Hello all,
I am new to the forum as of this a.m.
My real name is John but I go by ratfart on many forums. It comes from one of my favorite movies, Caddyshack. Just before the priest gets struck by lightning, he yells, "RATFARTS!!!" after missing a putt. I've always loved that line and have come to use it instead of some more offensive statements of disgust or frustration, so it stuck.
My bass background: I started playing on a Gibson EB-(3?) that one of my friends found in his uncle's basement and asked if he could have it. I payed him $15 and started learning. I was 14 years old and thought that old bass was a peice of crap (My how things look different from a 14 year old's perspective!!) and I couldn't wait to buy a "good" bass like a Jackson or a Kramer.
So needless to say, when I walked into the guitar shop and asked if they took trade ins I began my long series of bad trades/purchases/sales before settling on a Fender Contemporary Precision in candy apple red metallic with black neck and headstock. How I loved that bass and the tone it made. Well, a fire at the music hall of my college took that away from me and I replaced it with a 1988 or 89? Fender Power Jazz Special in the same red with black headstock. I still love it! I have bought and sold and traded so many nice axes that I almost cry thinking about some of them. Ahh yes, live and learn!
I played in multiple garage/bar bands, played on a music scholarship in college on both the bass and trumpet, mainly jazz but some orchestra (trumpet). Played with a real good three peice band doing covers and original rock, funk, punk for about 4 years.
I quit playing in 1996 when my first child was born, the late nights and time away from home were not going to work for me anymore.
Well, that first born just turned 10 this December and all he wanted for his Bday was a bass! (smart kid!). When I got him an inexpensive bass, I played it for awhile and got inspired to play my own. Started noodling around and then got a call from a local musician who asked me to jam with he and another guitarist and a drummer. I reluctantly said OK, went and jammed on a Sunday evening, practiced with them again on Wed evening and played a gig on that same Saturday evening at a local club. It was nerve wracking, frustrating, humbling, exhilarating, scary, fun, addicting all at the same time! 60 tunes on thier set list, about 25 I'd heard before, 10 I knew how to play and the rest a freakin' mystery waiting to be solved!
So now I'm back into it after having peddled most of my gear and having lost all of my calluses... OUCH!
I have many questions that I'll start to spring on the enlightened among this forum and try to re-learn half of what I have forgotten in the past 10 years!
Hope to learn a bunch and hope to be able to contribute a little.
