Hello.....

Hello folks. Looking forward to spending a bit of time here and hoping to pick up some ideas that will help me re-learn bass and become a better player.

I'm 53 and started playing guitar when I was about 12. Not really a natural, but I always enjoyed playing even though there were several hiatuses during my life. I first picked up a bass in 1983. I had met a few guys who had a band (but no bass player), and after sitting through one of their practices and jamming a bit on one of their guitars, they told me "Get a bass and you can join the band". I found an old Precision and a cheap Westbury amp and began playing with these guys and played with them and a few other bands over the next 6 or 7 years. Mostly small gigs playing 70's and 80's rock covers. Ended up with a Peavey Combo 300 and 118 cab. Coming from guitar, I became a pick player and never really got the hang of fingerstyle playing. Starting around 1990, I got away from playing, and really played very little guitar and almost no bass until 2007. During that period I sometimes owned a guitar and would play a bit, but not very much.

In 2007 I decided I wanted to start playing again and I bought a custom Carvin SC90, promising myself that I would play for at least an hour a day. I've done pretty well with that promise and have become a better guitar player than in my youth, but still by no means as good as I would like. I've gotten a bit addicted to Carvin products and have 4 Carvin guitars.

Recently I stopped by the pawnshop with my wife and hanging on the wall was a pearl white 1988-89 Carvin LB75, 5 string bass. I pulled it down and played it a little and was pretty impressed my the condition of this 25 year old bass. They were asking $695 which seemed awfully high to me, but after some negotiation I was able to get the bass for $400. I then bought a new Carvin MB1015 Microstack amp and have been having a great time getting reacquainted with the bass.

I am finding myself really enjoying the bass after all this time, re-learning some of the tunes from the old days and working on learning the basics. I still find myself mostly playing with a pick, as it feels natural to me and I really like the percussive sound it gives me.

If anyone can recommend some good training resources I would be very appreciative.

Here are a couple shots of my new rig.....