Greetings From a Returning Bassist Who is Adding Guitar

Howdy, all!

First, I want to say how happy I am to find this forum. Quality, community music sites seem to be few and far between and I am looking forward to reading the information here.

Here is the short version of "my story".

Back in the late 80s, I picked up a bass for the first time. I was (comparatively) older than most when starting to learn an instrument. I was blessed to have a "paid gig" while I was learning but never progressed much beyond a couple of garage bands and one steady Jazz outfit that meagerly supplemented my regular job. All-in-all a reasonable hobby level of musicianship at best.

Time and life being as they are, I eventually stopped playing in the late 90s and focused on my family and my work, eventually selling all my equipment.

Fast forward to this past August where a promotion at work put me in a position to start buying gear again and affording me some time to take up playing bass for the first time in over 10 years.

My intent in playing bass again was just that, to play bass again. I did not have ANY ideas about picking up the guitar as well. I had one Epi Les Paul around 2002 that I fiddled on, but that was pretty much it.

Then I made the mistake of walking into a Guitar Center. There I was bitten by the hollow body bug. Players like Chet Atkins, Joe Pass, and the like; have found a new appeal to me. That combined with my "discovery" of zZounds opened a veritable Pandor's Box for things of a six-string nature. Thanks to no-interest payments, I am now in possession of an Epiphone Emperor Swingster and a Fender Blues Deluxe RI amp.

"Yes, yes; enough yammering -- where (then) is the Telecaster part"? Some might ask.

Well, during the past four months, I began listening, really listening to the sound and tonal qualities of the higher end. And a few YouTube videos later, I found the Telecaster "tone" was the other distinct sound that I have always loved, but did not realize.

It is difficult to justify to one's wife, the purchase of two basses, a guitar, and two amplifiers in such a short period of time. And I had a terrible itch that required scratching. The solution came from (surprisingly enough) my local Guitar Center. Here they had the entry-level Squier Limited Edition Bullet Telecaster in Lake Placid Blue (although it's rather sparkly for LPB).

The frets were in dire need of polishing, I adjusted the bridge saddles, put a set of 11s on her and she sounds great considering it's an entry-level build. The neck is smooth, with no fret sprout whatsoever.


Anyway, for less than $200 I scratched the itch and here I am.

Sorry, this was much longer than I had intended. Thanks for bearing with me.

 

Thank you. I, one day, hope to have a "real" Stingray.

I am very happy with the 11s.