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I've never played anything but bass ...
I started to write this and suddenly realised how old I am !! .. It all started
back in 1963. I was 14 then, and my dad finally agreed to sell theaccordion I never
played, and buy me an electric guitar instead. I went home the proud owner of
a Watkins Rapier 33, and a Watkins Westminster 10 watt (single valve) amplifier.
The guitar player phase lasted about 3 weeks, and then one day I realised I
was playing the bass lines and not the lead or rhythm. What to do ?? ... that day I
ripped off the strings and fitted bass strings instead. Man did that guitar
sound cr*p !! .. But to me it was a bass so it was OK. I kept at it for a couple of
years, and in 1967 earned enough money to buy a Watkins Rapier bass (It was
just like Arni's prized blue one).
As I grew up, at different times during the past 40 years, I have played (very badly)
in different bands doing pop covers, blues, hard rock, jazz rock, rock'n'roll, trad
jazz, soul, and now even some original "Nederpop". All my guitars
have been "true" left-handed (i.e. upside-down and back-to-front) and over
my time I have managed to work my way through the Rapier Bass, a Hofner Steinberger
clone (YEEUCK!), a 60's Fender Jazz (YUMM!), An early 70's Rick 4001, and several cheapo
copies of Jazzes ... but oddly enough, I've never played a Precision!
Since 1981 there have only been two guitars in my life. I have an NRJ, 5-string, fretted
which was custom-built in 1990 by Niall McLaughlin (I hope that's his surname) of Bradford
U.K. and a 1980 fretless, Musicman Stingray. The MM is the only left-handed,
pre-Ernie Ball, fretless to be recorded in the serial number database, so I'm pretty
proud of that one (and not only is it unique, you gotta hear it when it's feeling
good ...it mwaahs ... it growls ... it roars!!)
What am I doing now? I'm currently collaborating with a singer/songwriter/guitarist
friend. We're setting up a new band to showcase his own, Dutch-language, pop music.
Provisional name for the band is Enki, and we're currently looking out for other
band members in the region of Den Haag, Holland.
I'm self-taught, and I've always felt that I play bass really badly, so recently,
at 56, and for the first time in my life, I started taking music lessons. I want to
improve my technique, and to learn to sight read. From what I have experienced
of the lessons so far, tthe noise I make is likely to get even worse before it starts
to get better !!!!
I won't name any influences, because I doubt anyone would be very pleased to
be associated with, or in any way responsible for, my bass playing "style"!!
but I do love listening to all and any good bass players, and rate Jaco's accompaniment
of Joni Mitchell on her Hejira album as the ultimate in sublime bass playing. |
