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Change arsenal???

RAM

RAM

May 10, 2000
5,357
29
Chicago, IL
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#1
If you had a bass for a long time that you grew with, would you ever consider selling it to fund a bass you wanted just a bit more?

Here's the deal...I have a US Spector that may be on the chopping block. It's been in my possession since I bought it new in 1995, still in the same brand-new condition as the day I bought it. It's grown with me, and it's very much mine. The thing is, this bass just doesn't "speak" to me as much as another bass I've recently come across (which I'm not going to name). The only way I could fund this bass is to sell the Spector.

The reason I'm so on-the-fence is because the Spector was my workhorse for about 8 years, until I picked up the Jerzy Drozd. Now, the Spector sits largely unused, although it's very much a different animal than the Jerzy. I think the new bass would cover a lot of territory that the Spector currently covers, so keeping both is not practical.

Thoughts???
 
#2
I think it's a matter of asking yourself: can you bring yourself to part with the Spector? Can you imagine a scenario where you'll regret having sold it? One thing to consider is, if you get this new bass and decide you were happier with the Spector, there are Spectors on the used market. So, while you might not be able to find one exactly like yours, in pristine condition, you could theoretically replace it down the line. It sounds like that is a special bass and you've babied it. Tough call, man. I'd be curious to know what that other bass is..
 
#3
Man, that's always a hard call to make. My "base" bass is an '86 Fender Jazz that I will never sell, no matter what. I find that I use it way more than any of the others and it has never once let me down.

I understand that sometimes funds aren't available for the new axe and selling off an old friend may make sense right now, but someday you'll likely regret the decision. I only wish I had never sold my '62 P, but at the time I just had to have an Ampeg Baby bass! And I wish I had never sold the Baby bass, but I just had to have the new J that had come out, and so on and so on .......

Tough decisions ........
 
#4
If you have had the bass ten years, don't get rid of it. No matter how much better the new bass may be, there is some thing about an old instrument that you sort of "grew up" playing. I often think about great players like Marcus Miller and Jaco who kept playing the same or very similar intruments long after they could have moved to something different. I don't think it is an accident that players who keep working the same or nearly the same bass develop the intimacy that allows them to be so distinctive.
 
#9
I would definately keep it. If you have had it that long, there has got to be something about it that you really like, and odds are good that you will pick it up again later down the road. If it sits around for 10 more years and you don't pick it up, then think about selling it. Besides, it's a Spector.. that would be just plain wrong.
 
#10
Yeah...these are all the debates floating around my head. :crying:

For all those dying to know (and those who don't care), the alternative is a Lakland 55-94. I've got a friend with one that SMOKES and he's willing to sell it at a great price.

OTOH, I picked up the Spector last night for about 20 minutes, and it really had this tone that sent shivers (in a positive way) up and down my spine...and, while I'm totally comfortable on a bass with as many strings as my Jerzy (6), there are certain "maneuvers" I feel best on a 4-stringer...obviously the Lakland is a 5... :hmm:
 
#12
Me, I'd sell it if it no longer speaks to me that much and I don't play it much. That's what I've always done with my stuff, not that I've owned as much different gear as some folks here have.

Believe me, I understand the bond you can feel with an instrument you've had for a long time--I've got a classical guitar I've had for over 30 years--but in the end, instruments are just tools for making music. In an ideal world, I'd probably have kept a lot of my old gear for sentimental reasons, but finances and space limitations ruled that out (as they do for many people, though apparently not for tombowlus the Cabinet King!). If you have a chance to get a better music-making tool and the price is that you have to give up a tool that doesn't work for you as well, to me that's a price worth paying. YMMV.

One suggestion, however: if you do decide you're willing to give up your beloved Spector, you might as well be sure you're getting the best new bass you can in its place. No doubt the Lakland would be an excellent choice; but it wouldn't hurt to look around a little to see if there's something in your affordable zone that you might like even a bit better. If not, no harm done, and you can go ahead and do the deal.

Just my $0.02; I'm not responsible for any physical or psychological injuries incurred as a result of taking my advice!;)
 
#13
I would say keep the Spector if its sentimental. US ones are a bit harder to find at a good price. I find the tone on Spectors to be so unique and cool that I couldn't justify selling one if I owned one unless it was for a older fender or Fbass.

It seems to me there are 3 main categories to bass sound. The trad fender sound (growl or punchy), the razor sharp rock sound, and the hollow woody sound. If you don't feel like you will ever play the Spector again than trade it for something different than the Esh. Something that keeps you versitile in those sound departments. Also compare the recorded sound of both of your basses in the styles you play and you may find out that the spector is much better for certain things. Good luck....
 

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