eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2778
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Jul 01 2013 08:27 AM
When my oldest son and daughter-in-law made the anouncement ten years ago that they were expecting, Mrs K and I were asked to come up with nicknames (as in gramps or something like that) that we wanted the grandchildren to refer to us as. Immediately I came up with "Odie" which was an embelishment of the initials for "Old Dude" that my band mates had refered to me as when I was in my late 20s and them in their early 20's. It started with one of our roadies who was still in High School. All those guys still refer to me as "Old Dude." Do believe I have earned it though.
ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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deepeddy
Joined: May 19, 2009
Posts: 1263
Austin, Tejas
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Posted on Jul 01 2013 09:43 AM
I started playing guitar at 24 after years of playing horns. Many of my friends told me I was too old to learn guitar and that I should have started when I was a teenager. What's up with that?
Honestly, I prefer to play with older musicians because, at least in my experience, they seem more grounded and have better attitudes. That's not the rule, though. I've met some highly focused teens who really have their priorities straight.
— Ted James
Deep Eddy Records http://www.deepeddy.net
The Nematoads http://www.nematoads.com
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GuitarBob
Joined: Jul 31, 2009
Posts: 139
Monterey, CA
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Posted on Jul 01 2013 10:06 AM
[66 in Nov., gigging since college, but enviously watching some of y'all at high school gym dances]
Young guys were diggin it Saturday night, photoing the rig [two gigs that day and a late one the nite before] but what was cool was an old guy came up & said it gave him hope.
Thursday my 21-yr-old is on sax [pretty nice for the trumpet part of Misirlou]. Bless her heart: she still thinks this is normal!
[signed 'Too old to RnR, too dumm to quit]
Last edited: Jul 01, 2013 10:10:56
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Twangdude
Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 58
Wisconsin
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Posted on Jul 01 2013 10:06 AM
That's great Ted- I too started on horns.
I always knew I wanted to be an Electric Guitarist-
growing up in SoCal, seeing lots of Fender gear,
and witnessing the birth of Surf Music.
Look how far we've all come.
— Dusty Twangdude
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mom_surfing
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 5319
the outer banks of north carolina
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Posted on Jul 01 2013 10:26 AM
the first store i went inquiring about buying a strat and a tube amp told me i was too old to learn.....at 47. i spent my hard earned cash at a different store. 3 guitars, one bass, two reverb tanks and several amps later........here i are 
— www.surfintheeye.com
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Twangdude
Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 58
Wisconsin
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Posted on Jul 01 2013 10:42 AM
Good for you! <polite applause>
— Dusty Twangdude
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Rob_J
Joined: Sep 29, 2007
Posts: 500
Sacto, CA
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Posted on Jul 01 2013 10:49 AM
the first store i went inquiring about buying a strat and a tube amp told me i was too old to learn.....at 47. i spent my hard earned cash at a different store. 3 guitars, one bass, two reverb tanks and several amps later
You were smart to leave that store and the store salesperson was dumb to say such a thing. As an older customer, I generally get treated really well at the music stores that I frequent. A smart salesperson knows that the "older" customers are more likely to have discretionary money to spend and alienating them is not in their best interest.
Age has little to do with learning. When the desire is there you can pretty much learn anything at any age. I don't learn some things as easily or as quickly as I might have when I was younger, but I've learned more about playing guitar in the last 6 years than did in the 40+ years that came after getting my first guitar. Why? Because I finally got to the stage that I really_ wanted_ to learn.
One of my bandmates did not start learning to play guitar until his early 40's._
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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2778
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Jul 01 2013 01:16 PM
Dear Miss "Too Old to Learn."
It is always a great pleasure to hang out and pound on our guitars together! Most enjoyable. I particularly like sitting on the floor in your shop playing songs 'till we can't hardly get back up off the floor.
We are heading up to New York for the last weekend in July. Maybe I can re-route the trip. Hit the Ferry again, Howard's on Ocracoke for lunch and jammin' with Carol.
Let's make a point of it at 101!
Old Dude Ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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mom_surfing
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 5319
the outer banks of north carolina
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Posted on Jul 01 2013 08:10 PM
always a pleasure to play with you ed
— www.surfintheeye.com
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Kian
Joined: Apr 05, 2013
Posts: 64
Franklinton
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Posted on Jul 01 2013 09:03 PM
I remember when I was taking lessons for the first time at age 13, there was an 87 year old guy also just starting out on guitar in the other room. By my 4th (and sadly, final) lesson, he was playing entire chord progressions to some moderately hard songs. My instructor said that he was his best student. His Silverburst Gibson Hollowbody probably didn't hurt, but I digress.
From a business standpoint, you're entirely right when it comes to older demographic having more money to spend; that was the crux of my marketing class. Sadly, all music stores seem to cater to are tweens trying to sound like Metallica. When some unnamed guy in his mid-20s comes in just to pick up a pack of strings, he can't get anyone to ring him up. 
Last edited: Jul 01, 2013 21:04:41
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Twangdude
Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 58
Wisconsin
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Posted on Jul 01 2013 09:15 PM
Too old to Rock 'n Roll? Ya think?
Mick Jagger terns 70 this month. Ronnie Wood is the baby of the group at 66.
The aggregate age of The Stones is 276 YEARS. They still seriously ROCK.
As Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Al Pacino in Scent Of A Woman) reminded us:
"I'm just gettin' warmed up".
— Dusty Twangdude
Last edited: Jul 02, 2013 07:46:36
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RobbieReverb
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 2384
San Jose, Ca.
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Posted on Jul 01 2013 11:50 PM
I'm 60 years old, and have been playing for just short of 50 years: it's been about 48 years since I got my first Stella acoustic that made my fingers bleed. My first electric was a red Harmony hollow body, shortly followed by a Red Fender DuoSonic. My first amp was a '63 Fender Deluxe, which I got for $100.00. I still have the Deluxe, and it is my pride and joy. It's been in the shop once.
— Bob
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CousinMary
Joined: Nov 16, 2009
Posts: 1076
San Francisco Bay Area
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Posted on Jul 02 2013 12:09 AM
At least I am still younger than Mick Jagger.
Guess I will keep buying raffle tickets for guitars at the SG101 Convention until I am 87.
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vintagesurfdude
Joined: Nov 28, 2011
Posts: 795
Prescott Valley, AZ
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Posted on Jul 02 2013 12:11 AM
Guess I'm one of the younger folks at 64. Started playing at 13, gigged as rhythm guitarist for the Caravans band at 15 out of the South Bay area. Still playing, working on a solo surf project and gigging in a blues band called Road One South.
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Squid
Joined: Aug 22, 2010
Posts: 1019
Portland, Oregon with Insanitizers
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Posted on Oct 27 2013 04:49 PM
My 67th birthday comes next month. I played lead guitar in a band performing at the New York (city) World's Fair in the Summer of 1965. We played several Ventures' songs including Journey to the Stars. Our best instrumental was Goldfinger, because it was our arrangement and it worked. In 1967 or 1968 we competed in a WABC radio station contest and we met DJ "Cousin Brucie." At that time one of my sisters played drums and another played bass in the band.
Recently I performed solo in the Oregon Health & Science University employee talent show, as one of 12 acts, after auditioning. I played a medley of Classical Gas and Walk Don't Run on an acoustic electric guitar to an enthusiastic audience of 300. I followed bellydancers, a bagpiper, an opera singer, and a blues band. Best musical gig so far.
— Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com
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da-ron
Joined: Jan 02, 2009
Posts: 1307
The original Plymouth, UK.
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Posted on Oct 28 2013 07:48 AM
Well, I'm just a youngster then. Started when I was 16, I'm only in my 40's now.
My main reason for posting is to recommend a book called "Guitar Zero: The Science Of Learning To Be Musical" by Gary Marcus. It's about learning guitar as an adult, and the psychology of learning. There's a lot of science in it, but it's well written and a good read. Here are some key points ion case you're to busy to buy it:
1) No such thing as 'gifted child'. All children up to 5yrs react similarly to music and have similar abilities.
2) However, someone who can play an instrument does have a different brain set up than someone who doesn't (increased connections between the two halves etc)
3) An adult can learn at the same rate as a child, but requires smaller steps. A child can make a larger leap forward (often because they have the time to practice over and over), but an adult taking smaller steps gets just as far.
4) Guitar is one of the hardest instruments to learn.
There's obviously more but I recommend it to any adult struggling to learn something new.
http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Zero-Science-Learning-Musical/dp/1851689621
— http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/
Last edited: Oct 28, 2013 07:48:41
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JimTidmarsh1948
Joined: Apr 11, 2013
Posts: 3
South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, UK
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Posted on Oct 28 2013 08:18 AM
I'll be 65 later this week. First started playing in early 1960s after seeing Bert Weedon on TV. First gig at 15 in 1963.
I currently play in 4 bands - I'm the eldest in two of them, the youngest in one and in the middle in the other!
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