My new bass fell - Page 5

James Mobius · #81 11-26-2012, 01:31 PM

"it don't mean a thing if it ain't got dem dings" -EVH.

I would not trust a stand that doesn't hook around the neck. even if it doesn't have a rubber band or other device to lock it in. I fell down a flight of stairs once holding my home made custom fretless, I managed to roll and protect the bass with my body and it was fine 11 carpeted stairs later. I was a little bruised but I healed, and acted on instinct. you definitely worry less once the first ding is there. it's only a piece of wood ultimately. it will hopefully long outlast you and bring joy to someone else once you've moved on.

speaking of fans, I was playing in a room with a low fan, I heard and felt a "chunk" sound and realised my G tuner was gone. the clover leaf broke right off. was able to replace the tuner with a matching (Fender) used vintage one for cheap. made the key into a necklace.

**Reprise** · #82 11-26-2012, 02:41 PM

Funny that this topic would come up; this weekend, my prized USA Spector got its first nick - and I wasn't even playing it that evening.

Took it out of the case to show my drummer...and when I put it back in the case, (which was standing on edge, leaning against the wall), it wasn't put in the case 'far enough', and slipped out and fell about 3 inches to the floor - which is composed of 'rough' cement.

Checked it when I got home, and sure enough, two small chips on the tail end - all the way to the wood

At first I thought...'how much will Spector charge to repair'...now I think...well, it's like a 'new' car - the first ding hurts the worst, and there will be more to come. But I still don't want to gig with this bass in bars, etc. To the previous poster's point - why tempt fate? The drunks in the bar aren't going to hear my bass and say, "gee, that's a sweet sounding Aguilar pre-amp in that bass..."

4dog · #83 11-26-2012, 04:03 PM

The first cut is the deepest lala la la

Fuzz Aldrin · #84 11-26-2012, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldenglory18

Dented basses are played basses.

To me, a cosmetically perfect instrument is sad....

+1
If you are playing, it is going to happen sooner or later. I try hard to take care of my gear, but I have plenty of dings and dents in my basses. And whenever I see a vintage instrument that looks new, it bums me out that it didn't get played that much. I am definitely not a collector though so...

arsie · #85 11-26-2012, 06:05 PM

Pics or it didn't happen. No pics, no MTD, no ding.

affprod · #86 11-26-2012, 06:51 PM

Earlier this year I received a 73 Telecaster bass and it was knocked over, stand and all, and bent the G tuner. That one bugged me because I take excellent care of my collection. Typically I would have 2-4 vintage Fenders on stands in my home office. I no longer leave guitars I really care about, or have great value, unattended on a stand. If I am not using it, it goes back in its case. And the ones I take out of the house have Ernie Ball Super Locks on them, another lesson learned with a 65 Jazz when a strap came off the button on stage. Thankfully, only a skid mark. I keep the original buttons in case I sell it.

I am sorry. I remember how that feels. If you like the ax and don't plan on getting rid of it and continue gigging, it will likely pick up a few more war wounds. Just do the best you can to protect your tools, cases, strap locks, quality stands - after that, what happens, happens. It's cool that you care that much.

Best of luck with your new band. I remember that too, but that is a whole other story...LOL

ggunn · #87 11-26-2012, 08:31 PM

I have a gold (Harvest Gold?) Bongo 5, and one night at rehearsal I turned around and crashed the headstock into a cymbal which dinged it down to the wood. The wood looked stark white in the ding, but it just so happens that an orange Sharpie is virtually an exact color match. The ding is still there but now you have to know where it is to find it.

IPYF · #88 11-26-2012, 09:01 PM

About a year ago I did the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life.

My Behringer 15inch cab (which was old anyway) died and I had to fork out most of my money to get a new GK1x5. Within 45 minutes of having my new cab it blew up. I was severely frustrated and I took it back to the shop. 2 weeks later the cab comes back on warranty service. 45 minutes into my next rehearsal it dies again. I'm devastated; positive that this time the company definitely won't honour my warranty service and that I must have done something wrong to have blown it up twice within 45 minutes.

After composing myself I unplugged the dead cab and carried on the rehearsal with my remaining 410. An hour later my GK amplifier went up in smoke.

Now I'm not really an angry guy but all I can remember is seeing red. I didn't have a job at the time, was completely skint from buying the cab and my entire rig was destroyed within the space of 2 hours. I discovered in the most unfortunate way that this was enough to break me.

I took my Ibanez BTB of my shoulder and just flung it across the room. It hit the ground pancake and the body split clean in half. I'd had that bass for 5 years and it was my favourite thing in the entire world.

In the end I got a refund on the GK cab, which it turned out hadn't been repaired properly the first time. I sold some things to get the head repaired and in the end it only cost like $200 bucks anyway. I now have a good job and I managed to save enough to buy a Spector to replace the bass I'd ruined.

The BTB is still on my wall though; waiting for me to have enough disposable income to put things right. It's going to cost me $600 to remake that BTB from scratch with a local Custom guitar builder. It wouldn't even be close to worth that brand new, but I had no right to hurt my instrument in frustration, so I'm going to do it.

I'm sorry your bass fell dude; accidents happen and sometimes mistakes are made. A natural ding on your instrument just becomes part of its story. Look on the bright side. At least you're not a moron who tosses his instrument in anger. You don't have to live with that emotionally.

James Mobius · #89 11-26-2012, 10:19 PM

I had a gk head blow up twice. sent it to cali, they replaced everything and it blew again. its a footrest now.

novenpeter · #90 11-26-2012, 10:26 PM

When I get my New Bongo 6, I scratch and bend the volume knob at the first week. That's hurt me a lot

Mark Plays Bass · #91 11-27-2012, 07:04 PM

I want to thank everybody for contributing to this thread. I really enjoyed the stories and perspectives that people shared. I learned a lot and feel much better.

While a lot of people said a lot of helpful things, I have to admit that this is one of my favorites:

Quote:

Originally Posted by arsie

Pics or it didn't happen. No pics, no MTD, no ding.

Stewthebassman · #92 12-06-2012, 09:33 PM

So where are the pics?

By the way, my beautiful boutique F bass is dinged up like mad. Battle scars is the way I see it. That axe has brought me through so many battles so faithfully! And it sounds great and has never let me down! Your MTD will get you there too.

Virgil · #93 12-07-2012, 06:57 AM

This did not happen to me, but it did happen to my best friend. He had just purchased an MTD 635. At the end of a gig, he pulled his truck around to the loading area, to load up his gear. He propped his bass against his truck. For whatever reason, he wasn't happy the way he had parked his truck and decided to move it. He had forgotten that he had propped the bass on the side of the truck, so when he moved the truck forward, the bass fell, and he did not hear it. He then backed the truck up and felt the truck rise up, as though he had run over something. That is when it dawned upon him that he had just backed over his new MTD. When he removed it from the shattered case, the pickups, bridge and all of the pots had been pushed through the body, and there was also a tire print on the body. His wife reports that when he came home he sat in the truck over an hour before he came into the house, he was so upset. I told him to send the bass to Mike Tobias just to see what if anything could be done. Mike replaced the top and restored the bass. To show Mike's sense of humor, he cut out the tire print and used that piece of wood for his battery cover on the back. I told you that story to suggest that if the dent is going to constantly bother you, contact Mike Tobias, he may tell you to send it to him and maybe he can repair it. Good luck.

heynorm · #94 12-07-2012, 07:03 AM

Chicks dig scars. Seriously, I know that first ding hurts. It happens to instruments that are played. Now, you have a story and an identification mark, if ever necessary.

1SHOT1HIT · #95 12-07-2012, 10:42 AM

Never dropped a bass or a guitar - yet!

But I did (just last night) have my $1200.00 +Springfield Armory EMP-40 W/ $600.00 worth of custom work done, fall from it's holster.
Instead of doing my normal routine, my laziness took over, tucking my holster into my pocket instead of my waist. (Huge mistake, since this holster has no back strap) so in a seated position, gravity takes over.

The gun fell about 2-1/2' to 3' onto the driveway, leaving just enough damage to break my heart.

(**For those that have seen too many movies, no the gun could/would not go off from falling, internal safety features prevent this exact scenario from happening**)

Fortunately, just like w/ basses & guitars, there are great guys out there, w/ tons of talent for fixing life's unsightly mistakes. Time for a new $300 custom refinish.........oh yay!!! Might as well be optimistic.

xUptheIronsx · #96 12-07-2012, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by northernmonkey

I was sat at my desk, with my bass on my knee and leaned forwards to turn the page to a different song I was learning, leant forwards and the bass fell forwards onto the edge of the desk. I now have an inch long ding in the top horn. I'm over it now, but could've nearly cried. My crappy Ikea desk is totally undamaged though

sounds like Ikea should make basses

I have only owned one new bass, my Charvel. All the other basses I own came "pre-dinged", so I have never worried about it. On the flip side, both of the pre-dinged basses have very few new dings, so I can say that I am lucky, and am very careful with my basses for the most part

What bothers me is how my (originally)Arctic white Charvel is now nicotine yellow. And, it has the mandatory chip near the point of the headstock. Don't remember how or when that happened...

the wako kid · #97 12-07-2012, 01:32 PM

it happens to all of us. :/ I was hanging out with my guitarists and they started pulling pranks on me when I was sleeping. I woke up pissed off and just kicked my leg out. I hit a table covered in beer bottles and one of them flew off and hit right between the bridge and and pickup above the E string and put a nice round 1" dent in the bass. at first I was really mad,then almost in tears(and this was a 200 dollar bass) and I flipped out on my guitarists,and they did accept partial blame for it. now it's just one of those things,I can't do anything about it. once that one ding happened though, I didn't care as much about it getting dinged up.

it's just like the bumper sticker says.

I do feel for you though,that is a much more expensive ding in your case.

himluis1 · #98 12-07-2012, 01:37 PM

i bought a ibanez sr 375 for about $450.00 and was very careful with it and one day at church.it fell from the stand .... no damage was showing dents or scratches , i took it to a guitar center and they took a look for free , they check the neck fretboard tuners an all n it was all good after a while u will get pass on that but never forget so it doesnt happen to you again !!!

jphovercraft · #99 12-10-2012, 09:41 PM

I play a seriously road worn pre-EB Musicman Stingray. I had it in to "Hank to Hendrix" for a setup when a friend walked in with a younger friend who just happened to be bringing in another pre-EB Ray for some work. His was in very nice shape, and I could see his eyes widen a bit when he saw mine. He remarked, "Gee, that's pretty banged up." My friend replied, " Well, if you're lucky, maybe some day yours will look like that." ... an acknowledgement of the 30 years I've been playing mine and all the great music it's been a part of ... and that history is literally written all over it.

It's actually pretty liberating to not have to worry about the odd collision with a drum kit or mic stand.

"Every fracture tells a story, don't it"

...but yes, I did sweat that first tiny ding in my Steinberger L2's neck ...

soxhats · #**100** 12-11-2012, 08:15 AM

My first gig with a then-new-to-me 2008 Fender American Jazz bass (oly white, rosewood board) was a show on an outdoor stage at a large bar. During a break, I was drinking a beer at the bar about 30 yards from the stage. As I watched helplessly, a gust of wind blew a tarp at the back of the stage into my guitar stand and knocked the bass to the ground. The guitar player, who was standing next to me, said, "Uh oh, dude." I scurried to the stage and surveyed the damage: A couple of nicks in the headstock and a scuff on the bottom of the body. I got away relatively easy. Even so, normally, I'd be quite displeased by even this unwanted patina, but I felt eerily calm. "Well," I thought, "every good working bass needs a battle scar. It's all good."