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Boneheaded Moves You Hate To Admit

#21
Major regret: I traded my dlx 55-94 (satin finish, gold hardware) + $ for a Sadowsky Standard 5 that wasn't half the bass the Lakland was. I contacted the guy who I traded with after I sold the Sadowsky and he told me it was the best bass he'd ever owned.

Regret: I traded the best playing bass I've ever had, an 8 lb. Sukop fretless 5, for a 10 lb Q5 which sounded so bland....

Minor regret: letting my Roscoe SKB 3005 go, only 9 volt, 2 band, but what a sweet bass, minor neck dive and all.
 
#22
My first good bass was an early '70's sunburst J, purchased in '73. It was a good one, but I really wanted an EB-3 that belonged to a friend. So I traded him the J plus some cash for the Gibson. The neck on the EB-3 not only warped, it twisted.

My next Fender purchase was a Telecaster Bass, probably from 1970. I loved that bass, but ended up selling it because I listened to a guitar player friend who told me that the Tele Bass didn't have the right sound. So, I sold it and bought a 1973-ish Precision Bass. This was a very light-weight P bass with an "A" neck, something that would now be considered very desirable. But it was a dog -- the neck warped, the bridge was garbage, and the pots were bad.

My next Fender purchase was a '72 natural ash Jazz Bass. It was heavy, the pickups were bad, as was the bridge, but it had my favorite J bass neck ever. And this bass sounded better as it got older. I kept this bass from 1977 until about 1999. I'm sure that if I had restored it original, I could have sold it for a couple of G's. But I hacked it to install a piezo bridge. That is not what I regret. It sounded fantastic with the piezos. I sold it to buy a Turner Electroline. The Electroline was a fine bass, but it did not sound as sweet as my old J bass. The Turner is gone, but I miss that Jazz Bass.
 
#23
In the late eighties, I let go a 70's J bass for a song. It had been repainted somewhat poorly, but the neck alone was beautiful - the binding, maple neck, board and white block inlays and frets were in great shape. Yes, it had a great slap sound, too... :bawl:
 
#25
tplyons said:
Care to elaborate, Brad?
Click to expand...

At one point, without knowing it, I had an early 50's P bass (I found this out later. I thought it was a Tele bass. Duh.

I traded that bass for a first year Musicman. I bought it at a music store in Wichita, KS. I went through about a dozen on the wall and this one was so much louder than the others it was ridiculous. Excellent bass, blah, blah, blah...

A few years later I traded that bass for a brand spanking new *drumroll please*...

Peavey T-40.
:hyper:

Weighed a ton but I was a sucker for that phase switch. From mega $$$'s to boat anchor in two easy steps (I still like T-40s but geez). After that I decided to educate myself about my chosen instrument in order to keep my "duh!" moments to an absolute minimum:D
 
#28
Brad Johnson said:
The funny thing is that I regularly try to talk people out of what appear to be potentially boneheaded moves, even if they'd benefit me.

:D
Click to expand...

Same here. I once talked a kid of out trading GC a custom green Pedulla MVP for an Ibanez Ergodyne. Sad thing is, I went to GC about a month later and saw the MVP in the used bass section.
:rollno:
 
#29
Brad Johnson said:
At one point, without knowing it, I had an early 50's P bass (I found this out later. I thought it was a Tele bass. Duh.

I traded that bass for a first year Musicman. I bought it at a music store in Wichita, KS. I went through about a dozen on the wall and this one was so much louder than the others it was ridiculous. Excellent bass, blah, blah, blah...

A few years later I traded that bass for a brand spanking new *drumroll please*...

Peavey T-40.
:hyper:

Weighed a ton but I was a sucker for that phase switch. From mega $$$'s to boat anchor in two easy steps (I still like T-40s but geez). After that I decided to educate myself about my chosen instrument in order to keep my "duh!" moments to an absolute minimum:D
Click to expand...

wow, seems to me suicide would be the only option to correct a mistake that big :D
 
#30
Selling my first good bass. I saved paper route money for six months in 1990 to buy it. What was it?

A Pink-Red Antigua Burst Peavey Randy Jackson RJIV Neck-thru with upside-down triangles for fret markers

When I took it out of the case after being away from bass for ten years, I realized it was not exactly what I was looking for in a finish. So I sold it and have spent thousands of $$$ trying to find a bass that sounds as good to my ears. I should have just refinished the sucker.
 
#34
I sold an '85 Thumb fretless I had a while back. The bass was sweet even though it didnt really suit my tastes... but... I've never seen anything else even close to it before and for that reason I regret it slightly. Probably the oldest US Warwick I've seen plus it had these super weird Seymour Duncan pickups with little EQ switches built into them. I am 99% sure they were original...
 
#35
Mine was a two step process:

1. Remove frets from my only bass - an '81 WHITE Ric 4001.

2. Realize that playing fretless was hard and had a different sound to it and that I liked frets too. Sell bass and stop playing until 1999. :eek:

Doh!!!! But, I've found out that the guy I sold it to still has it and might get to visit it. Now, I don't sell basses and think at least 3 times before dumping gear.

Live and Learn.
 
#39
Funkize you said:
While I was really drunk I told A REALLY good friend that i have been in love with her for like 5 years :rolleyes: I Shouldnt have said that... But she was flattered so.... :D
Click to expand...

thats actually why I wish I still drank. Without the alkeehawl, I don't even got the balls to "make an ass out myself" like that, even when I really should :hiding: . And plus, if you admit feelings for someone whil your'e drunk, and they don't really feel the same way back, you can simply say you were just ****-faced and didn't mean it.

As for losing bass equipment, I've never really had one of those strikes of bad luck, only thing ive ever gotten rid of was a Squier 15 watt amp, which I demolished with a pick axe (because it was the worst sounding peice of **** on the face of the earth) after getting my Mesa :D rig
 
#40
I had one of those Jerry Jones Neptune/Longhorn basses (91?) with the copper finish. Beautiful bass, tone that couldn't be buried. Sure, the balance was poor, but the short scale was great. Why did I sell it? In the early 90's, strings that would fit the thing were impossible to find where I live (Entwistle, anybody?). Twice my local music store ordered the wrong set and I got impatient, then stupid. :hmm: This was before the internet was wide-spread, and now all I would have to do is just click and order the right strings myself.

A close second: A Fender A/E Precision, fretless. The hollow body model with a piezo bridge and Lace Sensor P. It could do a decent upright imitation with flats or tapewound strings. With roundwounds and the piezo full up, it had the most unique, cutting sound I ever heard. Sold it in a fit of G.A.S., and regret it to this day.
 

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