Bass regret.

[tb-player]

I was looking for a message in my Reverb DMs this morning and came across a picture of a bass I should have never sold.

It’s a Musicman 30th Anniversary Stingray 5. I had owned a couple of these and sold them (for a tiny profit) bc they were usually a little heavy. But then I stumbled across this one with a rosewood fingerboard (all the others had flame maple boards) and it was a featherweight 8lb 8oz. It was a perfect bass for me.It played, sounded and felt amazing.

Sadly, this was at the height of my GAS and my mindless buying/selling of instruments. I was always looking for the next bass, not appreciating what I had. And in most cases, that was fine. But in my selling fury, I let this one go and have regretted it ever since. I even reached out to the guy who bought it to see if he’d ever sell it back. He kindly said, “No.” But the subtext (at least in my mind) was “Only an idiot would sell a bass this nice!”

Anyone else have regrets on a bass you never should have let go?

 

[Lenny JG]

My Gary Willis 5. I just keep telling myself I'll find a better 5 and forget one day.

 

[roccobass]

My 1972 maple Fender Jazz.

 

[nonohmic]

Sometimes I regret selling my MIJ Mustang, then remember the slab body hurt. That neck tho.

 

[nonohmic]

My biggest regret is not buying an AVRI 58 P on the wall at GC for $999. I was wigged out by the nitro looking thin. What a rookie mistake.

 

[jd56hawk]

Only a parts bass, but I'd rather have this one back than any of the Fenders I sold.

 

[Gastón]

My Modulus Flea 4, best neck ever!

 

[conttador]

My biggest regret is not buying more basses 10 years ago. Not because I would want to flip them but because prices are just outrageous these days!

 

[Ggaa]

Yep, a Ken Smith Burner Custom that I'd had for about 25 years

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I have too many regrets to remember. My advice is to avoid trade in’s and either save up or layaway a bass you want because chances are that you actually like bass you are trading and you will miss it.

 

[JRA]

I even reached out to the guy who bought it to see if he’d ever sell it back. He kindly said, “No.” But the subtext (at least in my mind) was “Only an idiot would sell a bass this nice!”

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I was looking for a message in my Reverb DMs this morning and came across a picture of a bass I should have never sold.

It’s a Musicman 30th Anniversary Stingray 5. I had owned a couple of these and sold them (for a tiny profit) bc they were usually a little heavy. But then I stumbled across this one with a rosewood fingerboard (all the others had flame maple boards) and it was a featherweight 8lb 8oz. It was a perfect bass for me.It played, sounded and felt amazing.

View attachment 4839386

Sadly, this was at the height of my GAS and my mindless buying/selling of instruments. I was always looking for the next bass, not appreciating what I had. And in most cases, that was fine. But in my selling fury, I let this one go and have regretted it ever since. I even reached out to the guy who bought it to see if he’d ever sell it back. He kindly said, “No.” But the subtext (at least in my mind) was “Only an idiot would sell a bass this nice!”

Anyone else have regrets on a bass you never should have let go?

Ouch!!! I’d still be crying over that one. I’ve only seen a few with rosewood and never one that light.

 

[jd50]

I was looking for a message in my Reverb DMs this morning and came across a picture of a bass I should have never sold.

It’s a Musicman 30th Anniversary Stingray 5. I had owned a couple of these and sold them (for a tiny profit) bc they were usually a little heavy. But then I stumbled across this one with a rosewood fingerboard (all the others had flame maple boards) and it was a featherweight 8lb 8oz. It was a perfect bass for me.It played, sounded and felt amazing.

View attachment 4839386

Sadly, this was at the height of my GAS and my mindless buying/selling of instruments. I was always looking for the next bass, not appreciating what I had. And in most cases, that was fine. But in my selling fury, I let this one go and have regretted it ever since. I even reached out to the guy who bought it to see if he’d ever sell it back. He kindly said, “No.” But the subtext (at least in my mind) was “Only an idiot would sell a bass this nice!”

Anyone else have regrets on a bass you never should have let go?

That bass (not the exact one, but same model w/ rosewood fingerboard) is what made me sell all of my 4 strings and switch to all 5s. After all of the other 5s I've bought that's still my favorite. Sorry not trying to pour salt in the wound lol.

 

[60bass]

I have many but the one that hurts the most was my mid 70's Mapleglo RIC 4001. As far as guitars go it's a 57 Stratocaster with original case that was in a 10 condition(I know, I know) but that was years ago before stuff was considered "vintage". Then it was just another used guitar.

 

[jd50]

Ouch!!! I’d still be crying over that one. I’ve only seen a few with rosewood and never one that light.

I got mine from guitar center. I always check their used Stingrays online and saw it listed for 2k, the picture was so small and awful I couldn't even tell if it had a maple or rosewood fingerboard. My bass teacher has the same bass so I knew it was a killer bass and I could return it to GC if there were any issues. Needless to say I did not need to return it. Mine's 9 pounds 9 ounces.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

View attachment 4839453

Yes, let it go! Don’t be the musical equivalent of the ex who keeps trying to come back after you have cut your ties.

 

[JimmyM]

I don’t regret selling any bass I sold. Life is too short to bum out over unimportant stuff when I have plenty of important things to bum out over.

 

[Green Knight]

Fender Performer 1985 … wish I’d spent more time with that one!

 

[capnjagg]

Y’know, every time I start to regret selling a bass, I take off the nostalgia goggles and remember why those basses didn’t work for me. Epi T-Bird? Dark tone, awful neck and action. Fender Jazz? Could never get it to play or sound how I wanted. Peavey T-40? Aside from the weight, it never was the “Swiss army knife” it was touted to be. Ibanez TMB100? Thick neck with an awfully dry feeling finish. Ibanez TMB30? All of the drawbacks of the 100, plus it ever played or sounded as nice as its long scale counterpart, even with a pickup swap (also the ivory finish had a little too much of a flesh tone for my liking).

Remembering why I sold things in the first place really helps me stop from both dwelling on the past and fabricating a bass in my mind that didn’t actually exist.

 

[wiscoaster]

....I was always looking for the next bass, not appreciating what I had. ...

Sounds like me, but I haven't sold any yet, so I'll take the OP's regrets as a caution to not do that unless I really have to. I think the one thing I've learned, though, is that a chasing after the "perfect" bass for me is a kind of a "chasing after the wind."