2024 "Times Makin' Changes In My Life..."

Tesla Changes

 "...Time's rearranging, changing you and me~"

~Frank Hannon, Jeff Keith, Tom Skeoch, Troy Luccketta, Brian Wheat... i.e. Tesla!!

That song rings as true today as it did in 1986.  So what's that got to do with this blog?

Well dear friends, I've been keeping this blog for 10 years this June!  And boy how things have changed since that summer day nearly a decade ago.

Current Bass status

Due to a significant change in my musical status, I have downsized the bass collection to the essentials:

2018 Stingray Special

2020 Fender American Pro II Precision

Frankly, I could go down to just the Stingray and be completely satisfied.  However, keeping the Fender affords the luxury of having a back up instrument which of course is a responsible thing to do for any musician.  

Reason for the purge

Two situations converged early last year:  

First my wife & I moved to a church closer to home.  The new church is lead by an old friend with whom I served on a worship team he lead.  Back then I was playing 6-string guitars as my primary instrument, so he asked if I'd play both bass and guitar at the new church.  

Second, all my old guitar gear was sold off to fund my bass guitar adventures... So, being on a tight budget these days, it was time to let go of any bass stuff that wasn't being used.  Doing so freed up enough money to fund some new guitar stuff, but with a different perspective. 

Unlike years ago, I decided to get simply two guitars inspired by the Mike Campbell theory that he can get everything done on just one Gibson, and one Fender style guitar.  My choice was a PRS David Grissom model, and a PRS CE24 bolt-on neck; both filling the Mike Campbell requirements perfectly.

Most of 2023 was spent brushing up my guitar chops, securing the necessary gear and selling that which wasn't.  

The other half of 2023 was spent trying to recover from a lower back issue that I've dealt with for 20-years.  A LOT of physical therapy has helped me avoid surgery, so to all my readers out there-- take care of your back!  We all age, and our bodies are temporary, so be smart and look after yourselves.  Lift with your legs, not your back LOL!

My wife & I have also spent the last year working with our newly adopted rescue dog.  A three-year old husky/Shepard/boxer mix with A LOT of energy had six homes before we found her.  She had a difficult time finding a family who had the patience and knowhow to take care of her, but now she's home.

What's Next?

With our band I'll be playing guitar on the weeks I'm not playing bass, which means swapping instruments each week.  Adding guitar to my bass playing has been a great way to stretch my ability, and a deeper understanding of music in general.  

Adding guitar to my arsenal has also reinvigorated my excitement for music, making it more fun and helping me out of the rut I didn't realize I had dug so deep.  

Another fun aspect this year will be adventures with digital modeling and recording... both things I've been avoiding LOL!  Stepping outside our comfort zone is a great way to improve your musicianship-- which is another thing I'll be focusing on this year-- improving my craft instead of chasing gear.  Of course I'll take y'all along for the ride too~

"Nothing ever stays the same

It's always gonna change

I'm on my way... Yeah, Yeah!!

...Stay tuned & in tune!