Power Restored

After going quite a long time playing my bass through a 40 watt guitar amplifier, I've finally bought a new 150 watt bass amplifier. I'd almost forgotten just how much of a difference it makes, and how much fun it can be to rattle the windows of a building with a nice low B at high volume. I had to know just how far I could push the volume, and I think I established that it's got as much kick as I need with (very importantly) the portability I've always been missing in a bass amp. It's not as powerful as the rigs I used to use in my club heyday, but I can also carry it with one hand if I have to, and I don't really need that kind of oomph anymore.

I did find a useful instructional DVD for bass, done by Stu Hamm. I was able to pick up a few new techniques for playing funk bass, even if it's not the sort of thing I use very often. I still don't see myself getting practiced enough at two-handed tapping (the sort of thing Eddie Van Halen is best known for doing on guitar) to make much use of it on bass, but who knows what will happen if I keep working at it long enough? Hats off to Mr. Hamm for a good job of instruction, as he does a good job of starting slowly and working up to full speed. That should be a given, but it isn't. Some "instructional" DVDs are just a famous face saying "here's how I do it" and playing at full speed right away. Stu Hamm has another DVD that I'll be taking a look at soon as well.

Now that I've got my playing back up to speed, it remains to be seen what I'm able to do with it. The world isn't exactly clamoring for another amateur musician pushing fifty.