beely

Currently compiling a list of no-longer-required music-related items that will be put up for sale in the near future. Then, a chilled afternoon preparing for an unexpected visit to Perth Concert Hall to see Mike and the Mechanics. (My daughter-in-law has taken slightly unwell and can't go).

Oh my goodness, it appears I may have led a bit of a sheltered life. I bought the Ric new in 1978. It was my only bass until the Mustang (current gigging bass) took my fancy around 2014. Hayman Fender Gibson Rickenbacker Fender

I had the good fortune to see Evanescence in Oslo earlier this year. Fantastic bass playing (and singing) from Emma Anzai of Australian band, Sick Puppies.

I have two basses; a Rickenbacker 4001 and a 2006 MIJ Mustang. I know it may seem odd but, sound-and-playing-wise, I’d be hard-pressed to make a choice of one over the other. Emotionally it would be the Ric as I’ve had it a very long time. However, the Mustang is lighter, which I like. It is also shorter, which our singer, who stands to my left, appreciates as she’s less likely to have her ear clipped every five minutes. 😇

Done.

A few years ago at an open mic, the guy who was performing started playing Ryan Adams’ “When stars go blue”. I decide to get up on stage and give him some accompaniment on the bass. He has his capo on fret three, playing in “C”. That makes it Eb but hey, I’m a bass player; I can do this. I decide to ease my way gradually into the song, making it look like it was all part of the plan. When I started playing, something sounded not-quite-right. I quickly realised it was me, playing in the wrong key. It was an honest mistake; one that anyone could make. I mean, who would think that a guitar player using a capo would be tuned down a half-step.

Your situation is so reminiscent of my own, only you are a few decades behind me. I worked in the printing trade for most of my working life and for a great deal of that period I was working shifts. Not being able to commit to rehearsals, gigs etc made being in a band so problematic that I eventually gave up. I didn’t want to be the “sorry-I can’t-make-the-gig/rehearsal-this-week” guy. I did have a bit of a get-out however. I play guitar and sing, so was able to pick-and-choose solo acoustic gigs without having to rely on, or inconvenience, anyone else. Not quite the same as playing bass in a band but an acceptable alternative. In May 2010 at the age of 55, I was made redundant from what proved to be my final printing job. For the next eighteen months I drove taxis and stacked supermarket shelves (not the worst job I’ve ever had, but I’d place it in the top 1 🙄), continuing to work unsocial, unpredictable hours. In November 2011 I began working for Royal Mail as a postie. Now I had regular hours, generally 6.30-2.30, the first thing I did was to start looking for a band. Nothing came of that search so I started my own band. We have recently celebrated our ten-year anniversary, still having three of the original five members. This is perhaps a slightly long-winded way of saying that the difficulties you currently face are not insurmountable and that life can change in unexpected and, ultimately, beneficial ways. Hang in there; you’ll get back to it.

I think you have accomplished more than you will perhaps, at the moment anyway, realise. Many years ago, 1965 to be precise, I was 9 years old and the only one of a group of pals who didn’t have a bike. As with most families, money was tight and there wasn’t any likelihood of me getting one any time soon. Without letting on to me, my dad, my pop, uncles and so on had scavenged around for bicycle parts; frame, wheels etc. My dad worked away from home at this time, leaving early Monday and returning late on Friday. Sunday night I was packed off to bed and my dad secretly set about assembling this bike. Goodness knows what time he got finished. I got up for school the next day; he had already left for his train, and I found this bike sitting in the kitchen. I’ve never forgotten that moment: “My dad made that for me”. It took many years for the deeper significance to become apparent, but at that point, the moment was enough. I hope in the years ahead, your son will carry with him a similar cherished moment. Bravo Sir.

If you have an inclination to return to college, my advice is just do it. Don't feel intimidated by thinking you're age will make you feel out of place. In 2017, at the age of 61, I started an Audio Engineering degree at UHI Perth College. You'll probably find a wider age-range than you might think. In my NC (National Certificate) year, I was, unsurprisingly the oldest; the youngest a straight-from-school 15yo. However, I think the only decade not represented was someone in their fifties. The following year was even more diverse age-wise. Apart from the feeling of being totally accepted by younger people, the thing that struck me the most was realising the future was in good hands. It would be ridiculous to suggest that there will be no difference in attitude between someone in middle-years and a teenager. That said, your chosen subject will unite you in a way that overcomes any age differences. You'll very quickly realise that, in the very best way, you are just another student. Hope I haven't rambled on too much. 🙄

Certainly looks like an Ovation Magnum or, as has been suggested, a variation thereof. Can't really tell from the vid if it is a I or a II. The I had regular tone/volume pots while the II had, I think, a volume control and a built-in graphic EQ. The only reason I have even the slightest clue about Ovation Magnum Basses is from a recently-watched Sky Arts programme featuring Journey on their 1981 "Escape" tour. I was intrigued by Bass-player Ross Valory's guitar and did a bit of digging to satisfy my curiosity. Before that, I had been completely unaware of the existence of Ovation bass guitars. Bound to see them everywhere now.........🙄