I like having instruments, it used to be liking having outboard gear, 2 bassstations, Fab383 (TB 303 clone), Drumstation, Dm5, Emu Ultra 6400, Quadrasynth, plus a several FX units, basic compressors, TL audio EQ and 2 channel strips, plus 2 smallish mixers. Then as computers really became DAWs, I started learning the flute 14 years ago, it's my strongest instrument, but I'm at best an intermediate player. So I started collecting Woodwind, and before leaving for Vietnam, I had a normal flute, Alto Flute, and Soprano and Baritone sax. I had also just started learning the guitar, with an Epiphone Dot, to provide some chords for the winds to play over. With moving to Vietnam, I sold nearly all my outboard, (I still have a Lexicon reverb, Focusrite Tone Factory and MindprintEn-voice stored at my fathers house) and the Baritone, as it was too big, and old (1922) and battered
 
In brought a flute with me to Vietnam, and wanting to continue learning the guitar I bought an Acoustic. Now 2 years since I left England, I have with me the other flute, sax and Epiphone Dot. Have I replaced buying electronic music gear for musical instruments. I'm never going to be the master of any of them, and nor does it bother me. With Sonar's editing I can tidy up performances, and aiming to be a 'jack of all trades' seems to suit having a DAW more in some ways. I also know I am getting slowly better at everything, and more confident.
 
A little while back I was worried about spending the money on a Amplesound J-bass, and how it would be for real time performance from my Yamaha Wind synth. I've looked at other bass guitar sample sets, and the money involved. Then today I started to wonder how much I could get a Bass for. And since that moment I seem to have talked myself into making that an aim instead of the samples. Thomann has some Fender Squire VM J Basses for around 200 quid. I seem to have done fine learning the 'basics' of guitar, I'm sure some of the skills transfer between each other. I seems to have spent several hours today checking out different Bass guitar models on line and tutorial videos.
 
I rarely make snap decisions, but sow the seed and warm up to make a decision. I think my last relationship would have lasted if my girlfriend at the time would make a suggestion and expect an answer around a day later, instead of on the spot, I probably would have given her her own way, once I'd let it become mine
 
Wouldn't surprise me if there was a Fender Squire Sunburst J-bass sat next to me within the next 6 months
 
Even putting my thoughts in a post on some forum seems to be a step in me cementing an idea.
 
 
 

It's always fun to get, and begin to learn a new instrument....and with some of them, a challenge as well.

Bagpipes...
 
 
 
Oh sorry,  you said MUSICAL instrument 

I think trying the guitar out gave me a new confidence in learning an instrument. I'd had a keyboard since '93 and ditched it a few years ago, just thinking 'I just don't have right mindset required develop any skill with it'. After following Justin Sandercoe's lessons on youtube, I surprised myself with how I progressed. For a bit I thought this just confirmed my feelings about a keyboard, but in hindsight I think it's just having a good structured practice, no matter the instrument. Some people seem better adept or talented for progressing, or more suited to an instrument, but I do believe now that with structured application, the basics can be picked up by anyone. 
 
I enjoy the differences in learning the sax to the flute, though I guess they are closer related in the result, than the guitar with the bass, which are more similar in construction, but played more differently. I'm not expecting a breeze, but I'm hoping some time with the guitar has already covered some of the obstacles.
 
Something I found frustrating with a wind instrument, is not being able to play and practice in the early or late hours. It's just too loud. There was a thread the other week about amps as loud as trumpets. From playing a Baritone Sax, I wish it could have been as a loud as an acoustic guitar sometimes (especially when I was playing badly). The Guitar, allows me to practice music at any hour, even when I think the acoustic is too loud, I can plug the Epiphone Dot into TH2 and chuck the headphones on. This has helped making picking up the guitar easier. So the same with the bass (though I am tempted by an Acoustic Bass guitar over the J-Bazz a bit, which would probably travel to the neighbours easier) 

I took some bass lessons not long after I moved up to the Pacific Northwest (a little over 11 years ago).  I wanted to learn how to play a bass like a bass player and not like a guitarist playing bass.  I had to quit after only a few lessons though, I couldn't handle the shock treatments and excessive number of tequila shots that were, apparently, required... 

I'm still struggling to play the guitar (the only instrument I've played somewhat decently).
 
I hadn't played my electric in quite some time and played it last night.......when soloing, seemed like my fingers were in a locked mode and were very weak.  

For me, I spent most of my life playing guitar. I did the tenor sax and flute in high school, but always came back to the guitar. About 15 years ago, my mother-in-law bought me a resonator mandolin at an estate sale. A few years later I traded it for a nice Tacoma F1-style mandolin that has a really nice sound.
 
About 5 years ago my wife picked up a 21-chord Autoharp for my birthday. That is an instrument that can provide a really full string sound. Most anyone can play it in short order as you simply press the key with the proper chord name.
 
This year, a new instrument entered our household. For graduation my wife bought me a mountain dulcimer. I find it an easy instrument to play, and it has a really sweet sound. It is one of those instruments that when you play the first chord you fall in love with it. It also has a unique sound associated with the Appalachian mountains. Despite the simplicity of the instrument there is an awful lot you can do with it. I really enjoy it.
 
Finally there is an instrument I am starting to go back and play with, and that is keyboard. I typically use the keyboard with the right hand to key in a synth part (bass, strings, etc). Never learned to read bass cleff, so the left hand never had anything to do. Then I recently saw a post on one of the forum areas on learning keyboard. They suggested learning the chords for the left hand, while playing notes with the right. Now it looks like maybe I might be able to do something with a keyboard after all.
 
If you are looking for a cheap alternative to a bass, might I suggest a 'washtub' bass. You can get a very nice tub at Tractor Supply or other farm supply outlet. Most lumber yards will have the wooden pole (don't use the metal ones) - otherwise known as a shovel handle. Stop by the local music store and pick up an upright bass string (probably the most expensive item on the list). Lastly, pick up some duct tape. You might be surprised how nice a washtub bass can sound. You can get the different notes by moving the wood pole back and forth and moving your hand up and down the string. The duct tape goes around your fingers, as that single string can be a bit hard on the flesh. Our bass player in our little bluegrass group actually started with a washtub bass. After about a year he bought a nice 5-string bass, but he still goes back to the tub every once in a while.
 
I would say the main thing is to never stop learning. Learning a new instrument is fun and enjoyable. I'll never make a dime off it, but I gain a lot of hours of enjoyment. And as you noted, a little Melodyne doesn't hurt either!

Every guitar player should own a bass and every bass player should own a guitar. The theory is similar enough that one can be easily translated to the other but they are dissimilar enough that it is extremely helpful (and interesting) to learn how both work together and compliment each other without outright aping each other.
 
ook ook

craigb
I took some bass lessons not long after I moved up to the Pacific Northwest (a little over 11 years ago). I wanted to learn how to play a bass like a bass player and not like a guitarist playing bass.  

I often thought of that as well. But then again, two of my favorite bass players, namely Paul McCartney and Geezer Butler are both guitar players on bass. And they're only two out of many.
 
Hendrix himself could play some solid bass lines - heck, even his bass player, Noel Redding,  was a guitarist in the first place.
 
I'd say that guitarists playing bass tend to do fairly well. :P

The best way, IMO, to look at bass playing from a guitar player's perspective is to use the steps of a chord's arpeggio and use those on the downbeats. So I, III or V on the 1 and 3 of 4/4 if you are playing over a basic triad. Then you "walk" in between those notes and beats using the other scale steps and/or chromatic runs.
 
That is a very simplistic way to look at it (I'm not a bass player but play a lot of bass) but it seems to be the general idea behind "playing like a bass player".
 
I like using the arse end of guitar chords as my foundation to do this. Like the 1st position G chord formation makes for an easy I, III, V on bass. Drop the third by a semitone and you have a G minor. Both formations can then be moved up the fretboard on the E string or moved to the A string (for C and C minor) and again moved up the fretboard. Much more flavorful than just using the Power Chord/5th chord formation like I used to always use (like a dumb guitar player).