Oh even in my little shorts in my profile pic? haha....anyway, it's not Ray Ramirez, it's actually a company called Guilin that was apparently based in Puerto Rico in the 60's, right around when Ampeg was first making the Baby Basses. The guy who made the bass used to work as a luthier at Ampeg. Beyond that, I don't know anything about it. Isn't the Ampeg Baby Bass partially hollow body?? I didn't think of it when I was cradling it in my arms and drooling over it last night.
AAAAAAH WHAT IF SOME JERK BUYS IT OR SOMETHING??! :starts sweating profusely:
I really try to keep my head on straight when I buy gear. I try to be as objective as I can, but sometimes you also just get that gut feeling too, and I'm getting a gut feeling about this. I did a similar gear shuffle to get my '77 Fender Jazz bass (sold my Roland Juno 106 and Peavey Cirrus) and have yet to look back....but I want to make sure I'm not gonna miss the sound of the bass I have now...because I won't find another one once it's traded.
As it seems though, I'm also very unlikely to find an Ampeg Baby Bass in good shape for a decent price. And they just seem to be getting more expensive. Like I said, the move out here took out most of my financial reserves. I'm not really planning to squirrel away a few grand for a bass any time soon. And it would also bother the hell out of me to pay more than $2000 (which I probably would), because 1. unless I'm playing serious, big-deal gigs, that just seems like an outrageous price and 2. I would always know that I could've gotten one under different circumstances, for- essentially- less money (through the trade).
When I bought the Baby Bass I have now, it was a way to get a sense of upright bass without breaking my back or the bank...that's all. It started out so innocently! But then I started gravitating towards Latin jazz, gypsy jazz, all the Fania stuff....because I come from an electric bass world, and even when I play the standards, I'm always gonna have that spin on them...I'm not formally trained as a jazz musician, so my sensibilities are just different. And as I start to settle into my own style, I feel like the Ampeg could easily fit into everything I'm playing now. I could see it becoming my thing.
But the thing is...it's not like I'm trading a piece of gear that I'd be able to easily buy back someday. And I guess I'm just wondering, what is THAT worth? to have a rare instrument? I appreciate craftsmanship and I love the fact that so many other people have made replicas of the original Baby Basses. From the standpoint of someone who loves the aesthetics of different instruments, I think I'm having a hard time separating that from the idea of using an instrument functionally. I think that's what bothers me more. Sentimental value, almost...?
TL;DR: I have problems, but I think you guys knew that!
