World class bass players who started really late?

[JKessell]

Does anyone know of any world class bass players who started really late (like in their 20s) or started bass as a second instrument later in life, eventually switching to it as a main instrument and becoming successful?

 

[Afc70]

Jeff Schmidt, started fairly late (sometime in the 90's I believe) & quickly achieved virtuoso status... pretty amazing

 

[DirkP]

I don't know if he fits your requierements for a "world class bass player". But he surely is one of the most influential bass players of the last decades. Peter Hook of Joy Division and later New Order. He and Bernard Sumner startet Warsaw - who later became Joy Divison - in 1976. He was borne in February 1956. He as far as I know never played an instrument before.

 

[catcauphonic]

I don't know if he fits your requierements for a "world class bass player". But he surely is one of the most influential bass players of the last decades. Peter Hook of Joy Division and later New Order. He and Bernard Sumner startet Warsaw - who later became Joy Divison - in 1976. He was borne in February 1956. He as far as I know never played an instrument before.

I would definitely categorize Peter Hook as world famous ... just not the mainstream type. I didn't know his time in Warsaw was when he first picked up the bass as first instrument! Killer

 

[DWBass]

No famous bassists but I know a local guy who didn't start playing until he was in college. Dude is a beast now.

 

[JimK]

IIRC, Chuck Rainey began playing bass in his 20s...he was already a musician (trumpet, guitar), obviously with an ear & a clue, though.

 

[Rev J]

I think Squarepusher started late.

C/S,
Rev J

 

[moles]

I didn't start until my mid 20's...









I kid...I kid...

 

[bass12]

As I remember it, Mark King began playing bass not too long before Level 42 got started. He already played guitar and drums.

 

[HiEnd Basses]

Jeff Schmidt, started fairly late (sometime in the 90's I believe) & quickly achieved virtuoso status... pretty amazing

Is he playing a right handed Bass upside down? Looks like the high strings are at the top of the fretboard.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

started really late (like in their 20s)

I wouldn't consider 20 really late, but a bit late if you're going for "world class".
29 might be closer to really late, but 40 would definitely be really late

 

[nolaguy]

Does anyone know of any world class bass players who started really late (like in their 20s) or started bass as a second instrument later in life, eventually switching to it as a main instrument and becoming successful?

Carol Kaye was almost 30 by the time she focused on bass. Wilton Felder was about 30 when HE started as well.

 

[inanimate_carb]

Wes Montgomery's brother Monk Montgomery was arguably the first player to ever record with an electric bass. He started on upright bass at the age of 30.

 

[HamOnTheCob]

Is he playing a right handed Bass upside down? Looks like the high strings are at the top of the fretboard.

He's actually playing a left handed bass strung opposite of conventional tuning. One of my favorite bass performances of all time is Jeff playing his song "Until You Don't" on a fretless Pedulla Pentabuzz. No other player or song makes me say "I wish I could sound like that".


Another killer player who plays with the "upside down" string setup is Keith Horne. He is a bass heavyweight if ever there was one, and he's also an outstanding guitar player (he plays guitar the same way!)

 

[HiEnd Basses]

He's actually playing a left handed bass strung opposite of conventional tuning. One of my favorite bass performances of all time is Jeff playing his song "Until You Don't" on a fretless Pedulla Pentabuzz. No other player or song makes me say "I wish I could sound like that".


Another killer player who plays with the "upside down" string setup is Keith Horne. He is a bass heavyweight if ever there was one, and he's also an outstanding guitar player (he plays guitar the same way!)

So strange that someone would even start out playing like that.

 

[HamOnTheCob]

So strange that someone would even start out playing like that.

The even stranger thing with Keith Horne is that I read somewhere he's not even left handed!

 

[Bass'd on a true story]

Remco Hendrix started in his 20s I believe and now he has an extremely popular Youtube channel (Remco's Groove Lab) and a lot of endorsements. He is also extremely unorthodox and awesome.

 

[Relsom]

The even stranger thing with Keith Horne is that I read somewhere he's not even left handed!

That is true. And as bad assed he is in bass, he's recently began a 5 year stint as a guitarist in Branson. He's such an amazing talent.

 

[MorguloN X-Zed]

DuG Pinnick of King's X was a late bloomer I believe

 

[Bob_Ross]

So strange that someone would even start out playing like that.

Considering how relatively rare a left-handed instrument is -- the only people likely to own them are other left-handed people -- it doesn't strike me as strange at all. You pick up whatever's available when you're first starting out: your friend's (or your brother's, or your Dad's, etc.) guitar is right-handed, so you either learn to play right-handed or you flip it over and learn to play upside-down like Jeff Schmidt or Jimmy Haslip et al. That's exactly what happened with the left-handed/upside-down players I've worked with.

(btw, if you ever want to have your mind blown, watch closely at how these left-handed/upside-down bassists have to reinvent slap/pop basslines!)