I'm a professional, trained musician and yes I know that it's "never too late" to pick up something new. However: I play bass. I started 12 years ago because I actually wanted to play it. But over time that joy has eroded away and turned into anxiety. Bad gigs, bad college experiences, getting passed over for other players left and right, and personal conflicts have stolen it from me. I just look at my upright in the corner and I feel anxiety. The whole story is certainly too long for here, but for everything I've given it, it has abused me in return. But I'm good at it, and everyone who knows me knows that it's what I do. About 4 years ago I got into various sax players, especially Chris Potter. I pulled out my alto sax from childhood and started learning. But I couldn't put it down. I ended up buying a tenor, and started learning that. I truly feel that I have some natural ability for it. And I LOVE how out feels. It feels right, in a word. I've been practicing it off and on since.
So here's the problem: I have students, gigs, and a job. I can't do both. Do I abandon bass and restart on sax, relatively "late"in life (I'm going on 30) our do I stay with the painful, but proven, bass?