Frustrated with my health!

[jim nolte]

I'm 65 and my only real problem is a couple of bulging discs in my lower back. I found the height of my bass is the biggest factor when playing standing. The higher up my chest, my preferred position, the more it aggravates my back and I'm talking fractions of inches, I can play with just a t-shirt on and I'm fine, I put a sweat shirt on with the same strap and know my back will start to bother me just because of the higher position caused by the thicker shirt so I have to use a slightly longer strap .

 

[Duanestuermer]

I'm going on 68, and been using this bass stand for almost a decade, on standing and sitting gigs.

Its a cymbal stand with an attachment made for a bass.

I also use a chair made for bass players, that almost gives the appearance one is standing.
Got it from Gollihur

 

[Yonni]

Sounds like you're going through the mill just now but take heart, you'll get better with the right care. I've had lower back issues since my 20s and now have arthritis around L3 & 4. I'm 51 but struggle with pain almost daily. I'm lucky my employer (Scottish National Health Service) has give me a height adjustable desk which helps. What helps most, besides morphine, is yoga. When I come out of a meeting that's lasted more than 30 minutes I wander off to the changing rooms to stretch out and do 3 downward dogs and that sees me OK for the rest of the day. I've always had bad posture but I've probably got better posture now than I've ever had just because I'm so aware of how important it is. Especially with a 9lb lump of wood and metal strapped over my shoulder! If you haven't before, try yoga, but be sure to let the teacher know what your problem is before the class starts so he/she doesn't come round and try to push you too hard.

 

[SJan3]

That's the biggest negative of the stand - you can lose some of the intimate connection you get with the instrument against your body. That, and it's not very common (though getting more so), so it might seem odd or, dare I say, not very manly to others?

Yea, I love wood. I want too feel all of it, if possible. Still, playing with a stand is better than not playing at all.

 

[SJan3]

I'm going on 68, and been using this bass stand for almost a decade, on standing and sitting gigs.
View attachment 3000476
Its a cymbal stand with an attachment made for a bass.
View attachment 3000477
View attachment 3000478
I also use a chair made for bass players, that almost gives the appearance one is standing.
Got it from Gollihur
View attachment 3000472

Looks very natural. Thanks for posting the pics!

 

[Pilgrim]

I'm coming up 68 next month and fortunately don't have a bad back, but I've tweaked it and have to be careful with it.

About 5 years back I sold all my heavy gear and converted to a Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.2 on a 12" Shuttle speaker cab: total weight 36 pounds. I also have no problem bringing folding carts or anything else I need to keep the load off my back while moving things at a gig. I'll ask band-mates for help if I need to.

I also keep a good folding stool handy and bring it on gigs. No shame in being seated, because it helps you play better.

At our age, the issue isn't whether we look cool, slick and studly while playing or setting up, it's that we are smart enough to arrange things so we CAN play!!

 

[five7]

I bought a bemer and it has helped all of my physical ailments. I use it everyday, also has helped with my memory.

 

[Yonni]

I remember the bass player in a band I used to roadie keyboard for in the early 80s used a folding cart for his Trace Elliot. The guy was 6'2" and about 19 years old with no health issues. Just didn't want to ruin his fancy shirt and Simon Le Bon hairdo! No shame in a cart.

 

[SJan3]

Sounds like you're going through the mill just now but take heart, you'll get better with the right care. I've had lower back issues since my 20s and now have arthritis around L3 & 4. I'm 51 but struggle with pain almost daily. I'm lucky my employer (Scottish National Health Service) has give me a height adjustable desk which helps. What helps most, besides morphine, is yoga. When I come out of a meeting that's lasted more than 30 minutes I wander off to the changing rooms to stretch out and do 3 downward dogs and that sees me OK for the rest of the day. I've always had bad posture but I've probably got better posture now than I've ever had just because I'm so aware of how important it is. Especially with a 9lb lump of wood and metal strapped over my shoulder! If you haven't before, try yoga, but be sure to let the teacher know what your problem is before the class starts so he/she doesn't come round and try to push you too hard.

Thanks for bringing this up, Yonni. I had considered yoga but haven't felt healthy enough to try. Maybe I can start at my le

I'm 65 and my only real problem is a couple of bulging discs in my lower back. I found the height of my bass is the biggest factor when playing standing. The higher up my chest, my preferred position, the more it aggravates my back and I'm talking fractions of inches, I can play with just a t-shirt on and I'm fine, I put a sweat shirt on with the same strap and know my back will start to bother me just because of the higher position caused by the thicker shirt so I have to use a slightly longer strap .

yes, I've lowered my bass over the years. Good point!

 

[SJan3]

I'm coming up 68 next month and fortunately don't have a bad back, but I've tweaked it and have to be careful with it.

About 5 years back I sold all my heavy gear and converted to a Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.2 on a 12" Shuttle speaker cab: total weight 36 pounds. I also have no problem bringing folding carts or anything else I need to keep the load off my back while moving things at a gig. I'll ask band-mates for help if I need to.

I also keep a good folding stool handy and bring it on gigs. No shame in being seated, because it helps you play better.

At our age, the issue isn't whether we look cool, slick and studly while playing or setting up, it's that we are smart enough to arrange things so we CAN play!!

LOL! Not feeling too studly these days. More like, "look at grandpa playing the bass".

 

[SJan3]

I bought a bemer and it has helped all of my physical ailments. I use it everyday, also has helped with my memory.

Bemer?

 

[Yonni]

Give it a go. It might be frustrating at first if you haven't got much movement but give it a few weeks and you'll loosen up. Just make sure you're healthy enough to start - you don't want to aggravate the injury. My dad was a tennis player but really suffered with his back. He used to play with a weight lifter's belt under his shirt. That kept him going until well into his 70s. I tried to get him into yoga but he found it frustrating as he couldn't bend forward much at all. He was also a macho old school Spaniard and thought it was too girly (though he'd never say that out loud). Times change thank God.

 

[madbass6]

So, at almost 63, I suffer from lower and mid back pain(2 herniated discs) along with bad shoulders(rotator cuff surgery).
I cannot take the gigs I'd like and really am not self sufficient to move my own equipment.
I feel my days as a player are limited or certainly restricted.
I'll have to seek out an acoustic/semi acoustic gig that requires no more than 1 bass and a small, lightweight combo.
AND, I'll have to sit. I cannot stand any longer for 3/4 sets.
I feel that my woes are not so common at my age. Anyone else out there with similar issues or are you "fit as a fiddle" in your 60s?

Hey I'm sure (hopefully) other band members wouldn't mind helping you carry some of your gear ! as for playing standing up that shouldn't be an issue as Anthony Jackson has always played sitting down and nobody complains!

 

[Duanestuermer]

With the stand I use, you can get as close, or as far from the bass as you want. There is not a distance or feel of separation.
I believe the inserts are tailor to fender style, among others.
For my custom bass I used the Alembic style insert, and had it altered to fit my bass.

And also kept a strap hanging on for occasional rambunctious moment of youthful exuberance.

 

[audreycashin]

I use ibuprofen gel that comes in a tube, bought on eBay for two bucks a tube. Better than any narcotics, cause you put it on where it hurts. Immediate relief. It's called Radian B

 

[Bobby Bass]

I'll be 69 in May. Still gig 1 or 2 times a week. I also have lower back problems going back over 30 years. I manage to get my Ampeg B100R in & out of my Chevy Blazer. Tall Wooden Bar stool helps me on stage when I need it. So far so good. I know the pain.

 

[JimK]

Just hit 6-0.
Getting older is not for wimps.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Not trying to be a d—k, bit how's you weight? Dropping 20-30 can make a world of difference in the way you stand and how your back feels. I know this personally because I've recently dropped some weight and feel a lot better.

 

[Biggbass]

Lower back pain is the #1 ailment in American adults.
it's no wonder with all the overweight people out there.

but the age bracket of 60's - 70's will certainly bring out the pains associated with various injuries from youth. Getting old sucks and that's the truth of it.

time to get a Class D amp and a neo cab...2x10 works great for most situations.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Just hit 6-0.
Getting older is not for wimps.

Yes, but look at the bonuses:

*Half-off for the entire table Monday night at the IHOP.

*Used to be a jerk...now I'm just eccentric.

*Some AARP discounts are "hidden"...you just have to ask.

*Poetic justice: take a gander at some of the girls who dissed you in high school. Gravity is a cruel mistress.

Riis