for gigging and home practice.  

Edited February 16, 2023 by jazzyvee

[Kitsto]

10 hours ago, bass_dinger said:

Do you have a link??

 

Just checked. It's gone 😞 It was on at £50 and to my untrained eye looked quite ornate.

 

Found this. This was it:

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB914GB916&q=florence+nightingale+hospice+"mandolin"&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjYgK2GiZv9AhXFi1wKHYkTC2AQ5t4CegQIRBAB&biw=1536&bih=722&dpr=1.25#imgrc=fDJV8Tm9eitrVM

 

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by Kitsto

[3below]

4 hours ago, JoeEvans said:

The double bass player here was 80 when this was recorded, touring internationally with a hot young fiddle player and gigging regularly at home (Hungary). He makes what he's doing look easy but there are very few people who could deliver that drive, power and rhythmic energy. So don't start thinking you're old at fifty, you're only just warming up!

 

 

Relative of Mrs 3below, Cliff Crocket was still drumming at 100.  At 64 I am 2nd youngest in my prog jazz rock originals band. Enthusiasm abounds, however I would say we have discovered that full day (7 hour) rehearsals are a little demanding.

Edited February 16, 2023 by 3below

[Staggering on]

Don't give up yet, you never know what might come along.

I play DB in a swing band and jam with two different groups of friends who play jazz and might end up gigging, another band I was in might be getting together again and I am in the band for a theatre show this summer. Just to keep my interest up and learn new things I started taking weekly lessons last October to learn to play better and use the bow, it is tough but a good challenge and I can see improvement in all my playing  due to the lessons and the bow is starting to sound almost nice...well, sometimes.

On top of that I just got called to play with a friend who is a mandolin player and has a bluegrass band so it looks like I'll be playing at a couple of festivals this summer. It should be interesting because I've only jammed a little, never played in an actual bluegrass band but I guess he thinks I can handle it.

I'll be 77 in May and after 60 years of playing and gigging I have no plans to stop and have been lucky to have played guitar, EB, tenor banjo, DB and EUB in an incredible variety of bands.

If something comes along, I would suggest that you go for it. Keep most of your gear, you never know when you might need/want it. I was about to sell my second double bass just when the bluegrass guy phoned and now I'm doing some work on it and will use it at outdoor festivals this summer and save my good bass for indoor gigs.😊

 

Edit: I should add that I live in a rural area in northern Ontario so I have to be prepared to drive an hour or more for jams, rehearsals or gigs and there aren't many venues to play at but I have decided that I want to play so I'll just live with the driving, even in winter.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Staggering on

[EMG456]

Too young to be thinking about giving up. 
 

Do you write / record?  If not, now might be a good time to get into that- brilliant results can be had with little financial outlay.

 

As others have suggested, expand your musical horizons with a different instrument. My personal suggestions would be Chapman Stick or Linnstrument. Either of these will give you plenty of food for thought and if mastered even to a not particularly virtuosic level will open musical doors you may not even have been aware we’re there.

 

Music is like riding a bike- it’ll always be there ready to come to the fore. You can do it as little or as much as you want- there are no rules. 
 

Most of all, don’t overthink things. 
 

I’m sure you’ll sort it out.