Who plays guitar as well?

[Bass Viking]

bass payer?

I know you meant bass player but I’ve been a bass payer too!

 

[SnappyFerret]

I started guitar at age 10 and bought a bass guitar book in my teens, which I played on my acoustic guitar. I got an electric guitar guitar when I went to college. I started upright bass and electric bass when I was 49. Still playing all three now in my 60s.

 

[landrybass]

Cigar Box 3 string!

 

[Jp77]

I started out playing electric guitar. Played for more than 15 years. Drums as well. My first band was me and my buddy we would switch off playing drums and guitar with each other. Never had an inkling I would play bass. Started playing bass in my church about 7yrs ago. Never looked back. I still play drums when they need me to at church. I play acoustic guitar at home. But the bass is my calling. I think I've always been a bass player just never realized it lol I do believe all the years spent drumming has helped me with bass playing knowing how and where the kick is being placed almost second nature to thump with the kick when playing bass for someone else drumming. Bass is where it's at tho.

 

[JdFastMother]

I started out playing guitar at 13 switched to bass at 16. I have a Fender Telecaster and a Les Paul Goldtop that I play at home or in the studio

 

[REB]

I can't really play guitar. I played trombone in JHS and HS so bass was a natural transition for me.

 

[Keldog]

I started guitar at around 14 and picked up the bass at around 17 or so. I'm 54 and still play both but mainly bass.

 

[Dreamsinger]

I started on classical guitar at 9. When I got to garage band age my hands were too big for the scrawny 1 5/8" necks that a lot of electrics had. The high school band director heard me gripe and cajoled me into filling the empty string bass slot. I kept playing guitar as a solo fingerstylist and eventually started playing electric bass. About 10 years ago I discovered that Warmoth made wider necks by as much as 1 7/8" so I built a 1 3/4" Tele. One thing I'm quite aware of is that guitar and bass are completely different instruments that just happen to be tuned in 4ths. Being a guitarist doesn't make you a bass player. Too many bass players were failures as guitarists so their buddies made them the bass player. I'm a pretty good bassist but at the same time I wind up giving the band's guitarist an occasional lesson.

 

[Brewsbrother]

So the title says it all. I’m curious what your experience with guitar might be? Did you start on guitar and switch over? Have you played bass from the get go and never picked up a guitar? Did playing guitar help you as a bass payer? I’d love to hear you experience with the guitar.

Me? I tinkered with the guitar, but never got very serious. I’ve really only gotten more serious about the bass over the past year or so...and I feel more at home.

I started on guitar in high school. A friend of mine and I had a band but could never find a bass player. One night, my friend commented that when I did fills on the guitar, it sounded like a bass line and suggested I switch to bass. He mentioned it a few more times before I decided to make the switch. I found that bass came very natural to me and bass has been my primary instrument ever since. I play guitar and keys and recently started learning harmonica. I do music for several television shows and play the guitar and bass parts. My business partner does keys and horns. In addition to my basses, I also have a Martin 12 string acoustic guitar, an MIA Limited Edition Deluxe Strat and Gretsch hollow body guitar that is kind of a green/blue color. After I purchased it I found out it was actually a prototype. It doesn't have a serial number and according to Gretsch is extremely rare because it's the only one ever made in this color.

I started at the age of 11, entirely self-taught, and am thus a more experienced guitarist than bassist, but the knowledge and experience gave me a leg up on bass--not to duplicate what I do on guitar, but to understand the rhythm, fingering, chord shapes, and to be able to hear individual instruments, i.e., the bass, in music I listen to.

 

[Mario Afonso]

Me

my first instrument is transversal flute (8), then guitar (13), then saxophone (29), then bass (31). I'm 41 now.
I play bass in a band, sax (and occasionally flute) in another, and play guitar in my one-man-band.

 

[Avezzano]

...I am 63 (last may); started on guitar when 17; went to the bass side at 19 and stay there with great satisfaction and pretty good results (I'd immodestly say) exclusively until a couple of years ago, when stopped playing since the group disbanded. Started noodlin' on the couch with a second hand Epi Casino natural. I like that a lot; bought also a Pat Metheny, the corean one, excellent guitar. A mediocre guitarist, I play with my thumb almost exclusively... It was good for Wes and G. Benson, so... Oh, well...

 

[bigtone23]

I started out on guitar, still play it, just not as much as bass and drums.

 

[Xansky]

I've played guitar since 1978. People tell me I'm pretty good at it. Many of my friends were shocked when I started seriously playing bass in 2012. They'd say things like, "But you're such a good guitarist. Why would you go to the dark side?" But for me, it was a perfect fit! I feel like I should have switched years earlier. I ADORE playing bass! I don't know why, but bass just really lights me up.

I still play guitar, occasionally, mostly to write new music. But bass is definitely my passion these days! And I get pretty positive feedback about my bass playing, as well.

 

[blanchae]

I started on guitar played a few years then switched to bass and played for about 10 years. I was a solid bass player but couldn't do a bass solo. I switched back to guitar and played for about 20 years then came back to bass. Now I can play a bass solo all day long. Learning lead guitar (not a great guitarist) really helped with my bass playing.

 

[Bassmike62]

Started out on guitar at 14 (in 1976) and latched on to bass in 2008 for a family studio EP project. Added keys in May 2018. I currently have 2 musical projects: a duo in which I play acoustic guitar and some piano and organ. I also play bass in an 80s rock cover band (Bon Jovi, Journey, Loverboy...) that does corporate and private parties. I also provide lead and back-vocals to the duo and backs to the band, when in my (limited) range.

In my mind and when asked, I present myself as a bass player. Whatever the music style, groove and rythm are always the first things I'm looking for. It was the case when I started out, so I still wonder why I didnt get into bass as a kid . On any given time-frame, I probably divide my playing time this way: 85% bass, 10% guitar, 5% keys.

God bless bassists.

Mike

 

[picker1974]

I do. Currently doing double duty in my church worship band. I swap instruments between songs with the keyboard holding down the bass parts. 99% electric for me with a very rare acoustic performance. My current guitar of choice is an early 2000’s LTD EC300 Les Paul copy, which has been discontinued some time ago.

 

[selfwareluggage]

I started out playing bass but in my band we sometimes switch roles so I learned the guitar. I could consider myself good, I could do lead and rhythm well but I don’t think I’m like top tier insane levels of good. Bass has always been my preferred instrument but I have a soft spot for guitar too. I just recently got this guitar and it’s a pretty great instrument.

 

[amper]

I started on keys, switched to guitar, then to bass. I also play a little drums and tin whistle.

 

[Dreamsinger]

I've played guitar since 1978. People tell me I'm pretty good at it. Many of my friends were shocked when I started seriously playing bass in 2012. They'd say things like, "But you're such a good guitarist. Why would you go to the dark side?" But for me, it was a perfect fit! I feel like I should have switched years earlier. I ADORE playing bass! I don't know why, but bass just really lights me up.

I still play guitar, occasionally, mostly to write new music. But bass is definitely my passion these days! And I get pretty positive feedback about my bass playing, as well.

I hear that now and then, too. The question gets answered fast when I switch with the guitarist. Bands live and die by their bass/drum team. If your bass player and/or drummer suck, the whole band will suck.

 

[armelind]

As I have mentioned in the past, I was a toddler when I realized I wanted to play drums. But I got a guitar for Christmas in 1980. I learned how to play guitar with a drummer so I learned timing and rhythmically locked in with the drums. I only started playing lead guitar when I was put in a position with a band that only needed a single guitarist in 1992. I wasn't great at leads but I could do what was necessary. Plus my rhythm playing was always right on.

One new band I was playing rhythm guitar, and we auditioned bassist after bassist for the part, but none could do it. I swapped all my guitar equipment for bass equipment and started playing bass from then on. That was 1996. I still play guitar and over the years was able to learn some drums. I, technically, could do it all at least for demos if I need to. Just don't put a vocal mic on me, I will screw everything up. I couldn't sing to save my life.