I stopped playing music in 1979. I had a few Jazz basses lying around but had not even looked at them in 20 years.  I never thought that I'd ever do it again, but a few days after my 49th birthday, I got hit with the "bug", tried out an Excel in the music store and purchased it.  I knew within a couple of days that this would not be the end.  There's nothing like a good addiction.  Less than 60 days later I purchased an '85 Spoiler from someone who was unknown to me, but part of this discussion board.  So with two great basses, I needed an amp. My 1st choice (Carvin, great value) couldn't cut the mustard (guess that it wasn't such a great value), but my 2nd coice, Eden, cranks out 400 watts into 2 ohms, which is just enough to practice with, by myself. Enjoy the pictures.  And from my experiences on a few other threads, thanks for making me feel welcome. Ellery

Ooooohhhhh.....Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh,
Very nice!

Ellery:  Very cool basses!!  My timing was almost identical to yours - I bought my Spoiler a few days before my 49th Bday.  I, too had quit playing years before, but had gotten interested when my son started a band.  Just a few opportunities to jam again and I was hooked...
 
Actually, when I was young, if I had consistently played with musicians with the talent and skill my son and his bandmates already have as high school juniors (No joke!  They have both amazing talent and discipline.), I never would have stopped playing in the first place.
 
As it stands, I play a lot by myself and fairly often with friends (my own age!).  I'm looking for something steady with more performance opportunities, but being pretty selective about this.  
 
My dad, a banker, played piano all his life, belonged to the union, gigged regularly.  But when he retired, he was always hooked up with at least 2-3 widely divergent performing groups.  He played virtually every day.  I think he was never happier.  I plan to start earlier than he did.  He's gone now, but I wish I could share with him my custom-built Alembic now underway and my renewed musicianship.  I'm sure he'd get a kick out of it.  
 
Of course, being a product of the depression, my Dad would dish me a lot of abuse for the amount I spend on all this.  But, well...you know...
 
Bill  

Just keep on thinkin' that a medium-heavy smoker smokes 1 Excel every two years. I think the Alembic is a much healthier addiction.
 
Paul TBO

Paul:  As a medium-heavy smoker, I have already found and embraced that rationale.  Therefore, if I quit cigarettes, I'd be up for a new Rogue every 2.8 years or a new Signature Del. every 3.5 years.  Senior management has preapproved the plan.  As soon as my new bass comes, I just need to find a way to stay quit from cigs!
 
Bill  

 
 
(Message edited by bassman10096 on March 27, 2004)

i always smoke a newport while, staring at all these lembics on this site!

Lowlife & Bare_Hands,
 
Welcome to our decadent little party.  You've stumbled onto a very spirited and helpful group of guys and gals who have really bonded with their super quality basses and guitars.  Your challenge is to have as much fun as we have been!
 
Peace,
 
James

hey the term lowlife to me says that your life is centered around the 'low end' of the soundscope, meaning your a lifelong bassplayer, right?  

Good catch Keavin.
I guess that I am a life-long musician.  This may ruffle a few feathers, but I truly believe that you can practice for years and still get nowhere unless you are born with IT.  All of you have your own definitions of what IT is, but none the less you gotta have IT.  IT can be honed, rocked, funked and blues-ed out, but ya still gotta have IT.
I started piano when I was 6 and I picked up my 1st bass when I was 12 (it was a WEM).
Lowlife refers to the low-end of the musical spectrum, and to some of the wild stuff that I did as a touring musician.
Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll; too bad that it's wasted on the young!  All three sound mighty good at 49.
Ellery

one thing about most of (us) musicians is that we all have a lowlife in our past,some of us are still wearing the name, but it dont take much to know on a 'musical term' that it would be refering to the bassplayer, well in that  case were all lowlife,ive been thumping bass for 30 yrs also,starting at age 12, and been thumping on alembic#12 for 25yrs.

Moder,
I suggest that we become friends in the two years after you buy your next bass
;-)
 
Paul (the bad one becoming greedy)

I bought my first EVH Signature deluxe 5 string in 1990, when I was 25.  
Two years later, I found the same bass but in cocobolo and with one string less :  
I couldn't resist it.  
 
I still love the differences of the wood :  
exactly the same basses but one with flamed walnut laminates, and the other with cocobolo laminates, such a different sound colors !  
 
I am still hunting for a Series II, my day will come, even if I am already retired :-)  
 
Cheers  
Jan
 
(Message edited by janriviere on March 28, 2003)

I was 22 when I got my first Alembic. It was 1976
and I bought it out of the Brady St.Alembic store which happened to be the Grateful Dead's studio from Ron Armstrong.I got one of the few that were made a long scale small body serial # A076 ( who has this bass now?)I bet you I was the first bass player to play an Alembic in a punk rock band
called the VKTMS in S.F.
If you have it I want to know! I had to sell it for financial reasons 5 years ago. I just ordered a new one because I told myself I'd buy one again
when I had the chance. If you have my baby I want it back!

I owned my Alembic for 20 years and I played gigs with it with bands from the Ramones in Petaluma
to Black Flag in LA, the Psycadelic Furs,Stranglers,
Flipper, Angry Samoans, X, Billy Idol, Dead Kennedys etc. I played thru an Ampzilla an F2B and 1 18 alembic cab and a 15 Alembic Cab. I always got great reviews for my bass sound. I believe that almost any bass player that sold their Alembic and still played thereafter almost always regretted selling  
their instrument. I sure did! I always ended up buying other basses half heartedly and would just play just about anything, without any soul. but when you played an Alembic, it was just heaven! you know... that excitement!... I think you know what I mean...But anyway I bought another one and I can't wait to get it when it's done.