Glasses..

[OptimalOptimus]

Well, considering that I actually know a band who fired their bassist because "He didn't look rock and roll enough", I can wager a pretty penny that the OP is concerned about stage image, and he may have reason to feel that way. So rather than try to make them look like an idiot, why not just move on?

this is stupid and shallow

it was a dad cover band I guess ? The pinnacle of double standard for something that isn’t a problem in real life.


The OP said that he plays with charts and other style of sheet music … but wearing glasses would be going too far ?

 

[gln1955]

this is stupid and shallow

Maybe if everyone is under 30.....naw, it's still stupid and shallow.

 

[fhm555]

I accepted it as an inevitable aspect of age when i started needing glasses, and got (and use) what I needed to be able to function. Are you afraid of what others will think if you wear glasses on stage? If so there’s always contact lenses. I tried contacts and they drove me crazy so i wear glasses, and I really don’t worry or care what others think of me doing so.

 

[SoonerBill]

At 62 my eye doctor calls my distance vision "fighter pilot worthy". But I need about +2.25 to read. So I buy progressive bifocals online. For around the house and more of the time in the office I use readers I get on Amazon.

 

[Nev375]

Im sure there are others in this situation. What did you do?

I got glasses.

 

[iiipopes]

I've had to wear glasses for everything since I was 9 years old: first, myopia, then astigmatism, and now with presbyopia on top of the other two. I have progressive lenses and adjust a music stand accordingly, both with bass guitar gigs and with playing tuba with the regional community band. Tell your optometrist what you need. Yes, many have to cope with it, but we don't let it get in the way of enjoying playing music. Hang in there!

 

[Jason Hollar]

Buy a bigger iPad!

I use the 9.5” “pro” model which is brilliant for iReal type chord charts. Actual sheet music comes out a bit small though. I’m considering the larger iPad for my next eventual purchase.

I use readers at home & work for the “fine print” and I’ve tried the bifocals onstage and it did not work for me at all. Good luck!

 

[chadds]

Remember the clarity of the lenses is enhanced if the frames are tort.
This was commonly known in the 20s - 50s.

 

[Gluvhand]

Jaco only needed a monocle.

 

[Bobb Nagel]

Same here. Been wearing them since 2006 best thing since sliced bread. Mine are multi focal. It’s much better than mono focal s you get a better 3D experience. Next time in to the doc, ask him about Cooper Muti-Focal lenses.

Actually mine ARE the multi focal, but by Aquaclear. It’s been so long since I looked at what the box says. Thanks for the reminder. Yeah, they’re just great for me.

 

[Steve Dallman]

I've worn glasses since high school. I've worn bifocals for a couple decades or more. Bifocals took a while to get used to. I worked in a 3 story plant and going down stairs with bifocals (the stairs looked blurry) took 6 months to get used to. I got trifocals 10 years ago. They felt natural from the get go. I passed on progressives as I wanted the largest view through each strength. Do they make me look old? No...the fact that I'm old makes me look old.

 

[Bassamatic]

I wore contacts using monovision for many years. One contact for close the other for far. Took me about 2 days to get used to it and they worked great. This year I had cataract surgery and paid the extra for some amazing EF type (Extended Focus) lenses from Vivity. They let me see perfectly from about 18" to infinity and correct my astigmatism as well. I don't know how they do it - they are not multi-focal. Optical wizardry!

 

[RichardW]

I need 1.50 readers for close up. I use my iPad for charts and just increase the font size so I see what I need without glasses when performing. Mostly I try to memorize everything so I rarely need to follow a chart anyway.

The number of rock musicians who wore glasses is long and distinguished: Buddy Holly, John Lennon, Elvis Costello, Roy Orbison, Janis Joplin, Bono...

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I've worn glasses since high school. I've worn bifocals for a couple decades or more. Bifocals took a while to get used to. I worked in a 3 story plant and going down stairs with bifocals (the stairs looked blurry) took 6 months to get used to. I got trifocals 10 years ago. They felt natural from the get go. I passed on progressives as I wanted the largest view through each strength. Do they make me look old? No...the fact that I'm old makes me look old.

I’ve been wearing bifocals since I was in my late 20’s. Now 40 years, later, it sure didn’t get any better LOL!.

I have several pairs of progressive glasses, and as for going up and down steps with them, I find them an extreme safety hazard having made more than a few missteps on stairways.

But, you can’t have contacts in 24-7-365 days a year. But when I have to wear glasses at my age, I’m dang careful going up and down steps.

 

[Wfrance3]

What did you do?

I sure hope you see this, there have been many replies....

I just looked and this is a long post. Here's the exec. summary read the whole thing for additional detais.

1. Get no-line bifocals.
2. Get a great (not just good) option to make them.
3. Maybe get a set of "computer glasses".
4. Make sure you get a quality frames with spring-back hinges.

I have been wearing glasses since 3rd grade and a few years ago started going down the path you are on...
I don't know how to advise you on verifying a great optician, but you need one. Not a good one, a great one. I've lived in 3 states and found that people that are just "ok" at making glasses are pretty common. The thing that has been the biggest help for me is (sadly) a solid pair on no-line bifocals. Reason I say you need a great optician is that they are a little tricky to make properly. I've had friends and colleagues tell me that they just can't get used to their bifocals and maybe it's them, but more likely it's that the glasses were made "ok", but not great. I wouldn't even consider one of those super cheap "glasses while you wait" places or the like. They tend to have inferior quality frames which don't hold up. I imagine their optics are probably bottom rung as well. It's just like music gear, you get what you pay for...
So, anyway if you can find someone "great" to make you a set of no-line bifocals, that's pretty ideal. I would also recommend a frame with lenses that are a decent size. I have a pair of bifocals that are stylish, but have lenses that I wish were a little bigger so I have more surface area for the transition between regular vision and up close vision. I got a very stiff neck looking out of the small-ish bottom area of my glasses doing computer work.
I do a lot of computer work for work, so I got a set of glasses that are "bifocal strength". The entirety of the glasses are made for bifocal distance. No more stiff neck!
Last thing. Get frames that have spring-back hinges. That may not be the right name for them, but they're the kind of hinges that if you bend them away from the eyeglass frame, will spring back a certain amount. That will help your glasses hug your face a little better, so less frequent adjustments, and they frames themselves will last a little longer.
Hope you got a chance to see this. Good Luck!!

 

[Bobb Nagel]

Same here. Been wearing them since 2006 best thing since sliced bread. Mine are multi focal. It’s much better than mono focal s you get a better 3D experience. Next time in to the doc, ask him about Cooper Muti-Focal lenses.

Actually mine ARE the multi focal, but by Aquaclear. It’s been so long since I looked at what the box says. Thanks for the reminder. Yeah, they’re just great for me. EDIT: Aquaclear is made by Cooper

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Great stuff. I play in a band with an ophthalmologist. Some of the stuff they are coming up with for surgical corrections is absolutely mind boggling. They now have the ability to replace the lenses in the eye with the same correction we are having with our contacts, instead of fixed focal post cataract surgery that requires reading glasses. Soon, they will be able to adjust correction with the lens still in the eye. Unbelievable technology.

 

[herrsmith]

A lot of people are recommending glasses, which is good! And a lot of people are recommending going to the doctor, which is best! Seriously, go to an ophthalmologist if you can, and an optometrist if you can't. An optometrist is good, but they'll mostly be checking to see how your vision is. An ophthalmologist can dive a little deeper into your eyes (figuratively!) and give you an idea about your eye health and if this is just normal aging (in which accommodation, the ability to change the distance at which your focusing, becomes more difficult so looking at things that are close requires a little bit of correction) of if you actually have something more serious going on that needs to be checked out. And preferably go to someone who isn't attached to a glasses store. It might be more expensive, but that's because the glasses store isn't subsidizing that person so you buy their glasses. The advantage is that independent doctor can really give you detailed, unbiased advice about how to correct your vision. Just make sure to tell them about what your specific symptoms and goals are.

If you're worried about image, just look around. Glasses are cool now.

If you're worried about headbanging, get some clear Croakies (or whatever brand strap) to keep the glasses on your face.

But yeah, go to a doctor, follow the doctor's advice about what glasses (or other vision correction scheme) to get.

 

[ThudThudThud]

I swear that my 50th birthday present from the universe was: Thud, you are no longer able to read a menu.

I did have distance issues in my 30s, but the doctor said it would correct itself. It did. Luckily I was 'prescribed' +1.50 readers.
Then I couldn't read menus anymore. Small print, darkened room, forgotten glasses, "What's the special tonight?" "What would you recommend?" "Ah, you have a 'specials' board up there..."

 

[petergales]

I'm 74 and I started wearing my glasses when I looked down one night at a gig and thought I'd bought an 8 string bass by mistake!
I also play from charts and notation as well as cheat sheets. I'd rather wear the specs than risk the bum notes as I play enough of them anyway :-(