Mike Edmunds

Job: Aircraft maintenance engineer

Started playing: Around 1974, but there are an awful lot of gaps in between then and now. First started learning on my sister's Hofner accoustic which I still own, followed by a Kay electric which my parents bought from Woolies one christmas (there's a picture of one on Paul Simpsons website) Grew to love low notes early on, Translation - nobody at school wanted to play bass. Then moved up through a Vox 3/4 size bass, an Antoria semi-accoustic bass until I got my Fender Jazz bass, my pride and joy around '80. Played in a few bands over the years, including playing a couple of years at expat parties in Saudi Arabia in the '80s. Sadly the Jazz bass and all my equipment was sold about ten years ago while unemployed and that was the last time I touched any guitar until last year.

Main gear: Overwater Progress 4 string, E-bass hornet and E-bass Aztec fretless. Also a Yamaha CXP5, Epiphone Zephyr Blues deluxe, the aforementioned Hofner and my Trace Elliott Combo.

Favourite music: Paul McCartney, Bill Wyman, John Entwhistle, Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Martyn, Mark King, Mick Karn, Norman Watt-Roy, Stuart Zender, Marcus Miller, Jaco Pastorius. Not that I compare with any of them...