New Members, Introduce yourselves!

[sedgers]

Hello, my name is Lee - thought it was about time I registered myself and join the community. Some of you on here may recognise me from the Level 42 web digest - in particular Rich and Nick Smith (aka Doctorbass) - big hello to you guys!

Anyway, looking forward to reading your comments & hopefully joining in along the way.......

Regards,

Lee.

 

[smartinson]

Hi All,

My name is Scott and I currently live in the Boulder, CO region. I was a guitar player for many years and about four or so years ago converted to bass full time. I found this forum by looking for bass theory and jazz bass help and information. Needless to say I have found a lot of helpful posts. I currently play in a blues/classic rock bassment band but am looking to expand my repetoire.

Currently I play an Ibanez SR405 through a GK 400 RB IV 2x10 combo w/ a Backline 2x10 extension cabinet. So that's me in a nutshell, looking forward to learning and helping others along the way.

Scott

 

[Atoz]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I just began playing a few months ago after a nearly 20 year layoff. It's never too late to start up again. Playing music at any level is great fun, and a fantastic stress reliever! I posted my story on another thread, but I think it fits here as well:

When I was 22, a good friend and I decided we were going to form a band because he had rented out an art studio in town, and needed something to do when he wasn't painting. As a starving student, I spent every dime of my savings on a cheap Empro Hornet P knockoff and a Peavey Minx practice amp. Of course, this venture lasted 2 or 3 months (though we did record an "album" of original material - I still have the cassette! ), he went to art school, I went to grad school, and the equipment went into the closet.

About 3 months ago at age 40, I stumbled upon the stuff while cleaning out a closet in my house, and decided that I was still interested in learning to play. I told one of my co-workers about it, and he told me he was playing with some guys from work, they needed a bassist, and he invited me to come jam with them on some 60s covers. I was scared to death, having only played for a couple of months almost 20 years earlier, but I mustered up the courage and had a BLAST.

I now practice daily, and we get together and jam for three hours once a week (I'm actually the youngest one). I feel myself getting better every time we get together, which helps keep me motivated. However, the greatest motivation for keeping it going came last week. As I was butchering "White Room" in my basement, my 7 year-old son came up to me and said: "Dad, you're the best bass player in the whole world!"

 

[blujax01]

Hi my name is Alan and I live in Ohio. I play drums in a blues based band "Code Blue" (Link Removed).
A few months ago, I felt this overwhelming urge to learn a new instrument. Having taken piano a long, long time ago and not liking it much; trying to learn guitar and not liking it much, and not having the wind to play harp, I decided bass looked like fun. Besides, I am teaching my wife to play drums and it will be fun to learn together.

I'm a "seasoned jazz rocker" who played his ass off in the 70's covering Chase, Chicago and BS&T, then got away from the scene for a couple of decades. Music this time around is for the love of the art rather than the fame and fortune that never came.

And this time around, I'm doing it sober.

More on Code Blue; we play quite a few originals. The title cut from "The Wrong Side of Town" is featured on The Best Of Columbus Blues Volume 2. Although it's a standard blues shuffle, we play a lot of funk, modern blues and one-off's. Like our version of Bone Shaker's version of James Brown's "Cold Sweat". Our version of Rick Derringer's version of whoever originally did "Little Bit" (I think it was written by Steve Miller). You get the idea.
Chris Duarte, Tommy Castro and Jeff Healey also contribute to our play list as well as SRV, Hendrix and ZZ top. Oh yeah, we throw in a little Deep Purple just to see if anyone's paying attention.
We play out 4-5 times a month and ar going back into the studio for our third CD in January.

I obtaine an Ibanez SR800, an Ashdown MAG 300 and the Bass Gilmoire. Lessons start right after the holidays. Although I have no aspirations of being a professional bass player, I do hope to play backup bass to my real bass player (4 string Funk Machine, 7 string Conklin and fretless upright electric) and be the wind beneath his wings on a two bass player solo segment. Hey, it could happen!

 

[Vosk]

I know I'm new too, but welcome, to the guys above me who are new too!

I picked up bass in June this year, and I enjoy it quite a lot. Honestly, no matter what you say, bass isn't a lead instrument; sure there are exceptions but really... its the backbone. This is a bit of change for me, I've played lead sax for 6 years now, since I was 9. That makes me 15 now, but I did neglect the sax a bit during this time and my theory has definately suffered because of this. So, taking up bass, I decided to look on the internet. I've been at musicianforums since about June, and this introduced me to a lot of music and virtuosos on both Sax and Bass.

I guess I came here because the internet opened my eyes to music, I only recently got into jazz, mainly "cool jazz" (Davis, Coltrane) 1955+, but a bit of parker etc too. I love Ray Charles also. It made me interested in theory etc. Not that I'm a noob on the internet - I have been on forums since I was 12 - but its almost as if I am new to music.

This is going a bit wayward here but... ok.

I was brought up listening to non-musicians music - my dad played clarinet, so there was the Clarinet Concerto, but not much other "musician's music." I guess this is what MX, and Talkbass, have opened my eyes to.

So yeah... hi!

 

[Kronos]

Hello all!

My name's really Lou, and I've been playing bass for 15 years (if you wanna call it that! More like fiddling around!) and as of late, I've finally joined a band that I really dig, and all of us get along pretty well.

I currently have 4 basses in my collection; (from cheapest to most expensive) a BC Rich Virgin platinum (which I did a ton of work to so that it was once again playable), a Carlo Robelli (sam ash brand) 6 string quilt top honey finish (I forget the item number), a BC Rich Mockingbird NJ model (nicest fretboard out of all of them), and an ESP F255 (gunmetal color-my first neck thru).

I found this forum by searching for info on Wishbass, because I thought that I might be able to design my own bass and do part of the work myself for cheap...but after reading tons of stuff on here, I felt that you guys had a lot of experience with Wish, and resoundingly said that it would be a bad choice.

I mostly play fingerstyle, although I have been known to use a pick from time to time. My slap style isn't all that great, but I never really use it so I don't spend time practicing it.

I've never really liked Fender basses (Blasphemy here, I'm sure), and I've tried playing them, so it's not like I judged them without trying them...I just don't get the big excitement that everyone else gets about them. Especially when there's so many other basses out there that feel and sound better.

I also came here because everything I know about bass, I taught myself. So, for me to get better, I have to learn more. I can't read sheet music, tab is OK, but I have trouble with the speed of the notes. I understand what 120 BPM is, and I do realize it's two beats per second, but I start to get confused with the math that really has to go on to understand it (a joke comes to mind about what goes on in bandmember's heads on stage...bass player:"1..2..3..4.."!)

Anyway, I'm rambling.

It's nice to meet all of you, and I look forward to exchanging banter with you guys.

 

[hellsgate]

Lo ev'rybody!
My name is Brian and I live in Greenock, on the west coast of Scotland. I started playing bass when I was 11 or 12. This was in music class where we all got a shot of every instrument during the first few months. Well, the day I tried the electric bass, I was hooked. They could stick their keyboards/acoustic guitars/triangles/whatever right up their keister as far as I was concerned. I played regularly for the next 6 years or so, including leaving school and joining an original punk/metal band and doing a few gigs. That was when I met my wife. She was a girl I'd known for a while, but strangely she never got the 'shivers' from me until the first time she saw me giving it laldy with my axe. THEN she knew! (Don't ever let anyone tell u that playing bass ain't a fanny magnet ). Then, when she got in the family way, I fell away from playing and basically didn't touch my bass for about ten years. Now, I'm nearly 30 (I hit that mark in about, ooh, 12 days) and just over a year ago I started playing again with a couple of friends. We play our own music (punk/metal/mod influenced), have recorded once (got three songs that day, not bad going) and have gigged once with more lined up.
I have to say, I'm regretting the years I wasn't playing. Two reasons for that:
1. I am no where near as good as I used to be and I think it'll take me a while to get back to that level again.
2. I forgot how much enjoyment I got from simply playing a bass guitar (or electric bass, don't you lot get all pernickity on me!).
I just found this site a few days ago and I think it's one of the best discussion sites I've come across for any subject. Keep doing what you're doing guys, this place rocks!

 

[villakid 93]

hello im 12 and I am learning the bass I have learnt the fretboard and stuff but want this music transfered into notes e.g c# and stuff.
G --------------------------------------------------
D --------------------------------------------------
A 2-2--5-5-5-5--------------------------------------
E --------------3-3-3-3-3-3-------------------------

Chorus

G --------------------------------------------------
D --------------------------------------------------
A 3--------------5--------------------------5---------
E ---------------------------5-----------------------

 

[elind22]

hello everybody, my name is Eric and I am brand new to playing the bass. I have been playing (more like trying to play) the guitar for a couple of years and decided to try the bass. I'm not gonna quit the guitar, but I really do like the bass alot. I bought my first the other day and got a really good deal on an almost new epiphone eb-3 and a peavey basic 112 combo. Also bought the bass for dummies book, because I am a dummy and I have a bass. I also have some friends who are very very good guitarists and also know how to play the base. They have been showing me some stuff so I don't have to fork out money for lessons yet. I started into music late in life at 30 a few years ago, so I have alot to learn. I would really love to get good enough to play in some sort of band some day, but if not I'll just enjoy the learnin'. I really enjoy reading the posts here. There is such a diversity of experience and talent.

 

[Bigby]

Hey, I'm Bigby. Started playing bass about 20 yrs ago..played in bands around the austin,tx area from ages 17-25..(36 now) styles ranging from rock to funk to reggae. Last few years been playing acoustic guitar and doing small solo gigs, but recently was asked to sit in with an old bandmate at a music festival and realized how much I missed playing bass. Since then, took an ad out in a local paper and currently play in two bands; one experimental jam band (allman bro's type) and another funk band.
Feels great getting back into the deep end!

 

[briantoni]

Hey everyone,

My name is Brian and I bought a fender p-bass about three months ago. I love it but my brain hurts from going up to the library and studying books on guitar. Bass for dummies is my latest book. Also at the library, 3 videos from Tony Smith that was really cool. Two years ago I bought a fender acoustic. I'm some what okay on that.

I do have a question though on the key of c. If a song is in the key of c, does that mean that I only use the seven modes of that key?

I also play Disc Golf. In Cincinnati, there are a lot of courses.

later on

"no wimps and no whiners" Dan Baylis at the Disc Golf
Ice Bowl

 

[junction42]

Hey Im Ross and this is my first post!

Im posting form down under (Australia!).

Nice to see a forum dedicated to all things bass!

Anyway I play in an original alternative rock band in Victoria, Australia (Porcelain Militia), Ive been playing for about 16 years now and still loving it ...what else? ...

Guess that will do for now, short and sweet!

Cheers Ross

 

[jeffery.addison]

Hi.

My name is Jeffery Addison. I have played bass for going on 16 years. I like to think I can cover a variety of styles, but I mainly play rock. I am a big Billy Sheehan fan, but I do have an appreciation for greats like Jaco, Tim Bogart, Stanley Clarke, Brian Bromberg and many others.

I have been really impressed with the high quality of posts that are on this board, so I decided to become a supporting member. It looks like a great resource.

Thanks

-J

 

[Simmy]

Hey all, I am Luke. I have been playing bass for about 2 years now. At the moment, I just play in the band at school (just play blues, jazz that kinda stuff), I prefer to play metal though. A few influences of mine would be: Gezzer Butler, CLiff Burton, Jason Newsted, Flea, Les Claypool, Steve Harris plus quite a few others. I have reading the forum the last few days, so I thought I may aswell join. Anyway, see ya all around.

 

[glenn in NC]

Glenn here. Played guitar for 27 years, Bass off and on for the past 8 years. Put the guitar down 3 years ago and have been strictly bass.

Bass is a strange animal! I played lead for years so I'm really tuned into the highs and half step string structure of the guitar between the G and B strings. Bass runs and Low grooves are refreshingly new to me. I was getting a bit burned out on guitar and really enjoy the new challenge of figuring out the beast known as bass.

My rig is a Spector Legend 4, Guyatone Compressor, Boss CE-2B chorus, NS-1 supressor, Tuner, direct into the Church PA, soon to be direct into a SansAmp Programmable BDI.

 

[TheFox]

Hey there, am new here,
is there any more italia players out there??

 

[Watson Guitars]

HI all - my name is Alex and I'm an alco.. - oh wait a minute, wrong forum. I am a lifetime bass player and I am also a manufacturer of custom hand made basses. I started my company last year and hoping for a realtively busy 2006. I play an 8 string bass I made for myself in 2001. I am just about to move my shop to Idyllwild, California.

I look forward to exchanging information on this forum.

 

[wc123]

HI all - my name is Alex and I'm an alco.. - oh wait a minute, wrong forum. I am a lifetime bass player and I am also a manufacturer of custom hand made basses. I started my company last year and hoping for a realtively busy 2006. I play an 8 string bass I made for myself in 2001. I am just about to move my shop to Idyllwild, California.

I look forward to exchanging information on this forum.

Hi Alex

 

[Eul0gy]

hey , my name is kenneth and i have been playing bass for about 7 years now, taken a year out to do other things and have just come back into playing it and loving it , anyone else from Scotland give me a shout

 

[vick]

Hey there, I'm Vick. I'm a gigging sax player and have recently picked up the bass out of curiosity and the possibility of getting a little more work. I play a MIM Fender Jazz Bass, have formed a three man reggae/jam combo, and am here looking for ways to improve my playing and bring an outside perspctive (saxophone) to the world of bass. Hope to hear from and meet all of y'all I can.