I think I'm done

[Old Ranger]

Ya ever reach the point that ya just flat out wanna say F**k it, I quit? Well about 30 minutes ago I did. My hearing has been going more and more each month. I have hearing aids in both ears and that's not helping anymore. I can't hear individual speech unless I'm isolated from the speaker. You have another person talking and it ain't happening. Can't hear half of the guitar's notes anymore. There's no longer any clarity of tone. I'm damn near 100% deaf now.....

That stroke that hit me a year or better ago did a number on my right arm/hand. And it's not doing any better. After 55 years of banging away on these things I believe I've had it. I can't play for shit anymore and I've got no more patience left with myself. So I believe I'm gonna have a massive sale of all my guitar stuff and call it quits. And I'm not feeling sorry for myself or any of that, it's just time I stop and walk away while I can. I do know my limitations and it's time I stop kidding myself. Every time I pick up a guitar I'm now frustrated and angry. Yeah it's time to call it quits I think.

[ch willie]

I know you're frustrated, and I don't blame you.

But are there other ways to enjoy playing that might be better for you? I mean, is it better if you're playing an acoustic by yourself?

[phantomman]

I know you're frustrated, and I don't blame you.

But are there other ways to enjoy playing that might be better for you? I mean, is it better if you're playing an acoustic by yourself?

+1

It's worth a shot for the enjoyment that playing the guitar brings to the human psyche.

[S. Cane]

I know Ranger and I know the player he is, in his heart, just as much as he is in his fingers.

I don't think it's a matter of quitting, older brother. And you being one of the guys that actually made me man up and step up the stage with a band (you do remember my PM, don't you?), I wouldn't want to know you stopped playing.

You are a true musician, my friend, and an inspiration to the ones that know you. Just take it easy, and take the time to enjoy an acoustic or just crank the amp up fuckin' loud!

That's what they're for!

And stick with us, partner! We're your tribe!

[ch willie]

^^^^^ What de Melo said.

[Alex_SG]

Yep... Agree with De Melo big brother. Maybe some time off will help - why not try and strengthen the arms and hands with your archery gear? It may help your playing??? I don't kno what you can do about the hearing but please don't give up.

[melody]

Get a amp with a headphone jack, For me playing guitar is a major stress re-leaver. I dunno about you but if I can't play on a regular basis I start to let life get to me.

[smitty_p]

Ranger, whatever you do (which I hope is to continue playing some...for YOU) don't wander off. Stay active and keep us honest!

[ch willie]

Ranger, one day all of us will lose our ability if we live long enough.

I'm 52, old enough to see that day coming for me. I hope that when it does arrive, I'll still figure out a way to find joy in music.

I hope you are able to stay with the music, even if that means enjoying it a different way.

Chin up, old chum. Let the frustration soften, and then pick up that guitar again.

I wish we all lived close so we could get together and jam with you.

[Old Ranger]

I gotta say that a year or two ago when I had that stroke, it did a job on me. I was standing in my little livingroom/kitchen when all of a sudden I just fell down and hit the floor. Felt like I'd been hit in the head with a hammer. When I went to push myself off the floor my right arm acted like it belonged to someone else. Drove to the hospital and they said it was a stroke and that they'd keep me a day or two for testing and observation. The Doc said it may get better as far as the use of the right arm/hand and then maybe not.

Well now it's been a couple years and it's still kinda sucky as to how that arm/hand works. Drop picks all the time. Finger picking is lousy. And the strength in the arm is kinda piss poor too. I feel like Quasimodo without the hump! Oh well, I guess it beats the alternative of the big dirt nap huh? Like I said, I ain't feeling sorry for myself, more like really pissed off at the situation. Ya know what I mean?

[smitty_p]

Like I said, I ain't feeling sorry for myself, more like really pissed off at the situation. Ya know what I mean?

Actually, I do understand what you mean.

But, like I said, don't go away. You still have something to contribute.

[blackonblack]

Ranger, rather than say give it up and sell stuff, how about taking a hiatus?

I suggest this from my own experience. If we go back 3+ decades ago, I was playing professionally. That was ended with a left hand accident that left me unable to play guitar. I tried for a couple years, but like you, felt nothing but frustration. I ended up taking 2+ decades off.

I then came back to it, and found that I could now play. Not nearly at the level I used to, but well enough I can gig weekly. More importantly, I don't get frustrated anymore by playing.

Just a thought,,,,,,

[Doc W]

Ranger, I don't think I am that far behind you in years. Even though my health is pretty good, I think about these things more and more these days. How long have I got, never mind how long have I got to play? My oldest brother had a stroke and he has Parkinson's so if he were a musician, it would be the end of the line for playing anything. I also wonder at what point will I have to trim down what I have, maybe down to one guitar, one amp.

So, I don't hear negativity from you. I hear the cold clear voice of reality and I hear a lot of frustration and sadness. So here are a few thoughts, based on my sympathy for your situation and recognizing that I may in the same boat sooner than I think.

I saw Les Paul play at the Iridium in NYC when he was 93 (I think). He was not the Les Paul of memory. His left hand was pretty much frozen and he couldn't even think about playing as fast as he once did. However, my wife, who has a good ear, having been forced to hang around guitar players most of her adult life, said that although he didn't play a lot, what he DID play was really tasteful and musical. She was right. The music he made was as good as ever. It just didn't include fast and furious picking.

If you feel you truly cannot play at all, then I think you are right just to move on. That doesn't mean you become a turnip. If you are a musician, it means you are inherently creative, and it is obvious from your posts in this forum that you have a lot of mileage left on the intellectual odometer. So find something else to do that engages you creatively. I do a lot of large format photography which involves lugging around a lot of big equipment. A friend of mine could no longer do that and his back was no longer able to handle hours and hours of standing in the darkroom. Digital just didn't appeal to him, so he took up painting. That was a big shock to me because I didn't think he had it in him. But, dammitall, he is pretty good and loves his new creative outlet.

I am really glad you posted on this. I bet I am not the only older guy who is now doing a serious assessment of a lot of things. Let's be joyous about it, be thankful for what we still have, and just keep walking down the road, taking things as they come.

[S. Cane]

I not only agree with Doc, but also think you should consider this:

We're different folks, you know? I mean, musicians, and most of all, electric guitar players.

It doesn't really matter if you're good, bad, handsome, ugly, tall, short, if you can shred or if you just stick to the power chords in a punk or folk band... Did it matter that Bob Dylan never shredded, or that Malmsteen ain't as groovy as SRV?

Angus Young is such a small man, I saw an interview, he said he just couldn't do some things Clapton and other long fingered players did, but he adapted. And he's able to rock an audience of hundreds of thousands of people, he makes a internationial stadium look like a crowded pub! (If you guys are curious, here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UcOhQOFmHs)



We're different, my dear older brother: we're artists. And what makes us different is that most people don't really have the love for a piece of wood ans strings, they don't listen to music as we do. Some of them even pick up the instrument because they "admire who can play" or because "they wanted to do something in their free time".

I am sure all you guys have heard, at some point, someone say "hey, you play the guitar? Cool, I tried it but didn't go far. Never learned it". These are the "other folks" in the world. We're musicians because we didn't really have a choice, it's in us. We play because we have to. Some of us play better than others, but we're all in the same league.

So, I love music (especially classic rock music) so much that I gave up all my other teenage hobbies like amateur boxing, judo, tennis, photography, writing, even surfing, which I still do, occasionally, just to dedicate myself entirely to being in a band. Now all I do is work and play, and I've never been happier. I tattooed "Rock and Roll" on my right shoulder with the Led Zeppelin IV runes script because I wanted music to be marked in my skin.

I am never as happy as when I am playing or listening to music, with the only possible exception of making love to a woman I hold dear...

I'm in my mid 30s and many times I thought what would happen if I lost a hand or fingers in an accident, or if I had a stroke, or even what I'll do if I reach an age (over 90 I think) when I can no longer properly play. And I always came to the conclusion that I'd never be really sad. If I lose my fingers, I can still listen to music, I can still collect and play my vynil LPs.

If I'm too old, what the hell, there's still a whole lotta songs that require 3 chords and some sloppy strumming, and I'm on it, partner! As long as I got the fingers and still stand up or sit straight with the guitar on my lap, I'll be doing it. Because I love it, I can't help it... I think I'll only despair if I ever get completely deaf.

So why should someone like you just stop? I know your history, I know you like it as much as I do. We're different folks, old partner! I may be from a different country, of a different ethnic group, and have been raised in a different culture, but I know you man, like a brother. You rock!

Keep your guitars, play what you can and what you like. And stay with us!

Hoka hey!

[smitty_p]

We play because we have to.

This requires no further commentary or embellishment.

Very nicely said, de Melo.

[Offshore Angler]

Old Ranger,

You know, we're getting older. Some things we just can't do anymore.

We can't party all night long, we can't run the football - heck, I sold my boat because the fish were kicking my ass. I've had to accept the reality that I can't manhandle a tuna anymore.

When something is no longer fun, you need to let go. Or at least, step away for a while. Now that I'm officially a geezer I find that just stepping back from something can be the best therapy. Trying to force the issue when you're getting frustrated only makes things
worse, but you already know that.

Just follow your nose brother, it knows where to go.

Chuck

[Volumeknob]

Ranger........1 word...... BASS!

Less hearing----more feeling

----you didn't REALLY expect logic from me did you??

[S. Cane]

Old Ranger,

You know, we're getting older. Some things we just can't do anymore.

We can't party all night long, we can't run the football - heck, I sold my boat because the fish were kicking my ass. I've had to accept the reality that I can't manhandle a tuna anymore.

When something is no longer fun, you need to let go. Or at least, step away for a while. Now that I'm officially a geezer I find that just stepping back from something can be the best therapy. Trying to force the issue when you're getting frustrated only makes things
worse, but you already know that.

Just follow your nose brother, it knows where to go.

Chuck

Speak for yourself, Sir!!!!

That's another story! I will party all night long and rock and roll everyday (or the other way around) until I die!

I'll be 90 years old drinking my beer in pubs while I watch bands play with a ZZ Top style beard and the landlord will kick me out when the sun rises!

[Doc W]

Speak for yourself, Sir!!!!

That's another story! I will party all night long and rock and roll everyday (or the other way around) until I die!

I'll be 90 years old drinking my beer in pubs while I watch bands play with a ZZ Top style beard and the landlord will kick me out when the sun rises!

You are just not old enough yet. There will definitely come a point when the idea of staying up all night will lose all of its charm.

[Gravity Jim]

Doc W speaks truth. When you're in your 50s, loading in, busting ass for four sets and then loading out at 1:00 AM before hitting IHOP, all for a dwindling number of buckazoids... There's no glamour in it. Add to that the gigs start going to younger bands, holding four or five guys together in a bad marriage is exhausting, bar owners are one step above cobras but below ferrets... god almighty. I played in bands all through school, did about five years solo on the road, and had a bellyful of performance by the time I was 30!

[Old Ranger]

Well gentlemen it's obvious that my physical condition will not improve. My attitude has always been that of a Ranger. We never quit. Never stop. And will die before aborting a mission. True enough I suppose, but being a thinking man, I also realize what's what as they say. I picked up my Strat yesterday for a bit and plugged into my little Mustang I. Found a pushed Marshall patch in that amp that always pleased the ears. I played for five minutes. Dropped the pick at least five times, but even at that it sounded OK I guess. Doc made a good point about trimming down to one guitar and amp. Might just do that as I sure as hell can't begin to justify keeping five others and three or four amps. That's kinda foolish for me I think.

De Melo and the gang are right of course..... Well except that when I was in my 30's and 40's I was brutally strong and could just about take a direct hit from an anti-tank round and get back up and laugh. I thought that I was invincible even then. But now, looking at 70, well I can step off the front steps the wrong way and end up a cripple. I really take things a lot slower.
But thanks for the encouraging words guys. I'm gonna take it one day at a time.

[FrankJohnson]

You know - I was in a fairly bad car wreck about two years ago - and playing now, as I do, is tough physically. I can still do it, but my back hurts, in more places than I can count. I sometimes have to use a stool - and dont' care if it upsets anyone.

I also do our sound.

I do sound for others......and find it increasingly painful sometimes.
I may need to use a helper.

I do not currently see myself stepping out, but probably stepping back. Its just a reality.

I can offer that I "Get it" and hope you can find a balance, that results in enjoyment. it is supposed to be WHY we do all this crazyness.

When I was a young private, I worked for a Sergeant Major who was an awesome mentor. He told me he always found his laziest guys to to the hardest most difficult tasks, because they would find the easiest way to get it done. NOT as a punishment - he rewarded us with time off, etc. but to streamline the process. I hope you find your easy way to still do what you enjoy!

[Bill Moore]

Ranger, I have a friend, ( 85 this year), that does machine work in my shop. He makes his own hours, (works for himself, I just cleared a space for his machines), but he has truly enjoyed the fact that he has something to do. There is no other place in town to get some custom machining, or a driveshaft built.
He took a fall last week, and cracked some ribs, and bloodied his nose. I went over to visit on the weekend, and he started in just like you, he "just as well quit, can't even stay on his feet". I told him I would help him find a buyer for his machines, if he really had enough. Monday, he came by, "just to see if anybody left something to do"!
You're not gonna give up just because things don't work as well as they used to!

[smitty_p]

Well, Ranger, my friend...how 'bout this? You take things at your own pace but stick around and let us enjoy your wisdom and company.

[phantomman]

Well, Ranger, my friend...how 'bout this? You take things at your own pace but stick around and let us enjoy your wisdom and company.

+1

Otherwise we might hafta kick some ranger butt!

[Doc W]

Well, Ranger, my friend...how 'bout this? You take things at your own pace but stick around and let us enjoy your wisdom and company.

+1

We are not as strong physically as we were when we were young men. This is just nature. But hopefully, we are wiser for the most part. We have done the heavy lifting, now it's time to try to impart some of that experience to the younger ones who have to go through it themselves. Years ago, when I asked my grandpa for his help, it wasn't his physical strength I required. I had lots of that. It was his experience, and I didn't have lots of that.

[Old Ranger]

Well one thing for sure. My muscle memory with a handgun is still sharp as ever. Around 6PM I looked out on my critters from the back porch as I heard thunder approaching. Got one cat inside from the poarch and the other, that chooses to remain outside, was messing with something kinda coiled up in front of my shooting bench. Damn copperheads are our early this year! Snatched up my little Sig .22 bottom feeder pistol and headed for the spot. Sure nuff. About a 2 footer ready for action. I hissed at the cat and she backed away and I point shot that snake right in the center of the head. Pop! Now he's a GOOD SNAKE!

So I may not be able to hold tools to work on stuff anymore or hold picks worth a crap, but I can still draw and fire at warp speed and kill what I'm shooting at! Ahhhh, quick draw and terminal effect with lead down range and a hole shot in the evil nasties..... It's a beautiful thing.

[Bill Moore]

I'm with you, Ranger, on the "good" snake!

[phantomman]

I'm with you, Ranger, on the "good" snake!

Ayup.

The only "good" snake is a *greased* snake.

[Laker]

Well gentlemen it's obvious that my physical condition will not improve. My attitude has always been that of a Ranger. We never quit. Never stop. And will die before aborting a mission. True enough I suppose, but being a thinking man, I also realize what's what as they say. I picked up my Strat yesterday for a bit and plugged into my little Mustang I. Found a pushed Marshall patch in that amp that always pleased the ears. I played for five minutes. Dropped the pick at least five times, but even at that it sounded OK I guess. Doc made a good point about trimming down to one guitar and amp. Might just do that as I sure as hell can't begin to justify keeping five others and three or four amps. That's kinda foolish for me I think.

Haven't been here in quite a long time (I thought the forum had been buried), saw this thread and thought I'd add something for Ranger. Many years ago I knew a guy who was a jazzer-type guitar player (played a vintage Johnny Smith Gibson) who told me he was a Berkeley grad. Well, while taking care of the driveway snow one winter, his snowblower became plugged so he stuck his picking hand in the chute which resulted in the thumb of that hand being removed by the now-functioning machine. Rather than give up playing, he fabricated a pick from a garbage bag tie strip that he would wrap around the stump of his picking thumb. It actually worked.

What all of this is leading up to is a suggestion to try using a thumb pick to eliminate the cause of dropping your pick. Sort of adapting like "stumpy" did in the above story.

[Old Ranger]

Yup, around my place way out in the woods I'm surrounded by VC. Varmint Cong! Snakes, armadillos, skunks, wild boar hogs, coyotes, scorpions, and other assorted nasty critters..... So to me they're all Varmint Cong!! Watch 'em boys, that Staff Sergent's got a hot weapon and he looks like a typical Ranger with an attitude. May not be able to hold a power saw anymore, but he can still shoot like Wyatt Earp! Or was that Billy Barf?

[Old Ranger]

What all of this is leading up to is a suggestion to try using a thumb pick to eliminate the cause of dropping your pick. Sort of adapting like "stumpy" did in the above story.

Thanks, I was wondering how that might work out. If I can find one that's real thin it may just do the trick. For me, anything thicker than say .72mm is a FAT Pick! Normally use .50mm. I'll see if I can locate one next time I get to "The Big City".

[phantomman]

So to me they're all Varmint Cong!!

Standard battalion "Delta Tango's" should be observed.

Take your weapon(s) outside each morning at zero dark-thirty and let rip a "mad minute".

Fire claymores as necessary then celebrate any kills with a can of peaches.

Wash down with warm paddy water.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

Repeat until all sappers have either chieu-hoi'd or assumed KIA status.

All recovered remains should be packed into mermite cans and sent to S2 for analysis.

[ch willie]

Ha ha ha ("GOOD SNAKE") I am no hunter though I know how to use a gun. But I'd shoot every snake in the world, especially the poison kind. I hate copperheads, rattlesnakes, cotton mouths, and spreading adders. I've almost been bitten. My nephew got a cotton mouth bite and was lucky as hell not to have gotten too much venom. I've always been scared of the beasts, and where I lived in the country, it was a snake haven. I saw a band of twenty, long black snakes speeding along the side of a three foot hill lining the gravel road by my parents' (former) place. It looked like the hilll had squirming black guts.

I hate monkeys and related kinds too. They'll tear your face off, man.

Dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, and chickens--we are cool.

[Old Ranger]

Understood. I have a great time with my cats and dogs here. Miss my horses, but I couldn't afford to keep them anymore. But, I absolutely despise snakes. Rattlers are for some reason scarce here, but the copperheads are everywhere! Killed a 4 foot cottonmouth last year not 10 ft from the house! That cottonmouth took three direct hits in the head with .22LR shotshells and two .22L solid shot to the head before it croaked! Tough snake! Now, when I see big ones it's either shotgun time or I just use my .38 or .44 on 'em. Everything I've ever hit with my .44 never gets back up to play again. Ever....

Roger, you musta hung out with too many 11Boos! A Mad Minute! My thing was if it took more than one round to accomplish the mission then I did it wrong.

But with the snakes coming out early guess I'd better load me some .38 shotshells and get ready for 'em. My .22 Sig will not be going with me on my walks in the woods anymore.

Did I mention I Hate Snakes!!????

[S. Cane]

Speaking of snakes: Ranger, just outta curiosity: have you ever tried to bbq a rattlesnake? I never did but I've seen people say it tastes good

[ch willie]

My brother fried rattlesnake over a campfire and ate it. He was a consummate hunter. For me, animals are either Winnie the Pooh or The Lion King's murderous Scar. I'd kill Scar, but I prefer to have fun with Winnie the Pooh. My other brother is also an accomplished hunter. I just never had an interest, being a book and music nerd. I was writing books when my bros, sis, and Dad rode horses. I was in the barn writing, or mixing toxic substances with my deluxe cemistry set. Nerd.

[Heket]

You know, Ranger, I hear there are some amps that go up to 11...

Actually, what Volumeknob said isn't such a bad idea, but you'd need a nice thumpy bass combo or cabinet, one with a 15" speaker maybe, or a 2 x 12. Get a thick pick (I use 3.2mm) with lots of grip, extra light gauge strings (I know, I know, but this is a bass) or just tickle it with your fingers or thumb. Then position yourself in a manner where you can feel your playing as much as hearing. Did you know also that it's the higher frequencies and the complexities that get lost first in sensorineural hearing loss? Time to go simple and go low.

Bring the thunder.

[gibsonjunkie]

Ranger, I don't know if you've met Miles Porter yet - he hung out here a lot and he had a stroke a few years ago. I remember he still drove up here to a jam and couldn't play much - you could see his frustration trying to make his fingers go where he wanted them. That was about 8 (or more) years ago. He almost gave up, too... but he didn't and I know he's still loving playing guitar as much as he ever did. Give it a little time - you don't have to make any decision quickly...

[Old Ranger]

Speaking of snakes: Ranger, just outta curiosity: have you ever tried to bbq a rattlesnake? I never did but I've seen people say it tastes good

Eeeeewwwww!!! I'd starve first before I'd eat snake!!

And as to playing bass, well I tried to seriously play bass when our band was minus one for a bit. I really sucked at it. The words awkward, unnatural, ill fitting, and others come to mind. It just felt so alien to my hands and I found quickly that I could not perform any bass playing stuff either as it all sounded like crap. I do realize that the bass would and could be felt when played true enough, but those earlier attempts destroyed any thoughts of going in that direction.

And to compound the issue, yesterday around noon, I went to town and had lunch and then drove to WalMart to do some shopping. Big mistake. The place was packed, but I needed supplies so I moved about as best I could. When I got down on the floor to move a big 50# bag of dogfood into the under carrier of the shopping cart, was when it started. As I moved about the store gathering up the last of my stuff I kept feeling worse. 20 minutes standing in the checkout lines just made it worse still. By the time I made it to the door was as far as I got. I sat in a chair by the door gasping for breath and clutching my chest. Popped a nitro tab and hoped for the best. Sweating like a pig and loosing my sense of my surroundings almost caused me to panic a little. I thought "Great, I'm gonna drop dead at WalMart! That really sucks!". People are so into themselves that they'd pass my corpse by unnoticed until they needed my cart! So I called my neighbor Bill, and asked for help. His wife brought him to the store and he drove me home and helped unload the stuff. Then I slept for 12 hours straight. I do remember getting up and feeding my dogs and such, but that's about it. So I guess dropping a pick is no big deal huh?