I am a bassist....these are my tools

[Dot Com]

is that a maple fretboard/pickguard or exotic stuff?

 

[Mad Scientist]

Looks like you play Professionally! What bands have you played with? Tell us all about them, I'd love to hear all yer stories!

I've been playing guitar since H.S. I still have the guitar I learned to play on, an Ovation 1112 and a more recent pickup, an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Honey Burst. I'm thinkin' by next summer I'll add a Gibson Les Paul Studio.

I've been thinking recently of picking up the Bass, tell me what would be a good starter Bass for me?

 

[martinjlm]

is that a maple fretboard?

Yes. Three of my basses have maple boards, the other three have ebony boards. Also, notice that three are traditional 4-string basses, three are 5-string basses.

 

[martinjlm]

Looks like you play Professionally! What bands have you played with? Tell us all about them, I'd love to hear all yer stories!

I've been playing guitar since H.S. I still have the guitar I learned to play on, an Ovation 1112 and a more recent pickup, an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Honey Burst. I'm thinkin' by next summer I'll add a Gibson Les Paul Studio.

I've been thinking recently of picking up the Bass, tell me what would be a good starter Bass for me?

If by professional, you mean making enough to cover my bar tab, gas, and maybe a new set of strings, yeah, ok. Too locked into my day job to play full time / support the family pro. Know a handful of guys who do / did.

My most interesting story is around the Alembic 4-string. In 1992 when I was dating the girl who eventually became my wife, I scored 2nd row tickets to see my favorite artist play at an upcoming concert. The seats directly in front of us were empty and he came and stood on the seats in front of us and went nuts on a solo.....fast forward to June 2000. I was waiting for the 5-string Alembic I custom ordered to be delivered. Then I found out my favorite artist was going through a divorce and auctioning off a lot of his gear. I bought the bass he played in that concert in 1992. Both basses arrived within 3days of each other. It was a good week.

As for a recommendation for a bass to start on.....can't go wrong with a used Fender Precision or Fender Jazz. If you are buying new, Fender's budget line, Squier, is very good these days. Used Fenders can go $400 - 1,700, depending on model, year, and where built. Squiers are $250 - 350 new.

Here's a picture from a magazine article on Stanley Clarke. He's holding my bass.

 

[del]

nice fireplace screen

Geddy would've aced my little test.

geddy could suck your dick for all i care

still, it's a nice fireplace screen

 

[martinjlm]

Here's a clip of my kids playing a Led Zeppelin tune at a charity benefit back in October. My older son is playing his white Fender Strat. My younger son is playing the Alembic I got from Stanley Clarke

Amazingly Average - Song 1 - YouTube

 

[del]

 

[del]

jaco plays bach

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3NRbVw9RQQ]Chromatic Fantasy by Jaco Pastorius - YouTube[/ame]

 

[martinjlm]

Jens Ritter makes some amazing instruments.

 

[del]

Jens Ritter makes some amazing instruments.

true

 

[martinjlm]

jaco plays bach

Chromatic Fantasy by Jaco Pastorius - YouTube

Man, I can play that in my sleep..........then I wake up and stop dreaming.

Have you ever seen / heard Victor Wooten play "Classical Thump"? Makes me wanna sell all my stuff and take up kazoo.

Victor Wooten - Classical Thump - YouTube

 

[Mad Scientist]

Here's a clip of my kids playing a Led Zeppelin tune at a charity benefit back in October. My older son is playing his white Fender Strat. My younger son is playing the Alembic I got from Stanley Clarke

Amazingly Average - Song 1 - YouTube

Gotta' be the smallest video I've ever seen on YouTube!

 

[Mr. H.]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp9aHtN4K74]On the Silent Wings of Freedom by Yes - YouTube[/ame]

 

[eots]

Here's a clip of my kids playing a Led Zeppelin tune at a charity benefit back in October. My older son is playing his white Fender Strat. My younger son is playing the Alembic I got from Stanley Clarke

Amazingly Average - Song 1 - YouTube

Gotta' be the smallest video I've ever seen on YouTube!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM-awj0Wbdo]Amazingly Average - Song 1 - YouTube[/ame]