Insight
Reforging your Inspiration
Back in 1994, a young and cocky upright bass player was planning on traveling to Florida with the high school jazz band. Since the jazz director didn’t have the space or the desire to try and fit an upright bass on the bus, said cocky bass player (oh alright, it was me. You happy?!) went with his dad to Marshall Music and for $150, bought an electric bass. The used Applause 4 string PJ bass in gloss black would be my first foray into the world of electric bass. In true high schooler fashion, I appropriately dubbed it “Excalibur,” the sword of kings. And it wasn’t until a year later, on a bus in Germany during a tour with the Blue Lake International Youth Symphony Orchestra, that listening to Michael Manring’s album, Thonk, would open my mind to the possibilities of the instrument.
And then, about ten years ago, when I was working on another bass and needed some pickups, the soldering iron was put to Excalibur and the pickups were pulled out. I figured at some point I’d get other pickups. Then I needed that HipShot and just didn’t want to fork over the cash for a new one, so once again Excalibur was there. Much like the fabled “Giving Tree” from Shel Silverstein, Excalibur was giving me the tools to be inspired somewhere else, even to the detriment of itself. It got to the point where it was nothing but a badly spray painted body with a bridge, and a neck with no tuners. And there it sat.
Tools were used. Sanding was required. Swearing was heard as I tried to figure out how I pulled out the electronics so I could put them back in. Excalibur is more battle weary than ever, sporting many spots where someone – that at this point shall remain nameless – was too eager with the orbital sander, in addition to the dents and dings that are part of the history of such a great instrument. But here he sits, together at last, ready to inspire again and take whatever it is that is needed.
While this story is about my first bass, it’s really about the inspiration we all have. Part of rebuilding the bass was a small effort to reconnect with that kid that didn’t know of any musical rules to adhere to, and just played in the way that his inner voice commanded him to do so. But somewhere along the way, things were just taken from that kid in a way that none of us thought of, until there was nothing left but an empty shell that only echoed the might that it once had. In this, the first day of 2014, take the time to look back and reconnect with what inspired you. Find that inner forge and begin to rekindle that fire.
Sure, that kid from years back with Excalibur didn’t have a care in the world, but now that I’m sitting here with a reforged version of Excalibur in my hands and decades of knowledge and experience, that acts like a bellows, shooting air into that fire of inspiration and taking into places that I have no idea where they’re going to lead.
Have a very blessed and prosperous 2014. And if any of you are heading out to NAMM in a couple weeks, please stop by the GHS Strings booth – Hall C, Booth 4684 – and say “hi.”