Why did you start this?

[alyctes]

I played cello as a kid.  Wasn't bad at it.  Noticed I understood things about music that most people didn't.  Stopped in my late teens, mixture of other pressures.

In my forties, I noticed I thought of myself as musical without ever picking an instrument up.  

So I guess I got here by embarrassing myself into it.

 

[Chiliwailer]

What made you pick up that first bass at the start of this long and winding road?

2 mates had just got guitars, so I thought we could get it together, and hey, bass is easier right?! It made sense though, I loved rhythm and wanted to be a drummer. 

 

Do you still have the same fire and enthusiasmr? Do you still love it?

Yes, and yes. 

 

What has changed along the way?

While still young I had to stop being in bands due to health issues. That was tough, although by then I’d worked out session work felt soulless and pointless to me, and making it in a band was highly unrealistic. I loved my last band but it badly impacted my health as I really should have fully stopped by then, and actually already had done for a couple of years. 

 

Your taste in music, taste in basses?

All been pretty steady. 

 

What was the first bass?
Rockwood LX100B

 

And what’s the latest?

Completely unexpectedly, I got a fretless Stingray and a Stingray Special within days of each other last month.  

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Chiliwailer said:

And what’s the latest?

Completely unexpectedly, I got a fretless Stingray and a Stingray Special within days of each other last month.

 

You still think 'I wonder where they came from?'

[Chiliwailer]

3 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

You still think 'I wonder where they came from?'

Unfortunately the Barclaycard left some clues. 
 

Despite my subconscious GAS denials. 

[knirirr]

What made you pick up that first bass at the start of this long and winding road?

 

At the time I had been playing guitar in a big band; this sort of thing, though nowhere near as well, of course.
I noticed the following things:

1. Playing jazz was what I wanted to do.

2. Bass looked more and more tempting.

3. I sucked at guitar and would never sound like my then favourite players.

 

When I moved away and could no longer play with that band it was a good opportunity to switch. I could not afford a DB or lessons, but saw an advert in a magazine for Encore's fretless P-bass (E83), which was something I could afford. I'd not heard of fretless bass guitars at the time and assumed they must be for jazz. 

[ricksterphil]

I started on a 6-string nylon which I ruined by adding steel strings. I got my first bass at 13, it was a semi hollow Hofner with a banana neck which I ruined by over tightening the truss rod. My first 'proper' bass was an old Epiphone SG style and then my Dad stumped up for a 73 Rickenbacker 4001 in black with the rare checkerboard binding (thanks Dad). This bass inspired my BC handle. Stupidly sold it in the early 80's for £275 and spotted it recently in Andy Baxter's shop for £4000. Ho hum.

 

I was inspired to play bass cos with fewer strings, it looked easier than playing a 6-string.