Not sure how many others started on bass first, but I did at 12. Was always drawn to music. Grew up in East TN with lots of "Pickers" in the family. Every family event had guitars, banjo's, mandolins, and even auto-harps pulled out. A couple time's some cousin's would invite a buddy over with an upright. I didn't know what that giant thing was called at the time.
My parents loved all kinds of music, and I'm thankful for that. Would sit in the basement with headphones on listening to the local stations, as well as some of their tapes and 8-tracks. I also remember watching the first broadcast of MTV seeing Video Killed the Radio Star, as well as I think the first music video I ever saw with We Built this City. We had a satellite dish so we could watch it.
Any who, flash forward to the late 80's and I was big into metal and "Hair Bands". Me and my neighbors watched Headbangers Ball religiously on Saturday nights, and would even record them on VHS. Whatever Riki Rachtman (SP) recommended, I would convince my dad to but it for me at the record store next time we went. I wasn't 18 and this was the time period of the Parental Advisory stickers.
Eventually, the two neighbor brothers started taking guitar lessons, and I wanted to be a part of the band, but even at 12, I knew there couldn't be three guitar players (technically there could). I was at their house one day and they had an Ibanez catalog on the counter. I was scrolling through it and saw this beautiful looking Magenta RD707. I asked my friend "What's the bigger guitar with only four strings called?". He said "Oh, that's a bass, you should play that". Two weeks later on my 12th birthday, my mom took me to Mountain Music and bought me a Washburn B2 bass, and a Crate 110 combo that had literal planks on the side like a wood crate. Thats my story, and the rest is just history. Have been fortunate enough to have done pretty well playing music in my younger years, and have even played with some Rock N Roll and Country hall of famers. It all started with an Ibanez brochure!
My parents loved all kinds of music, and I'm thankful for that. Would sit in the basement with headphones on listening to the local stations, as well as some of their tapes and 8-tracks. I also remember watching the first broadcast of MTV seeing Video Killed the Radio Star, as well as I think the first music video I ever saw with We Built this City. We had a satellite dish so we could watch it.
Any who, flash forward to the late 80's and I was big into metal and "Hair Bands". Me and my neighbors watched Headbangers Ball religiously on Saturday nights, and would even record them on VHS. Whatever Riki Rachtman (SP) recommended, I would convince my dad to but it for me at the record store next time we went. I wasn't 18 and this was the time period of the Parental Advisory stickers.
Eventually, the two neighbor brothers started taking guitar lessons, and I wanted to be a part of the band, but even at 12, I knew there couldn't be three guitar players (technically there could). I was at their house one day and they had an Ibanez catalog on the counter. I was scrolling through it and saw this beautiful looking Magenta RD707. I asked my friend "What's the bigger guitar with only four strings called?". He said "Oh, that's a bass, you should play that". Two weeks later on my 12th birthday, my mom took me to Mountain Music and bought me a Washburn B2 bass, and a Crate 110 combo that had literal planks on the side like a wood crate. Thats my story, and the rest is just history. Have been fortunate enough to have done pretty well playing music in my younger years, and have even played with some Rock N Roll and Country hall of famers. It all started with an Ibanez brochure!
Last edited:
