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NBD - Welcome home old friend....

#61
shawshank72 said:
The last pic is priceless.
I miss those days.
Congrats.
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Thanks! What's funny is the older sister is usually the ham. But this sweet girl is fascinated by "Daddy's new guitar".

(She's 5. I'm training her. But I'll let her get away with "guitar" for a little while. ;))
 
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#63
two fingers said:
Short version for ADD TBers.... The bass I started playing on 30 years ago is back. Pics at the bottom. Thanks for stopping by.

How the heck did two fingers become a bass player anyway? Welp, I played low brass in high school. One day the band director called me into his office and told me he wanted me to play TUBA in the JAZZ BAND! My reply was something like "No offense, but that ain't cool. No thanks, man." Two weeks later he called me into his office and pointed in the corner. Still in the box was a new P bass and a Peavey TNT amp. "Jazz band starts in a few weeks. Better get ready." the rest is history. Yes, I played in jazz band. But, a few weeks after this fateful event, a guy who grew up with my mom came over and begged her to let me go out and fill in with his classic rock cover band for the weekend....one weekend.....which led to two weekends....which led to my 15 year old skinny butt playing shows all over NC and VA for the rest of high school. Here's a pic from Spring of '86.
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A few years and a lot more hair later I was still playing in that band and moved away from home about 70 miles away. Wound up playing in 5 bands at once barely making a living. Then I moved on to teaching lessons and working in a full line music store. After that, playing for a living in a private/corporate party band. Point is, that red bass changed my life. I even met my wife at a show.

Years ago I had started trying to find that bass. I contacted the various band directors that came and went. They all had looked for the bass. It was simply...."missing".

Fast forward to last week. My brother, a self-proclaimed pawn shop whore, waltzed into a tiny pawn shop in our tiny hometown he had never been in. And there it was.
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He immediately knew what it was. (Not only is he a guitar player, but he played trumpet with me in that same jazz band 30+ years ago.) He sent me that pic and my face got hot. I immediately had him check a few things to make sure it was that exact bass. It is.

They were asking a ridiculously high price. I wanted the bass but wasn't about to pay too much for it. I started a price check thread about it. It's around here somewhere.

"Get to the point twofer!!!!" OK, OK, chill.

84-87 MIJ by the serial number.

I got the bass. It has been through some things, and has some scars. But, don't we all....
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Anyway....

So, back then I was clueless. I'm not really sure about a model number or anything. But here it is, bumps and all. Welcome home old friend. You tell me your stories and I'll tell you mine. It's been a long time. Since you pointed me in a new direction, I've seen a lot. Seems you have too. We have some catching up to do.
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My youngest approves.
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Click to expand...
Now, that's a story! Really happy that it turned that good for you, don't let it ever again. :)
 
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#67
Gord_oh said:
I played trombone, was asked to play tuba which I did. When I graduated from HS I couldn't afford the $3000 tuba I wanted so I bought a bass for $100.

Cool story, awesome that you got to reconnect with a big part of your past. Congrats.
Click to expand...
I gave up on my "early loves" bass and contrabass clarinet for 40+ years for the same reasons. Now I've got a bass, and the contra is coming next week (ok, not the exact ones I played). That tuba is still out there somewhere. ;)
 
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#71
image.jpeg This is an absolutely wonderful story. It sounds as if we have lived in parallel regarding our musical experiences. I grew up playing the trumpet. My friends wanted a bass player so I got a bass. After a few months I started playing in the hs jazz band. At 15.

I bought almost the exact bass when starting out in a road band, a red 86-87 MIJ p with a maple neck. I still have it, but it's beat to heck now after years of touring.

I had the same experience looking for my first amp, a Yamaha 115b. 30 years later I found it in a music store an hour from my house and bought it on the spot. So I have my first bass (a Hondo p bass copy) and my first amp. I totally get the bond you have with that instrument. Those early moments with those instruments shaped our entire lives.
 
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#72
I just saw a Kay bass for sale here on TB that is exactly like the one I played in a high school garage band in Dallas from 1965 to 1967. But it isn't the one that was mine so I don't have the lust for it like you did for the Red P bass. But just seeing a twin to my original bass has certainly tweaked the memory cells. Thanks for the great story about finding your first bass.
 
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