A personal celebration

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Hi everybody.

Well, since I play bass, I thought of putting this thread in the "Bassists" subforum. Mods, please move it if you don't consider this the right place.

Exactly 25 years ago (although unfortunately I can't remember the exact date) I made my first noises with a bass guitar, so these are "celebration days" for me. Still can't believe that a quarter of a century has passed since the day I played my soon-to-be-mine Peavey T-40 for the first time. I was taking acoustic guitar lessons and one day my teacher started playing something and he told me: "Hey, play the bassline for this" and he showed me how to play it. I liked that bass player role a lot and I asked him about the bass guitar since I barely knew anything about the instrument. A few days later, he arrived to my house with that Peavey T-40 for me to try it and get to know if I really liked the feel of that instrument. The owner of the bass was a saxophone/clarinet player who was a friend of him. It was April or May, 1986.

From that day I couldn't stop playing that heavy instrument, amplifying it through the Hammond 125200 organ we had at home. Although I already got some blisters from playing the guitar, I remember that I got my first serious blisters on Sunday, July 6th 1986, the day that Pope John Paul II visited my town for the first and only time. While the whole city was attending such major event, I was at home trying to learn how to play a Salsa song that I liked so much but was very hard to figure out for me. I spent the whole day just listening and playing and when the night arrived I had such big and nasty blisters that prevented me from playing during a few days.

Also, and after some weeks of having the T-40 on loan at home, mom accepted to buy the instrument for me. It was a real serious business, with signed contract and all. It happened on July 22, 1986:



She paid 80.000 Colombian pesos for it. How cheap/expensive was it? Well, the minimum wage in my country at the time was around 12-14.000 pesos per month. I was in love with this instrument, which was prominently on display at the only local music store at the time, but they asked 110.000 pesos for it and mom said no.

Those are the most important events that surrounded my beginnings as a bass player. Hope I didn't bore you with these gatherings. I just felt that my Silver Wedding Anniversary as a bassist is a remarkable event for me and just wanted to share it with all of you. Thanks for reading!

[Fretless1!]

Wow! That is remarkable. Congratulations on your journey!

[Staccato]

Congrats, this is an interesting thread! Was the serial number included on the contract?

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by Stacatto

Congrats, this is an interesting thread! Was the serial number included on the contract?

Unfortunately not. It just mentions "a Peavey brand bass, T-40 model, with its respective case".

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

I got my first serious blisters on Sunday, July 8th 1986, the day that Pope John Paul II visited my town for the first and only time. While the whole city was attending such major event, I was at home trying to learn how to play a Salsa song that I liked so much but was very hard to figure out for me. I spent the whole day just listening and playing and when the night arrived I had such big and nasty blisters that prevented me from playing during a few days.

Here's the song:

Escuchar Sufrimiento Fruko Y Sus Tesos - goear.com

"Sufrimiento" by Fruko Y Sus Tesos, released in 1985.

[cccy]

wow man. it's extra impressive for me, i'm not even 25 myself. congratulations! keep feeding the bottom

[jgroh]

Congratulations! Im at 25 years of playing myself. My brother was a drummer for years before I ever picked up the bass, and when I announced I wanted to take bass guitar lessons, my mother took me that same day, bought me a used Hondo P bass and 10 watt amp, and signed me up for lessons.

I was the type of kid that when I was into something, I was REALLY committed to it. So she knew that for me to go to her with this idea meant that I thought it through and that I would stick with it for a long time. I thank her every day for getting me started.

[Klonk]

Cool story Grats! I got 22 years myself as a bassist, maybe I should throw a party in 3 years time, hehe.

[Setebos]

Congrats Alvaro!!!!

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

Although I already got some blisters from playing the guitar, I remember that I got my first serious blisters on Sunday, July 6th 1986, the day that Pope John Paul II visited my town for the first and only time. While the whole city was attending such major event, I was at home trying to learn how to play a Salsa song that I liked so much but was very hard to figure out for me. I spent the whole day just listening and playing and when the night arrived I had such big and nasty blisters that prevented me from playing during a few days.

My calluses are turning 25 today.

[Epitaph04]

Very remarkable, and much respect to you Mr. Gomez! Really puts my 2 years of bass playing into perspective. I hope to one day reach that milestone you just reached.

[nutdog]

Excellent!

Could you explain the money on the contract?

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by nutdog

Excellent!

Could you explain the money on the contract?

Sure!

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

She paid 80.000 Colombian pesos for it. How cheap/expensive was it? Well, the minimum wage in my country at the time was around 12-14.000 pesos per month. I was in love with this instrument, which was prominently on display at the only local music store at the time, but they asked 110.000 pesos for it and mom said no.

Now, the current minimum wage in my country is 535.600 Colombian pesos, which equals 304 USD at the current exchange rate. Unfortunately, I don't remember how much did a dollar cost back in 1986.

[nutdog]

I'm still confused. It looks like 380 pesos on the contract. But what I don't understand is why money is on the contract from 1986. Did they make a color image of the contract and the money back then?

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by nutdog

I'm still confused. It looks like 380 pesos on the contract.

It's not 380 pesos but 80.000 (where do you read 380?)

Originally Posted by nutdog

But what I don't understand is why money is on the contract from 1986. Did they make a color image of the contract and the money back then?

Oh, OK. I get it now. You think that there are bills pictures in the contract (and they sum 380 pesos). Those aren't bills but postage stamps. The contract was authenticated at a notary office and part of the process was paying for those stamps.

[nutdog]

Gracias Great story.

I've got my first receipt from 1989. Just a little behind you.