I Did a Thing
So here’s the thing about retirement, you suddenly have time. Glorious, dangerous, “I could learn literally anything” time. And with that time came a question that has been rattling around in my head: What if I picked up an instrument again?
Now, I’m not exactly starting from zero. Back in elementary school and into high school, I played the tuba and sousaphone. Yes, the big one. The one that wraps around your body like a brass hug. And in my early teens, I got my hands on a bass guitar and played for a couple of years, until life did what life does and happened.
Fast forward to now. The options I narrowed it down to: keyboard or bass guitar.
The Case for Keyboard Was Solid:
- Headphone jack built right in, perfect for apartment life
- Built-in synthesizers (I think that’s what they’re called) with programmable beats, so you actually feel like you’re playing to real music
- Zero risk of eviction
But my heart kept drifting back to the bass. The problem? I live in an apartment complex. You cannot just plug into an amp and start slapping the low end at 9pm. That’s not a hobby, that’s a lease violation waiting to happen.
Then I fell down a research rabbit hole (retirement gift: unlimited rabbit holes) and discovered something that changed everything: micro amps.
The Game Changer
A micro amp is a tiny little unit that plugs directly into your bass. Plug headphones into the micro amp, and suddenly you’re hearing every note, crystal clear, with zero noise leaking into the hallway. But wait, there’s more: these things are Bluetooth. That means I can sync to my computer, pull up a song (or a bassless backing track), and play along to the actual music. In my apartment. In silence, to everyone else. In glorious full audio, to me.
At this point I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted, but I did what any reasonable person does, I asked the internet.
Facebook Quiz
I posted the question on both my personal Facebook page and my Life After 60 page. The Life After 60 page was… a ghost town. Apparently Facebook has decided that my followers don’t need to see what I post. Thanks, algorithm. Really helpful stuff.
My personal page, though? It absolutely blew up. People I haven’t heard from in years crawled out of the woodwork to weigh in. Old friends, former colleagues, the works. And the verdict was unanimous:
🎸 Bass Guitar. No Contest.
The people have spoken.
So… I did a thing.
The haul:
- Squier Precision Bass
- Micro amp (Bluetooth-enabled, fancy)
- Headphones
- Electronic tuner
I’ve only had it a few days, but I am absolutely in heaven. I’ve been relearning, fumbling through old muscle memory, and genuinely grinning the whole time. I have no grand ambitions here, no band, no gigs, no YouTube channel (you’re welcome). I am what the bass community lovingly calls a “bedroom bassist,” and I wear that title with pride.
This is purely for me. And honestly? It might be the best retirement decision I’ve made so far.
So I want to hear from you,