Please dont burn me for this....

[john_the_bass]

[quote name='TGEvans' post='69590' date='Oct 4 2007, 05:20 PM']Hey all, want to know if any of you guys are big enough to list other instruments you may play, if so what and what gear do you use. This may have been done before. I am only asking because I have recently purchased a new guitar and marshall amp. I am a bass player first, but still like to dabble. I do feel bad about it though.....ah well.Anyone else?[/quote]

I play guitar and have done much much longer than I have played the bass, but I play guitar in one band and bass in another so our is house is full of gear (that's how I justify it anyway). I've got the usual array of tele/strat/les paul/semi and a gordon smith and a laney lc30 valve amp.
I dont' feel bad about it, in fact i think it's made me a better musician - picking up the bass improved my musicianship and then joining another band on guitar and playing covers taught me even more.

[thedontcarebear]

I play guitar and drums too, although I am getting rid of my drum stuff, I did have a mapex m birch kit and a bunch of other stuff, I still have my mapex babylonian black panther snare.

As for guitar, I have a Peavey 6505, Marshall 1960B, PRS 20th Anniversary Custom 24 10 top birds in flight as my main guitar, then a bunch of others including Tokai USG100, Jackson DK2M, Ibanez SZ320, JR LP with EMG 81/85, errr a Washburn acoustic, and some other electrics I cannot remember at the moment, I've cut my stuff back a lot recently though.

I have a big keyboard too, but I am rubbish on it, I'd give up all the others though to be good on Piano.

Edited October 5, 2007 by thedontcarebear

[cheddatom]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='69640' date='Oct 4 2007, 07:13 PM']Since I got interested in playing music almost 35 years ago, I've played guitar and synth, as well as bass, in all the different bands I've been involved with. Guitar is where I started, but bass is the instrument I keep coming back to. There was an interesting article in one of the US Bass mags a while back about why bass players tend to make good producers, because they are more likely to 'hear' the whole song as they tend to be providing both the melodic and rhythmic foundation. Personally I think that playing another instrument is beneficial as it gives you a better idea about how the elements of a piece of music can fit together.[/quote]

This is an intersting point that I was thinking about the other day. Why is it that bassists seem to be more considerate of the entire music, rather than just trying to play something impressive/fun?

I started on guitar, played for 8 years, then got a 6 string bass. I play them both quite similarly now. I'm playing the drums in a punk band atm, but i'm not very good. "I like to play".

[Ba55me15ter]

Started on piano, then french horn to grade 5. Got into drums as my first band used to keep the gear at our house.

I now dabble in drums, guitar and keys though I'll always be primarily a bass player. I think it's genetic.

Got an Ibanez RG760, Squire Strat, Simon & Parker electro-acoustic and a Yamaha DTXpress feeding DFHS drum samples. Oh and a Trace Elliot Supertramp Stereo Chorus 2x12 combo. And a Casio weighted leccy piano, again running through some nice piano samples.

[wotnwhy]

i'll play anything, and try to play everything, and have attempted most. but only in a dabble, mess about way. i've had lessons on a few

piano to grade 5
violin to grade 2
trumpet to grade 3
saxaphone to grade 2, now teach myself at home. am at a reasonable level
guitar self taught (sp?)
bass " "
drums " "

and i'll jam with pretty much anything i can get my hands on (you know the sort of jams, ramdomly bash pluck and blow . very theraputic)

[lee4]

Tried the trumpet,played tenor and bass drum in a marching band,took up the guitar,switched to bass 4 years later(at 17),and 21 years later I'm trying to learn the mandolin.
Being a musician does not mean that we should limit ourselves to one instrument.Trying a new string/brass/percussion etc instrument can only help us to widen our musical tastes and our skills.

[Count Bassy]

Started on Melodeon (about 30 years ago), then Anglo concertina about 20 years ago (along side the melodeon). Then took up trumpet for few years (actually reading the dots). Then started taking bass seriously about 2 years ago. Currently playing mostly melodeon and bass.

Having said that, my first instrument was the bass I built myself when I was 17, but it then spent most (but not all) of the next 30 years up the attic.

Clive.

[Alun]

Started on bass guitar nearly 19 years ago ( AAAARGH!) and have no intention of stopping now. I have never allowed myself to think what I can realistically play or achieve, so keep trying to learn new things and be more competent at the stuff I already do. Yes, I'm an anorak! Just started learning upright bass too.

Have played guitar ( a Yamaha FG acoustic and a cheap crappy Action ( think Aria made them) Strat copy) for about 17 years and am at a reasonably gigabble level.

Dabble with keyboard ( I know where the notes are and assorted chords but have no co-ordination!), ukulele and assorted percussion and can JUST about keep a pulse going on drums ) no chance of a solo though). Own some penny whistles but have no idea what I'm doing with them past Three Blind Mice.

Cheers,
Alun

[bassmandan]

started playing Trumpet/Cornet in '82 and still do from time to time, so I'm reasonably competent at it; I've collected a range of blowable brass things over the years: Besson Sovereign Bb Cornet, Getzen Eterna Eb Sop, Getzen Capri Flugelhorn, some ugly far eastern pocket Trumpet and a Getzen Trombone that I can't play! Currently got BrassGAS for a Bach Strad Trumpet! also been playing Drums for about twenty years; got a few nice kits including a Premier XPK, Yamaha Stage Custom and a rather nice Sonor S-Class Pro, and some other bits and pieces pending restoration in the loft. I've got about 15 g**tars, most of which are nothing special but there are some rare and vintage bits like the nicest sounding 35 year old Yammy FG series acoustic you've ever heard, a '63 Harmony Sovereign, a Hofner Verithin archtop. I've got a really great sounding Yamaha upright piano that I managed to blag in a killer deal; swapped it for a Trace rig and a Westfield J-Bass; a Korg Triton and some odds and sods of old sound modules. And because of the work I do in schools I spend most of my days trying to pack a 30 piece Samba set, two dozen Djembes and some of these bad boys!: www.poly-phones.co.uk (yeah I know the website sucks!) into my spare room..... oh yeah, and theres ten basses, an upright and an EBS rig to fit in my tiny little two bed terraced house!

[Mrs Tinman]

Bassmandan. I would love to see your Flugelhorn

[bassmandan]

[quote name='Mrs Tinman' post='70461' date='Oct 6 2007, 10:06 PM']Bassmandan. I would love to see your Flugelhorn [/quote]

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

cheeky!

PS: I'd probably have to polish it first!

[steve-soar]

Started on badminton racquet first.

Edited October 6, 2007 by steve-soar

[OutToPlayJazz]

I started as a cellist as a kid & graduated onto piano when I was 13. Started double bass at around 15 & picked up bass guitar (they're the same thing really!) when I was around 16-17.

Now a professional bass player (both variations) & cellist. I also teach upper strings (violin & viola) & classical guitar. I've been dabbling in a little electric guitar mainly this year, but am a bass player first and foremost.

Keep eyeing up a soprano sax... But I've never done any wind seriously. Could be a challenge

[woodenshirt]

Drums - started at 9 years old, finished two years latter (broken arm - playing footy!)
Keyboard - off and on for the next two and a half years (far too complicated!)
Guitar - started at 15 years old, still play at home (at present have a Gibson Les Paul Special, an Ovation electro-acoustic and a small Laney valve combo), still can't play a decent solo!
Bass - started at 16 years old, still learning, nearly 33 years later!

Mart.

[Dr.Dave]

I've a lovely daphne blue jap vintage strat , once a flood I play 2nd guitar in my mate's band when I'm asked.

I've done a fair bit of home recording with it , I'm not brilliant - I tend to riff rather than solo and if there are any solo's I leave holes so I can drop myself in and out!!

I've also an old 1978 Ovation bowl back acoustic which I strum around the house. I know enough chords to back myself in simple songs but guitar never really captured me like bass did.
I should practise more but my nails overgrow and I can't form the chords well , I go searching for the nail clippers and come back with a bass !!

[EntropicLqd]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='70578' date='Oct 7 2007, 11:49 AM']...Keep eyeing up a soprano sax... But I've never done any wind seriously. Could be a challenge [/quote]
Eat lots of beans.

I play bass first and foremost, but have been dabbling with the drums over the last 6 months. I've got a 12 string semi kicking around that I've had for years but that barely gets used. I'm going to start some singing lessons soon; in the hope that it'll take me from a lousy singer to an acceptable one.

[Hamster]

Well, since you ask I also play a Fender Strat with the hotter Tex-Mex pickups into either a 1982 Fender Concert amp or a 1985 Mesa Boogie Studio 22+. I'm really struggling over the amps, I love both but I just can't afford to have two such expensive (for me) amps.

Hamster

[OldGit]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='70578' date='Oct 7 2007, 11:49 AM']Keep eyeing up a soprano sax... But I've never done any wind seriously. Could be a challenge [/quote]

You can get a reasonable Soprano sax for a few hundred quid these days but Sopranos are monsters for tuning and sounding terrible. Even John Coltrane had problems playing soprano in tune. No one should start their sax life on one. Get a tenor first.
[url="http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Reviews/Saxes/Sop/Soprano_sax_reviews.htm"] Article about Sopranos and cheap but good saxes[/url]

So to the thread.
Bass for 30+ years

Sax for 15 years.
Primarily Baritone. I have a 1963 Selmer Mk 6 low A. Stunning instrument.
My tenor is a King Silversonic from '67.
Soprano is a 2001 Yanigasawa 901;
Alto is some kind of East German thing. I only use it to busk

I also play didgeridoo, recorders (yamaha), penny whistle and percussion.

I can sing but I can't remember the words (thanks, God)

[OldGit]

[quote name='Mrs Tinman' post='70461' date='Oct 6 2007, 10:06 PM']Bassmandan. I would love to see your Flugelhorn [/quote]

Remember we are watching you ...

[beerdragon]

Started of on a tennis racket in front if the mirror, when my parents thought it was getting a bit weird they bought me a guitar, a Selmar duo. by then everyone was in bands playing guitars so took up sax, did'nt take to it, next keyboards. a Vox Continental then a Hammond. brilliant, had to sell it as i needed the cash, then i took up the bass and i'm happy again. as someone mentioned playing a variety of instruments broadens your musical outlook.