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How many years have you been playing?

#61
About 20 years or so. Started with an acoustic guitar, took some lessons, ended up with a sears electric guitar package which was a lot of fun when you're 11. Played in a few bands through high school and ended up on bass when the other guys could play circles around me on guitar. (Like a lot of others I'm sure.) Fell in love with bass on the spot. It just suits me. I'm short and stocky with big hands and I think I was built for the low end. Lol. Ended up in music college after high school, majored in classical guitar, minored on piano. Grew up in the 80's and 90's and always wanted to be a shredder(ha ha). Funnily enough, I just finished a four year stint playing keys in a band, but bass is always my first love. In fact our drummer just quit so we're doing some restucturing and it looks like I might be stepping up to bass again. Never played in a cover band, origional stuff is where it's at. I'm 38 and our band is considered a pretty relevant indie band around our scene. We even got picked to play North by Northeast in Toronto last summer. Music will always be a part of my life no matter how old I get.
 
#62
Let's see - I started playing orchestral bass in Jr. High orchestra at age 14 in 1964. I played upright bass through high school, and my parents bought me a Precision bass, BF Bassman head and a 2x15 cab in 1967 - I still have them.

I played in a local dance band at events like Elks club dances and the Jr. Miss pageant through 1973 when I graduated from college. At that point, I left my old King white plywood upright bass, my P-bass and amp, and went out to earn a living.

Fast forward to 1996, when my parents had to move into a smaller home due to my dad's health. I was living in Texas and they were in Washington state, and it was time to either recover the gear or sell it. I sold the King upright bass - and I darn sure wish I hadn't. I recovered the P and amp in 1997, and started playing it a bit and looking for a band to connect with. About 3 years ago I found a local surf band looking for a bass player.

So I played 1964-73, and 1997-now. That's close to 20 years, but spread over 43.
 
#63
This month marks my 21st year of playing bass. I started my musical education at 9 years old (school band!) but became obsessed with bass guitar my freshman year in college. I bought my first bass guitar my second semester as a freshman music major in 1986.

I was totally broke and spent part of my student loan on a Fender Squire Jazz. I knew that if my parents found out, they would have killed me but it was totally worth it! Who needs books and food when you can have a new bass? :)
 
#64
37 years (wait -- if I post after midnight, can I say 38?).

My first instrument was a tenor guitar that my father bought in a pawnshop while in the Marines in WWII. I guess the four-string thing stuck with me.

My first real bass was a red Hagstrom HIIB -- I moved up to a new Rickenbacker 4001 in 1973 -- and now there are more... many more.
 
#65
A converted drummer I Started in 1971, played into early to mid 80's when music really started to suck, cats didn't want to practice anymore and coke was king! returned from my drug induced stupor to pick it back up around 2000.
The funny thing is when I was doing the drugs I would meet cats to jam with and alway's blew them away! That just kept me there doing drugs longer because music wasn't a challenge anymore.:(
 
#69
38 years for me and a little over 40 on acoustic guitar where I started. BUT, everyone always needed a bass player so almost all my performing over the years (semi-pro, never for a living....yet ) have been on bass.

I LOVE the bass! You're part of the rhythm section,the foundation of the band, but you get to play melodically too! There's no better instrument!
 
#73
Piano at first from '67-'70 (mom was right....kick myself for quitting those lessons)

Sax (alto and bari) since 1970

Guitar (1975-present and still a hack)

Bass-since 1977...first band drummer, piano player and two guitar players, I started out playing the bass lines on a detuned '60's SG
 
#75
At a little over a year, I'm still new to bass. I love it so far... and usually practice an hour or two per day. I've played various instruments since I first took piano lessons back in 1984 or so. I'm mainly a trombonist, so I'm right at home with the bass clef.
 
#76
12 years now.

I started at 12 years old on an upright in middle school orchestra, then to the electric in jazz band in high school, and so on. Now I play a few instruments (main one is still definately bass).

I now eat sleep and breathe bass for the most part. It makes me about half my income between teaching and gigs.
 
#77
Wow...lots of experience here.

About 11 for me. Got started on bass late, but had a whole lotta notes under my fingers beforehand. Started on drums in 1974 when I got a black oyster pearl Ludwig set for my 11th b-day (which I traded for a motorcycle in college--doh!), tuba in high school, tuba performance major drop-out in junior year of college. Taught myself keys a few years later, then bass in '97. My playing has really come around in the last couple of years, and I'm happy with where I'm at. I'll never be a virtuoso, but I get the job done. :cool:
 

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