Ever think about selling your basses?

[hankazoid]

So that you could use the money and buy one super awesome badass blinged-out bass?

I don't have a ton of money but in the past 14 years of playing I've amassed a small collection of 10 basses that range from pretty good to very nice.

Sometimes I think of selling them and buying one expensive super awesome bass. I'd like a custom shortscale Lakland Decade in surf green loaded with Dark Star's, block inlays, and a matching headstock. Or maybe an MTD 435.

What would you get?

[screaminglucy]

I had this as my plan...I couldn't get it down to 1. "The one" should've been a Lakland p bass but now I have 3. 2 p basses and a skyline decade.

[otis_thick]

Pawn it but never sell it!

[BassInUrFace]

i doubt that one bass can be a versatile as 10, no matter how good it is.

[john_martin_sai]

Another reason to make your first bass the "super, awesome, badass" one......

[KramerBassFan]

Nope.

Never.

I'm at Eight, and counting. With two more on the way.

[bassbenj]

Originally Posted by otis_thick

Pawn it but never sell it!

Exactly! The idea of one bass doing the work of 10 is just wrong. How can the most awesome fretted bass do the job of a fretless or an 8 or 12 string for that matter. The most killer solid body is never going to give you the unplugged sound of an acoustic. The whole idea of one "super" bass doing it all is just wrong.

Of course where it does get "right" is if you are the sort of guy who only plays one kind of music, and all you've ever done is try to find that "one bass" with "your sound" and your collection of basses consists of a bunch of obscure Fenders and fender clones. then sure, probably you can find that one bass with "your sound" that you play for the rest of your life.

I know guys like this. But I'm just not one of them.

[hankazoid]

Originally Posted by bassbenj

Of course where it does get "right" is if you are the sort of guy who only plays one kind of music, and all you've ever done is try to find that "one bass" with "your sound" and your collection of basses consists of a bunch of obscure Fenders and fender clones. then sure, probably you can find that one bass with "your sound" that you play for the rest of your life.

I know guys like this. But I'm just not one of them.

That's me. I don't have any fretless basses or 12-strings. I don't bother with that. I play rock and roll. One bass most definitely can cover that.

I have a bunch of decent well playing instruments that for the most part, all pretty much do the same thing. They only thing that sets each of them apart is their sonic nuances, but other than that they're all 4-string fretted instruments.

I also pretty much use just 2 out of the 10 basses that I have these days. The rest I used to love and play. Now they're just literally hanging around. I'm thinking that it's time to simplify and buy one super awesome badass MOFO of a bass. I've played really nice handmade basses and it really got me wanting one.

[Chasarms]

I am in the process of doing just as you propose. I have three basses that are roughly valued a the cost of a NYC Sadowsky reverse PJ5 that I just scored used. So, all must go to fund this purchase. Why? Well:

1. I have finally decided that I sound like me no matter what.

2. I find myself EQing to the "my space in the mix" sound no matter what bass I am playing. As diverse as my collection offers, it is amazing how much "the same" you can make any bass sound.

3. More often than not, I find myself being intentional about playing one of my basses verses another. It is more often than not a "I haven't played this in a while" rather than "this bass is the sound for XXX."

So I don't know if there is an obvious cut above difference with Sadowsky, but why not find out?

[Jay Ralston]

I am in this predicament right now. I am acquiring more gear and have a Music Man Bongo 4HH Dargies Delight II on layaway. I put a good chunk down by selling off one of my guitars and will be paying for the rest by selling off my other two. The problem is, I am very attached to all of my gear so while I am excited about obtaining this new Music Man, I am bummed to be letting the others go. I also recently traded my Taylor acoustic guitar for a Music Man Sterling 4H. I actually think I got the better end of the deal but I do miss the Taylor. When my wife found out, she was bummed too. She really liked that guitar as well which surprised me. She likes the new Music Man though and after what Big Poppa has done for my family recently, she also wants me to use those basses as often as possible to promote their product.

[nostatic]

So do the "nuances" of similar basses really come through in a mix?

I'm not a collector, and I only have instruments that I play regularly. And they are very nice ones. I find nuance is had in a good instrument. I don't need another bass to get that flexibility. To wit:

Rob Allen Deep 5 fretless. Covers a lot of ground. The only thing it can't do is a strong percussive attack. Covers jazz and ballad stuff like a dream. Can do funk and rock as well, but not as well as my Zon Lightwave.

Zon lightwave fretless 5. A swiss army bass. Have played every style with it. RA does the upright thing better. And sometimes you need frets. Which leads to

Zon Sonus Custom 5. I love a fretless for most things, including stuff that you "shouldn't" play on a fretless. But there is no substitute for the percussive attack that frets give you.

Only other thin on the horizon is a RA Mouse fretted, because I want a short-scale fretted 4 as that is a unique voice. And if I"m going to play a 4, I need a short scale because of some hand issues.

Beyond that, nothing I'm gassing for. Lots of basses I like to look at, none I want to buy and play. ymmv. Oh, I did sell a bunch of other leftover recording gear to help finance the Deep5. I'd rather buy one stellar bass than 5 "nice" ones.

[PZapdos]

thats what i did, i only own one bass

I like having multiple basses. I currenty own:

EBMM Sterling 5 single H
EBMM Bongo 5 HH
EBMM Bongo 5 single H
EBMM Big Al 5 single H
Lakland Skyline series 55-01
Carvin B5 (#1)
Carvin B5 (#2)
Michael Kelly Club Custom 5 acoustic/electric
Peavey Fury V (purchased used for $100 from a friend as a "beater" bass. All it needed was a truss rod adjustment, new strings, a new pickup pan pot, some paint touch-ups and a good cleaning.

[dannster]

My bass collection is a constant revolving door. Some stay longer than others but they all go eventually to pay for the latest shiny object of my desire. Rigs too.

[ciudadmarron]

Originally Posted by Chasarms

1. I have finally decided that I sound like me no matter what.

2. I find myself EQing to the "my space in the mix" sound no matter what bass I am playing. As diverse as my collection offers, it is amazing how much "the same" you can make any bass sound.

3. More often than not, I find myself being intentional about playing one of my basses verses another. It is more often than not a "I haven't played this in a while" rather than "this bass is the sound for XXX."

This about sums it up for me.

I just don't USE the features/variety that my active jazz offers, and always end up gravitating towards one or two sounds. It's a fiver and i don't even get that much use out of that aspect either.... could very easily get something quality I want right now if I were to sell it.

But i still manage to convince myself that

a) one day i might want it and
b) it's pretty

That Lakland the OP is after though sounds very nice though.

I say do it! I want to see pics.

[Kipaste]

I once sold pretty much all my basses (except my first one) to fund a luxury bass. Big mistake, but fortunately I didn't lose that much money. Otherwise it would've been a huge mistake.

[T. B. Player]

I now have 5 basses:
1) a fretted high end (Adler) that is my baby - recording, jazz gigs and church
2) a fretted Brice that's for sale
3) a fretted Roscoe that's my workhorse/bar bass
4) a fretless Brice that's my workhorse/bar bass
5) a fretless original MusicMan StingRay that stays in its case in a humidity controlled room.

The fretted Brice will be sold to make way for a fretless Overwater that's on the way...for recording, jazz gigs and church. I see no reason for buying or selling any after this last transaction is completed.

Basses 1 to 4 are six stringers. Don't mess around with fours or fives anymore.

Z

[jasper383]

I have 9 basses, all in the $500-1000 used range, so they all are solid, gig-worthy basses.

I think about selling all of them to fund a brand new 57 AVRI P Bass (the only bass I think I would ever actually need around here) and investing the rest, but the effort of doing so, plus the fear that someday I might "need" that Oly White Jaguar keeps me at nine.

[iualum]

...just picked up lucky #13...

Rob Alllen lined fretless MB-2
Valenti jazz (#9)
Martin Alternative X
Cort Curbow w/Bartolini x2
Gretsch Thunder Jet
Gretsch Broadkaster
Lakland Hobo w/Barts
Lakland Hobo w/Darkstars
Rickenbacker 4003 Midnight Blue
Rickenbacker 4003 Jetglo
Benavente Vintage Vortex, 4-banger
Benavente Vintage Vortex, 5-er

...only interested in selling one of my Curbows (will keep the other, really excellent instrument!), no plans for the others to go anywhere ...

[SuperFineLin9]

welp at one point i added up the approximate worth of all of my equipment and came up with around 10 grand.
So I decided not to buy any more and just trade around
In fact selling one of my G&Ls right now. Not sure what I am going to buy once I sell it. probably a 5er