My son is 15 (16 next month) and while we are extremely similar people our connection is sort of quiet, neither of us huge conversationalists. At around 14 he started paying more attention to music, and since it’s taken priority over his other hobby which was video games and I’m not much a gamer. I only play Grand Turismo and other racing games. So the music has been tightening our bond as he’s mostly listening to the same stuff I was at his age. Favorite band, Metallica...same as me at that age. Last year he wanted a guitar, I sent my acoustic with him and for Christmas Mom got him one of those cheap Chinese Strats, I still have zero idea why she didn’t ask me to find something nicer. A month or so later he said all his friends were playing guitar and suggested he pick up bass since there were no players and they knew I had one. Around summertime he started lessons and he is fully engrossed in the bass now.
This year his big want was an amp, but I wanted to get him his own bass that suited his style more. So I picked up an ESP LTD 5 string and had a friend give it a good tune up. In his collection he had an extremely nice playing Ibanez for cheap so I figured get him his own 4 string too. The amp is a nice little Peavey I grabbed pretty cheap. Barely used but needed cleaned up a little from life in storage...looks brand new now. All of that for just a little more than the amp he wanted would have cost. I love used music gear! Here’s the haul.
I sent him on a scavenger hunt after he opened the small gifts downstairs while I set all this up. I hid the ESP in the case so he just assumed it was an empty case for the Ibanez, after around 5 minutes or so I suggested he look in the case because the color was cool. Total shock, it was awesome! He leaves with mom for Michigan Sunday and there was no way I was going to wait for a week after Christmas to give him this stuff...I’ve been hiding it for months! So last night was his Christmas here, and while he was really surprised, I think I may have been more excited. I feel good today, on a high I thought was worth sharing. Happy holidays Oppo!