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disAbled bass players
- Thread starter Bassinat66
- Start date
Very cool web site. I am so impressed - not only that you have taken the time to put together the web site, but with the people you have bio'd on it. My hat is off to all of you.
Beaver Felton comes to mind - he's in a wheelchair every pic/clip I have seen him in. I believe he was into body building or something like that at one time. Does anyone know his story?
Beaver Felton comes to mind - he's in a wheelchair every pic/clip I have seen him in. I believe he was into body building or something like that at one time. Does anyone know his story?
Back in the 60's there was a band in Baton Rouge called the Luvrakers, The bass player (a Phthalidimide baby, perhaps) had a severe birth defect: he had no thumbs and his arms were about half normal length. His playing style was unorthodox to say the least; he hung the bass very high and played over the top of the neck with his fingers pointed downward and his little finger hooked behind the neck. He also had very little flexibility in the fingers of his right hand, so he kept his hand more or less rigid and played from the elbow.
But he was pretty good, and he played with a lot of enthusiasm.
But he was pretty good, and he played with a lot of enthusiasm.
- Mar 9, 2005
- 1,946
- 11
- Disclosures
- Avatar Club#12 Eden Club Lucky# 13--USA Peavey Club#37 Carvin Club#5
I am physically disabled from a car accident. No knee, on my left leg, and it's 3 inches shorter than the right leg. My right hand is messed up, and I had to re-learn how to pick. My neck was broken, and I lost some feeling sensations in my hands, buy not enough to stop me from playing. I still load all my own equipment with the help of a two wheeled hand truck. It has slowed me down, but I still get there.
Wow! Some of you guys really persevere. I'm only partially disabled - car accident in '81 left me about 75% movement of my left arm. Now, I'm getting pinched nerves on my shoulder that make my whole arm numb when I play.
Here's one of my old guitarists. He did a pretty mean Johnny Winter, but couldn't fingerpick worth crap. He's still playing out in Oklahoma City with One Arm Bandit (our old band name)
Here's one of my old guitarists. He did a pretty mean Johnny Winter, but couldn't fingerpick worth crap. He's still playing out in Oklahoma City with One Arm Bandit (our old band name)
- Dec 29, 2004
- 726
- 2
- 60
- Disclosures
- Independent Manufacturers Representative
Legally, I'm not disabled. But I do have a physical impairment that affects everything I do. I have severe chronic back pain that is debilitating to say the least. It really affects my live playing sometimes. If I'm having a bad day, I can't really get into the groove, AND, sometimes I play a little behind the beat.
I had an accident in 1991 with a table saw using a dado blade. I lost most all of my little finger, half of my middle finger, and my ring finger was tore up pretty bad on my left hand. They managed to save my ring finger but the first joint is fused(tip) and I can only bend it at the middle joint. I am just thankful that I did not cut my whole hand off in the accident.
I played bass with all my fingers back in my 20's and could play quite well. I am 54 years old now and at that time in my life when I had the accident I was in the concert sound engineer business and was not playing much bass at all for several years but still loved to play.
After my fingers healed and I got some strength in my ring finger I started testing to see if I could still play. With support from family and friends and my doctor which said it would be good rehab, I started to practice again. It was awkward at first but soon I was back at it.
By the mid to late 90's I was back playing with a band and have been playing steady since. I now have to move my arm/hand a little faster to get those notes I used to play with my little finger. I still use my "nub" on my little finger to play notes on the high strings when I do thumb pop stuff and it works quite well. My middle finger now is just along for the ride as I can't bend what I have left much at the mid joint and I also don't like the feel of the strings on the boney part of my knuckle. So I pretty much play with my index and ring finger and some with my nub.
All is good though as I was mostly a groove player and I still have a good feel. I think I surprise new musicians that I meet by how well I can keep up and groove. Most of the time at the gig people don't even know that I am missing some fingers, but sometimes I catch them whispering and pointing at me and I just get a laugh out of it.
So be thankful for what you got and do the best with it.
In the picture I am sporting my Lakland 55-02 I got last year.
Ace
Image:[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I played bass with all my fingers back in my 20's and could play quite well. I am 54 years old now and at that time in my life when I had the accident I was in the concert sound engineer business and was not playing much bass at all for several years but still loved to play.
After my fingers healed and I got some strength in my ring finger I started testing to see if I could still play. With support from family and friends and my doctor which said it would be good rehab, I started to practice again. It was awkward at first but soon I was back at it.
By the mid to late 90's I was back playing with a band and have been playing steady since. I now have to move my arm/hand a little faster to get those notes I used to play with my little finger. I still use my "nub" on my little finger to play notes on the high strings when I do thumb pop stuff and it works quite well. My middle finger now is just along for the ride as I can't bend what I have left much at the mid joint and I also don't like the feel of the strings on the boney part of my knuckle. So I pretty much play with my index and ring finger and some with my nub.
All is good though as I was mostly a groove player and I still have a good feel. I think I surprise new musicians that I meet by how well I can keep up and groove. Most of the time at the gig people don't even know that I am missing some fingers, but sometimes I catch them whispering and pointing at me and I just get a laugh out of it.
So be thankful for what you got and do the best with it.
In the picture I am sporting my Lakland 55-02 I got last year.
Ace
Image:[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
