Lovely guitar. I do like a Les Paul.
Many years ago when my wife was having lessons on her Strat we went to Denmark St just to have a look around. We went into one of the bigger shops there and down to the basement where they did their electric guitar range and all the LP’s were chained together 
. The salesman came up to me asking if he could be of any help and I pointed him in the direction of my wife and she picked out a Les Paul Standard and she had a play with it, the guy went into overdrive salesman mode trying to sell it to her, he finally got down to £850 and that was with the hard case, she said I’ll think about it and we left because we purposely left the card at home. I kept saying you have to get and by the time we had got home she had talked herself out of getting it, she didn’t want to upset her teacher who worked in a local shop by getting it elsewhere 
women eh.
You should give it ago, I only took it up around a year ago although I bought a guitar in the previous April and just played with it, I then got a book on how to play bass and started in the February last year once I had done all the immediate chores after retiring, it keeps the old grey matter working. I have the bass version of your Brunswick acoustic.
It’s sad when you lose a band member especially as in your case in that he was a friend too and I have always found it hard to find the “right” people to play with. Being a great musician doesn’t necessarily mean a great person…
I know what you mean about your Gibson, when you find the right one it just bonds with you. I have a 42 year old Tokai Strat that has ousted any Fender I have owned, cost me £190 inc case on Live Aid Day morning and it ain’t going anywhere.
Good luck with getting something together because there’s nothing better!
Thanks. Pete was like a brother, still miss him. Definitely not the best drummer in the world, but one of the best people I’ve ever known.
Ooh er missus! Droolworthy top on that.
This topic is going great but I feel I need to warn you that at some point non musicians will appear…like drummers…but at least it will take the heat off the bass players… 
Those are exactly the kind of people I played with…it becomes family. Sorry for your loss mate.
Oi 
You and Phoenix_25 must have had some great times in your respective bands, I’m so envious of the two of you but I took it up too late and really to give some backup to my wife who stopped playing for 20 years, I’m running out of time to get good enough to play live. My only claim to fame in the same vain was for about 18 months I was a roadie for a small heavy rock band in the mid seventies, funnily enough I was the drummer’s personal roadie (someone has to help them) from their very early days when they had a residency at the Cart and Horses in Stratford, London, you might have heard of them, Iron Maiden is their name and I did it for love when they actually got paid. 
Well that’s going to take some topping…a great story!
As long as you enjoy playing, even if it’s occasionally, it’s very therapeutic and playing with the wife must be fun too.
Oops! 
I was nearly forty when I first picked up a guitar. Took about six months to start playing with other people, but THAT by far is the step that makes the biggest difference.
Twenty six years later, I still enjoy playing by and for myself, but for me playing music with other people is such a special privilege. Playing with those people for an audience is even more special.
I am hoping to get something going again and strongly suggest/hope that you find others to play with.
Cheers!
PS if said drummer was Nico McBrain… top bloke. Met him a good few years ago when he did a live ‘Marshall’ demo with Geoff Whitehorn and Phil Hillborne on guitars and Jaz Lochrie on bass. 11:00 in the morning, absolutely the best 30 minute session I’ve witnessed. There was only about 30 of us in the room, all sat on the floor watching. Brilliant.
Nico didn’t join until 1982 so it was either Ron Matthews, Doug Sampson or Clive Burr.
Those kinds of Demo’s are the best…up close and intimate.
I’ve met Geoff Whitehorn, the store my mates owned was a Marshall dealer and he and Jim Marshall put on a demo at a local club. We had a curry with them afterwards!
I agree, playing with other people brings you on leaps and bounds. You make mistakes but so do they and you soon get over it and then you begin to fly!
Nice meeting you mate!
I’ve spoken briefly to Geoff a few times. Great player and so grounded…
Thanks, didn’t know that 
Unfortunately it wasn’t him it was the original drummer who was a guy called Ron (rebel) Matthews, who I think was an electrician by trade and had a Mini van that he took his kit around in. If you google Iron Maiden it normally comes up with Clive Burr but he replaced Ron. Me and my friend who was the other roadie went to his house in the Seven Sisters Road to learn how to put the kit up check the tuning (roughly) and then break it down again. Good times but I left them before they became famous because I had a new girlfriend who I subsequently married and is the guitar player, 6 string that is, because it’s still called a bass GUITAR 
How right you are.
I rehearsed and played solo until I joined main stream Orchestra’s and Jazz Bands and realised the buzz you got from playing in front of an audience.
There was always the push to be better and joining more competent bands certainly did that.
I have now been with the same modern chart band for a few decades and play corporate events, weddings, party’s etc.
The buzz never leaves…
Great thread bringing out some great memories from everyone.
I’m not a musician but for a few years used to frequent a local pub with a couple of mates that had bands every Friday. Saw some groups of technically good musicians who didn’t really gel and some average musicians who together were great bands. So if anyone thinks they aren’t up to playing in a band I’d say give it a go. If you find the right bunch of like minded individuals you could be part of something special.