Old guy learning bass

[leeh2]

I'm 61, but don't look it or act it (people can't believe it when I tell them my age). I've seen the devastation to body and mind wrought by age to people I know, and I'm fighting back:
I'm learning bass, I'm learning Spanish, and I'm lifting weights.
If I started doing those things 40 years ago, I'd probably have to do something else now; so I guess it's okay to just be starting now.
My current bass is my second one. I started out with a Lakland 55-01 Skyline (5-string, 35" scale) about 2 years ago. I recently traded it in for a G&L M2000 Tribute.
I love the G&L.
They may be comparable guitars (other than the 5 strings) but the G&L packs a stronger preamp and pickup package. The electrified sound is definitely cleaner and louder than the Lakland Skyline.

So, Hello to you all from Minneapolis, Minnesota!

Actually, the reason I looked for this forum was to get some tips on setting up my bass. Specifically, what sizes and types of screw drivers I need for the M2000. The G&L website wasn't much help.

[Craig]

I'm 61, but don't look it or act it (people can't believe it when I tell them my age). I've seen the devastation to body and mind wrought by age to people I know, and I'm fighting back:
I'm learning bass, I'm learning Spanish, and I'm lifting weights.
If I started doing those things 40 years ago, I'd probably have to do something else now; so I guess it's okay to just be starting now.
My current bass is my second one. I started out with a Lakland 55-01 Skyline (5-string, 35" scale) about 2 years ago. I recently traded it in for a G&L M2000 Tribute.
I love the G&L.
They may be comparable guitars (other than the 5 strings) but the G&L packs a stronger preamp and pickup package. The electrified sound is definitely cleaner and louder than the Lakland Skyline.

So, Hello to you all from Minneapolis, Minnesota!

Actually, the reason I looked for this forum was to get some tips on setting up my bass. Specifically, what sizes and types of screw drivers I need for the M2000. The G&L website wasn't much help.

Welcome!
Never too old to learn somethings new.

Most adjustments are done with Allen wrenches, so see this post in our G&L Knowledgebase: Can you tell me which allen wrenches I need for my G&L?

Check out the G&L Knowledgebase sub-forums for setup information.

Please do post a photo or two of your bass, as it does not exist without photos.

[Kit]

I am in a hobby band that is semi-pro for over a year; we played 12 gigs over the last 14 months. The reason I brought this up is because our bass player started to learn how to play bass after he retired because he had wanted to do it since he was younger. He is almost mid-70s now and he plays in 3 bands, the band I'm in is a rock pop band, another band is a German polka band that plays at some of the biggest Octoberfests in Oregon, and one outfit of retired people with motor homes who play for fun with quite a few participants who were professional musicians.

This is what you may have waiting for you.

[leeh2]

Thanks Craig, the chart of Allen Wrench sizes and uses is exactly what I was looking for. I'll post a picture or two soon.

Thanks for the encouragement, Kit. Being in a German polka band during Oktoberfest sounds like great fun!

[bassman]

Hi Leeh2 and welcome to the world of G&L. and playing bass.
I have played bass since I was 15 years old and I am now 62.

What I would encourage you to do is to build in rest stops for your left hand by incorporating open strings in your bass lines. Any amount of open string playing will help you make it through a long night of playing bass.
An A triad is open A, C#, E etc.

I used to only play closed notes on bass because I thought that they sounded better but as I got older and started playing more often, I found that open strings are a great benefit to my left hand.

I find it interesting that you favor a G&L bass over a LAKLAND!
That says a lot for G&L.
take care,

[leeh2]

Thanks, Bassman, that's a good idea. I also like the way open strings sound when you play them with the closed fingerings - like open E with the 7th fret A string fingering, etc.

Lee