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What year did you start playing bass?

1967 I was 14
And still rocking in the free world
Duke
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In terms of bass playing, I'm almost the young 'un here, started in 2019. No prior experience with any other instrument. Teenage son plays guitar, wanted to do something to bond with him. Worked out better than I could reasonably have hoped for.

In terms of actual age, well, I was at the tender age of 49. Maybe not the ideal age to start on an instrument, but better 49 than even later. I think overall I'm around the average age for TB, though.
 
I started playing in 2014 when I was 64, a year after joining a ukulele group when the leader asked if anyone would like to take up the bass to fill in our sound. I played rhythm guitar for almost 50 years and was often told I should play bass because I had good feel and tempo, but I didn't want to be encumbered by a big electric bass, forget a stand up double bass. When I discovered small bass ukes and mini bass guitars, I went for it. Bass is now my primary instrument, with uke and harmonic close behind.
 
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2015 at 39 because I needed to record my first EP. I started playing guitar in 1991 so I picked up bass very quickly. It was such a blast that I wrote 3 or 4 songs in the first week.
The bass was a factory second Harley Benton Jazz bass knockoff. A Jazz bass with rounds? What was I thinking?! :)
 
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I wanted to start playing bass in 1995, at 12 because of Jack Daley (Lenny Kravitz), but grabbed my first Yamaha bbn4 only in 2000 because of RATM's Tim Commerford and Bizkit's Sam Rivers.
Started building basses in 2006 just after my military service.
 
I got stuck on upright bass when I was 11 in 6th grade in 1970 after playing cello for 2 years. In school it was orchestral & classical music. I started to play electric bass seriously at 17 as a senior in 1976.

Outside of school I was more interested in guitar playing in bands in 1970 mostly with older players.
 
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