Hi buddy !
Glad to read that you are happy, and enjoy playing music.
From what you say it sounds like your next best buy would be a good (used ?) amp and speakers.
I own an old Fender 100 watt tubes "Dual showman" TFL 5000 X reverb amp coupled with large (bass) speaker case which was given to me along with a Pearl base guitar, from some relatives because it's been taking too much room for too many years in their garage.
Playing base guitar on sub standard electronic and acoustic (speakers) is really frustrating.
Like you around 18 y/o (1970), i messed around with a base, a lead electric, and an cheap (undersized, for kids) acoustic.
I could never play anything but parts of songs, (Canned heat, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Led Zep, etc...) a complete song was way beyond my reach, but I enjoyed it.
I played by ear, and was self learning.
I also bought a really cheap "Orla" electronic organ with an undersized keyboard, and liked it too.
At 25 I decided I wanted to play the Bohem flute, mostly because I thought it was very aesthetic, (girls love it), and found out I had more taste and talent for it than any other instrument including recorder, and mouth harmonica.
It still is my favorite, and "predestined" instrument.
Now I have more time to learn, I acquired a better keyboard, and a Cort electric guitar as well as a better classic one.
I'm less frantic than when I was young, and chosed some easier songs to learn to play, thanks to internet and great TABS like Troggs, Dylan, etc...
I can now finally play some entire songs.
I'm getting more pleasure out of it, and it keeps my brain active learning something, which is the best way to preserve short term memory.
I'm learning solfège too, and love to use Muse score, to make neat sheet music pages.
I used Finale Note pad (free version) before, and was frustrated with the limitations (no copy-paste, print, etc...), tried out Ubuntu studio, and Musix (Linux), which take forever to install and don't work (most soft won't run, and hardware support is sleazy), then I found Puppy, and lo, and behold: WOW, it's fast, easy, and works !
Since no puplet was readily available with music soft included, I rolled up my sleeves, and "gave birth" to Pupitup.
It took me a couple of months to tweak, (compatibility is a pain in the @$$), but it's worth all the time and efforts.
Also, the "smaller" Linux community was of great help to weed the bugs outs.
Now that it's "on rails", I can spend more time using and learning the soft on it.
) but we realy enjoy!
