Thanks for starting this group. You beat me to it by a few days.

Anyway I considered myself to be a "recovering" musician for a lot of years. I had been a Bassist/guitarist/vocalist and even did a stint as a recording engineer in my 20's but gave it all up as I preferred living indoors and eating regular meals.

In my mid 40's I got the itch to make music again and decided to start out with something different so I got a Kurzwiel PC88MX to dabble in synth compositions. That was a great reintroduction to music-making as I didn't feel any pressure to be any good as I never played keyboards before. However, I really didn't start feeling the pull again until I bought a bass. Soon I started taking auditions. This is a brutal but effective way to check your chops. I don't recommend it for everyone but playing badly when among real players was motivating for me. I had bought a cheap bass as I wasn't convinced that I could get it going again. When I felt certain of my commitment I bought my dream bass of youth, a 1962 EB0, Polaris white with black pickup. This was enough to get me to the next level of confidence. I've since moved onto the hard stuff, a Tobias five string. Gottta do that funk yaknow.

My path has been to try something new (keyboard) before going back to my first love (bass). Visit there for a while (cheap bass) then buy the dream and really press myself to improve.

The next step is to quit my job and move in with my girlfriend

Paul

You've thrown a lot out there in the first post to consider.

As a youngster, I was attracted to the guitar first and foremost. Self -taught, I became good enough to find gigs as a rhythm player and singer.

When I think of my favorite guitar players, it's tricky - kind of like what's your favorite music or food, or author.? Over all,though, I have to go with Mark Knopfler as one of the best.

He is so capable in different areas. His life's work is a recap of all the different styles that he's studied...and produced - somewhat risky as every succesfull performer realizes how important it is careerwise to maintain a somewhat singular, recognizable image and style.

But he has continuously experimented with a variety of types of music - his album with Chet Atkins, to me is a treasure.

Another player I might mention is Billy Gibbons - primarily in his younger days. I heard the story that Jimi Hendrix once said that Billy was the next one to watch out for. He is certainly a skilled player for his chosen genre.

Interestingly enough, today, I decided to buy a guitar - damn, its been a lot of years. All this is in prelude to getting my dream instrument -the square neck Dobro. We'll see.

Hey Paul (that's a good name for a bassist :))

So, how do you tune the five string? I've sat in several gigs on a fiver and in some cases the low E is tuned town, and in some cases the fifth string is a high C.

I play a Fender P-bass Special - Jazz neck with P and Jazz pickups, rosewood fretboard. Very versatile. I also have a 72 Fender Jazz bass with a maple fretless neck. Nice thing is the frets are marked, so it's easier to get the right intonation. Tough to sing at the same time or watch chicks while I'm playing the fretless, though :) I also have an acoustic upright that I need to get an adjustable bridge for, so I can play some jazz trio stuff around town.

So are you a slapper/popper, a finger picker, a flat picker? I'm a finger picker, and recently have started playing a lot of funk riffs with my thumb and forefinger. I do some slappin' and poppin', but it's not my forte.

Anyway, gotta go. Thanks for joining our group.

What guitar did you decide to buy?

Thanks for joining our group. We need a guy who plays a Les Paul...:)

I think what makes Knopfler's sound so unique is his finger picking technique. He is able to squeeze sounds of that Strat that you just can't get with a flat pick, and he is able to play rapid fire arpeggios with amazing clarity. He is one of the few great electric guitarists that I know of that doesn't use a flat pick. I often finger pick my Telly, depending on the song, and it creates a completely different sound than the flat pick.

Stills doesn't use a flat pick either, but he doesn't finger pick like Knopfler. He actually uses the base of his thumb like a flat pick, and, in his day, had a unique and unforgettable sound. As guitar heroes go, old Stills rings my bell in a big way.

Though I can't really claim Billy Gibbons as an influence, I listen to more old ZZ Top today than I did when it was current. His playing is so tasty and spare...it's almost more about what he leaves out than what he puts in...

J

Having invested in the low six figures for gear for the last 25 years my opinion might shock some of you.

The differentiator is not the gear itself but what you DO with it. Granted, Stevie Ray Vaughn had a unique set up that few if any could replicate(.13 gauge E string and a Bassman with a single 15" speaker).

For me, it's about what you express that makes the music important. The gear should only be a reflection of what's going on inside.

Yamaha,Roland,Gibson etc. would like you to believe that their next product is the one that will give you that distinctive sound you are looking for...and there is nothing wrong with that.

In 1990 I went to London to hear Eric Clapton play with Michael Kamen's orchestra at Royal Albert Hall.

Clapton used a Strat, one cable and a Twin reverb. He blew me away!....no frills, just him.

Recently I discovered Eva Cassidy singing Over The Rainbow with just a guitar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUwTdqPkluY

Truly one of the greatest performances I've ever heard.

Just one man's opinion.

No question, chimchimineecherree. We're just buncha dudes talkin' about gear 'cuz it's fun to talk about. I think we all know a great player can make a freakin' gutbucket sing...:)

In addition to playing the bass, I play a '52 Telly reissue, through a Deluxe with a Cry Baby and I use the built-in Fender vibrato too. For years I played a 1954 Gibson ES175 through a Roland Cube 40, but it got to the point where continuing to play the '54 Gibson on my gig schedule was just wearing it out - kinda like overdriving an antique car. I am far from a gear head, especially when it comes to pedals. When my homies get on about that shit I am at a complete loss.

But when I make recommendations, specifically for guitars and basses, and particularly to acolytes, I do stress the importance of the neck and the fretboard- and it ultimately has little to do with the cost of the instrument. I have a Japanese '52 Telly reissue that I bought for $400 - I was ready to spend several thousand, so why pick the cheap guitar? It had the best neck, by far. A buddy of mine has a real '52 Telly and he prefers the neck on mine to his. So. I lucked out.

Thanks for the Eva Cassidy - a guitar version of Norah Jones. Which I love, so thanks.