Lance Eric “Uncle Eric” Fielden: The Eternal Beginner

Lance Eric “Uncle Eric” Fielden: The Eternal Beginner

I’m a man who takes things apart, puts them back together, and figures out how they work in between. That’s been my way since I was a kid. If it had parts, I wanted to know what they did. That curiosity turned into a life of troubleshooting, whether it was military hardware as an Army Airborne Infantryman, home appliances as a repairman, or now—budget guitars, basses, and the gear that goes with them.

I started with a white Squier Strat SE, bought off Facebook Marketplace for $100. I wasn’t a player yet, just a guy who knew how to fix things. That deal sparked something. I tore into the guitar, learned what made it tick, and found a whole world of mods, upgrades, and adjustments that could turn a cheap instrument into something worth playing. Over time, bass grabbed my attention, and now that’s my main focus. I’ve been taking lessons for nearly two years, noodling between sessions, trying to find my groove.

My approach to gear is the same as everything else—I test it, research it, talk to people who’ve used it, and see if it holds up. I read the specs, watch the shootouts, and study how companies advertise their products. I don’t just take people’s word for it; I dig in and figure it out myself. Budget gear is my wheelhouse, and I know what works and what’s junk. I help others do the same, whether in Facebook groups, discussions, or through my blog, Uncle Eric’s Guitar and Bass Tinkers’ Blog.

I don’t claim to be an expert, but I know my way around a bass setup. I’ve built my knowledge by doing, by making mistakes, and by questioning everything. I play with my hands, but I think like a mechanic—I hear how an instrument sounds, but I also see it as a machine with moving parts that need fine-tuning. That mindset has served me well, and I bring it to every discussion.

Beyond guitars and basses, I’m a thinker. I dig into science, astronomy, and how things work on a big-picture level. I believe in logic, mechanics, and the patterns that make systems function. My mind is always turning, always looking for the next thing to take apart and understand.

I don’t do fluff, and I don’t pretend to be something I’m not. I’m just a guy who works with his hands, learns with his mind, and shares what he knows. Some call it tinkering, some call it modding, but for me, it’s just how I’m built. Always learning, always refining—that’s this me.