what’s a girl to do?

So you feel like you’re having a mid-life crisis, but you can’t afford a sports car... What’s the best way to get in touch with your inner child?

As I saw it, the solution was simple: buy a bass guitar!

I’d always wanted to learn, but it was one of those things I’d never got around to. I had a look on eBay, and there were various beginner-type kits, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted, or if I liked the Fender Jazz design-alikes that most of the kits contained.

One day in May, we’d been to the pub after work. I stopped on the drive home (one drink... I’d had one drink) and popped into a local guitar shop. With hindsight, it must have been the easiest sale they ever made.

“I want to learn bass,” I said. The bloke pointed at a glittery red Yamaha. I immediately loved it, and cautiously asked how much. He said it was second hand, so 80 pounds. Nothing seemed to be falling off it, so I said “sold!”

About five minutes later, I walked out of the store with the Yamaha in a nice new case, a second hand (but very cute sexy) Fender practice amp, a strap, a DVD and some picks. Oh, and some cleaning solution that I have yet to use (it’s now September). All for GBP 155.

I got home, laid it all out on the floor and just sat there looking at it for ages, with this big dumb smile on my face, and kept thinking “hey!! I have a bass guitar!!”

I figured all I had to do is to learn to play the bloody thing. Fortunately, the guys in the store also gave me the phone number of a bass tutor.