Do you go both ways?

Yes. Quite a few of us dabble in the Dark Arts.

 

I started out playing guitar in high school back in the late 70s. It wasn't until my son started playing guitar in the early-mid 2000s that I decided to take up the bass.

Although I'd pretty much pushed the six-stringer to the side for the past 15 years, a couple months ago I started playing my acoustic guitar again.

Despite having roughly a 25 year advantage on guitar, nowadays I consider myself a bassist first, a guitarist second.

 

I became a bassist as a recovering drummer, and now also play guitar for my own enjoyment.

 

guitar?



seriously: playing the music is the path and the joy = any way you can do makes you more human! good luck!

 

I too have always loved six string guitar, but never could change chords quickly enough to play a song properly, so I never pursued it as I should have.

I was at a party in June, and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," by Pink Floyd came on the radio, and right then I said to myself, I'm going to learn guitar correctly this time, and that's that! I will succeed!

I already had a G&L ASAT Tribute Telecaster, but wanted a more traditional Tele sound, so I looked around, and bought a Michael Kelly Telecaster. It sounds much more like a Fender Telecaster. Some of you might remember a thread I started recently, Blues Guitar Talk? I learned a lot from it.

I'm sticking to guitar, and am making slow and steady progress. I can play the intro to, "Hot Rod Lincoln" almost as fast as the record. Chords are coming along too.

Once I make up my mind, I am a musical Genghis Khan! You ain't stopping me!

I am happy.

Photos below. If you get a chance, check out some Michael Kelly stuff. The Tele I bought is equal to the Fender American stuff in my opinion.



Mike

 

Yup, I've actually been playing guitar longer then bass, about 55 years. Though I consider myself primarily a bass player. Here's a few of my 6 strings:

Guitars by mapleglo posted May 19, 2018 at 10:20 AM

I have a few acoustics as well.

 

This is mine:

Custom Built Guitars | The Guitar Doctor

The pictures belong to Mike Haney.
The guitar belongs to me.

 

Drums are my primary instrument, I've been a working drummer for over forty years. I always dabbled in bass just a little, Roots, 5ths and octaves. Just over ten years ago I decided that I wanted to be a "real" bassist, then I had a stroke. My bass dream got pushed back a couple of years. It took me a bit to recover, drumming was part of my rehab. I branched out into hand percussion while I was working through my recovery. My real bassist journey started about eight years ago. I've worked hard to become an adequate bassist and these days my business card says Drummer/Percussionist/Bassist.

I've always had a couple of guitars in my rehearsal room. It used to be Peavey electric guitars and Epiphone acoustics. I could strum chords and play basic rock songs, but I never called myself a guitarist. I was good with that. The primary reason that I kept guitars and amps in the rehearsal room was for if my guitarist brother, guitarist nephew or a guitarist friend stopped by, we could jam. Then I started to use my room for more actual rehearsals with various bands that I work with. A couple of years back through flipping gear I picked up an American Special Telecaster and an American Standard Stratocaster. By this point, the guitarist didn't have to bring anything except effects unless they wanted to.

Last year I finally decided to get serious about guitar. I joined "Fender Play", their online lesson program and it's pretty good. I upgraded my acoustic to a cheap Martin and continued to wheel and deal flipping and upgrading guitars. Now I have five American Fenders, two Stratocasters and three Telecasters. I work as a drummer/Percussionist/Bassist, but if I'm jamming with friends and family I'm likely to reach for a guitar.

My playing is coming along. In a year or two I'd like to add "Guitarist" to that business card.

Of course playing keyboards proficiently will be my next hurdle...

Here is a photo of my favorite of my guitars, a Fender American Elite Telecaster Thinline.

View attachment 3223024

 

I have a bunch of “vintage” Ibanez basses, now I have a guitar from the period as well, and a tube amp, and a shredder... enough for a while I think.

I am really enjoying the long and tedious process of learning to play.

 

This has been a popular question today! Yes, I play guitar and bass. My time on each fluctuates, but I do consider myself a bass player before anything else. I have two Basses and two Guitars in the arsenal.

 

Not well, not often, but I could probably fake my way through a short, basic rhythm set with a little practice.

 

At the risk of heresy, I think the guitar is more fun to sit and play solo.

 

I play guitar (electric, acoustic and resonator), bass, upright bass, keys and just started learning harmonica.

 

Didn't we just do this? Do you play the boring guitar?

 

Techincally yes, I can play guitar. I did so as my primary instrument in the 80s. Now, I own one acoustic - that doesn't get much use (my bass fingers are too big to work on those little strings).

 

I play bass, brass horns, flutes, keyboards and all kinds of percussion. Guitars creep me out. In someone else's hands, they're fine.

 

I play both kinds:

Fretted bass guitar and....
Fretless bass guitar

Any notes higher than that are someone else's responsibility.

 

Sort of did it the opposite way.

Have played guitar since I was 10. Played in a few bands and did well enough go pay some bills. Did some guitar work in a few commercial studios on guitar. Filled the bill well enough to get some call backs.

Eventually, was called to sub on bass for some friends a few times on gigs, but I'm sure I was last on the call list and they were desperate.

Pretty sure I sucked...........No, I'm sure I sucked, but did manage to muddle through.

Started getting the occasional studio/jingle call for guitar.

Joined a band on the side to fill the bass position. Figured the best way to improve my playing. Seemed to work. My bass player recommended me because " he doesn't sound like a guitar player that now plays bass". I take that as a big compliment, compared to her, I still suck, but I sound capable.

One day, did a bass part at the studio for someone who didn't show. That was decades ago and I've done a few more.

The band I played bass in was where I met my First Wife.

I still consider myself more of a guitar player, but I'm at least a decent bass player. I have however, learned a lot from reading things on TalkBass. Examples: I never knew about bass mutes for the first 20 years I played, other than compression, the only effect I had then was a modified MXR Chorus, the total cost of my first rig bought used in the the mid-80's was maybe $350? It was an Acoustic 360/370 with a graphic EQ, an Ampeg folded horn 2 x 15" cab.

Far too much stuff now, but only 5 basses.

Still have my first rig, though I occasionally run my bass through my HiWatts but I cringe going for certain notes.

Still have my First Wife too, she encourages my music.

Now IF I can just get my independent two hand keyboard technique better to play my Hammond C3, have the bass pedal thing down though?

So basically I suck less, but I'm no Jaco.

 

Yes. My first guitar has deep ruts in the fingerboard from my high school era practicing, which was at minimum 2 hours daily, and as much as 6 hours on weekends. I played guitar in jazz band, and never stopped when I became a voice and theory major in college.

I bought my first bass for accompanying my Tascam projects in the 90's, when a CD-R drive was $500+. It was a black Applause ABG. Good times. Wish I'd kept it, but I still have the P/J that replaced it in '96.