Did you ever "downgrade"? By choice or situation?

[bigjames]

I think there is some good advice here and family and financial stability is critically important... but as someone mentioned, if the value of the gear is not going to make a huge impact, it likely will not solve the problem and may result in some regret.

When I first got married and had baby #1 things were tight. Had a bit of debt (in hindsight, it was not much and manageable in other ways) and I was young a inexperienced in life. I sold a '94 MM Stingray for about $1100 to help with bills. Yes, the money went to the credit card. No it did not solve my debt issue (it was more addressed with a better budget). So I was down an MM with very little to gain except the feeling at the time that I was doing the right thing.

That said, your situation is your situation and I agree with the advice above to be willing to part with it if that is what you need to do. There will always be another bass out there.

 

[Space Pickle]

This isn't really applicable to the OP but in general I prefer to gig with cheaper gear that still gets it done, that way it's no great tragedy if my equipment gets lost or stolen.

 

[micguy]

To the OP:

You have a bass that you love. Unless you're desperate for the next dollar, why would you gamble on another instrument? I've seen a number of twisted necks among the "lesser" Fender instruments I've played - where I used to work, we had a few twisted Fenders.

If you have a bass you love, and the neck is straight, go play the thing.

 

[ahbradot]

1997 I was broke. I sold my Ric, Alembic, Guild, etc. I did what was needed. Stopped playing accept for dillydally. I worked my butt off for the next 20 years. Today I can buy any bass I desire. You have to do what is necessary for you and your family to get ahead. Now I enjoy my bass playing without the stress. Best to you as I wish you well!

 

[jimmyjames77]

I'm sorry to hear you're having hard times at the moment. Good to hear you're handling it in a responsible fashion.
With the way basses are made today, (Harley Benton, Squier Classic vibes, Sire) it is not the same as it was in say the 90s with imports. Sell and do a little research on one that interests you to the most. I'm all but positive you will find something 90 percent the way to your USA P. Side note , there are great deals to be had on sleeper basses like USA made Peavey and the like. Just my .02.
Good luck.

 

[David McIntire]

Yes. Bout 12 years ago I played a Smith 6 in bands ranging from country to metal and prog. I'd played that bass for 10 years in everything. But I got tired of folk sayin I sounded good cuz of the gear I picked. So, I "downgraded" to a Fender American Deluxe Jazz 5 that I bought new from the factory, and sold the Smith. My friends were astonished. Gave me a lotta crap. But 12 years later, I'm still playin the same ole Jazz. It kills! So, tho my friends thot I'd downgraded, I know better.

 

[project_c]

Don't worry about downgrading. I have 4 USA Fenders, and also a MIJ Jazz, and a couple of other really nice custom / high end basses. They're all great, but my friend's daughter recently started playing bass, and her parents got her a black/maple Squier P, and I got a chance to play it for a little while. It felt and sounded great, setup was great, tone was nice, it just felt like a P bass. if I had to sell my stuff I would happily play one in a heartbeat, nothing about it felt cheap or jarring or unfamiliar.

 

[Haans]

I will share a cautionary story as well. Some years ago I came across a Music Man Albert Lee HH for cheaps. Barely played, original case complete with case candy. It is still the single best instrument I ever played. I loved it. For some reason I decided I did not need such a fantastic guitar, I am a bass player after all, and maybe I thought I didn't deserve such a magnificent instrument, so I traded it for a guitar I deemed good enough and some cash. Financially I came out on top, but I still miss that Albert Lee. A lot.

 

[JW56789]

A riff I'm sure I must have lifted from George Carlin.

Don't get hung up on stuff. People will work themselves to death for stuff. Screw people to get stuff. Stiff them to keep stuff. Stay awake nights dreaming about stuff. Spend the days longing for stuff. Realizing they must have more stuff. Steal stuff. Covet their stuff. Sleep with their stuff. Fight anybody and everybody to keep their stuff, or for their right to buy all the stuff they want. Got to have THIS brand of stuff and nothing else. THAT stuff is for losers.

It's a lie.

Right now, MORE stuff is being build around the world, 24/7, 52 weeks a year, every minute of the day. Retail stores are full of stuff. Metric tons of stuff is available online to be bought and delivered to your door effortlessly.
There is not now nor will there ever be a stuff shortage. Till Hell Freezes Over, stuff will be waiting for you to buy it. New stuff. Open box stuff. Used stuff. Repossessed stuff. Stolen stuff. Fake stuff.

So don't get hung up on the stuff you have, you will always be able to buy more stuff. But family comes first, and you can't buy more family.

I have the advantage of having lost most all the stuff I owned once, maybe twice, and I was always, after a while able to buy new stuff. And the wheel comes 'round again.

 

[Celen]

While I haven't had to downsize so far, baby life has definitely put a cap on upsizing, which means I've had to sell a few things I really liked (e.g. double bass) in order to buy things I need (e.g. new amp).

I have a few music things that mean a lot to me and that I will never sell. But if my family's well-being really depended on it, then yeah. Force majeure. It would suck, but… Squiers are cool. Yamahas too. And music is greater than the tools we use to make it.

I hope your situation will turn around soon.

 

[GIBrat51]

Been contemplating this for a few weeks.. and while hard, it makes sense, at least to me.

I think.

So honestly, I have not been playing any where near as much as I had been. This is for a myriad of reasons. And I am kinda ok with that at this point of the journey.

I have a 2004 USA Fender P that I love, but given my lack of playing and the fact that I could use the money, (wife out of work, car issues, other general crap) I am toying with the idea of selling it and getting something of lesser value. These lesser-value basses, are not all that shabby these days. I am in one band, nothing crazy, certainly not professional (although I have pride and sound is important obviously lol)... that said, it is not so terrible to me to play something "cheaper".

Bigger picture I guess.
.
Do I want to keep it? Sure. It is a really nice bass that I've had for a considerable amount of time, holds it's valve, or even increases from what I am seeing.. Upgraded pickups, originals still retained.. It's well cared for and loved, but sometimes, life says "um, other plans pal.."

I guess my reason behind this thread is to inquire if others have been down this road.

Thanks for reading.

Actually, no. No, I haven't. Maybe it's because I've just been lucky, and haven't had to - or wanted to - get rid of any of my basses (well, there was one, but it was a duplicate of one I still have). And, maybe it's because all the basses I wanted, turned out to be basses I actually like to play. Which, considering I currently have 24 of the things, is pretty damned lucky. Some of them, like my Carvin LB-20, I got for cheap (although the original owner certainly did not); some, like my Alembic Epic or my German Hofner 500/2 Club Bass, were far from inexpensive (being a lefty is often kinda pricey). Some of them I've owned for decades, and some; only a few months. So, I suppose I'm just one of those people who don't buy things, only to get rid of them soon after. I still have things I bought as a kid, in the late 1950s; I honestly can't see myself ever voluntarily getting rid of them - or anything else. If Life circumstances ever required me to do so? Well... I guess I'll cross that bridge if - and when - I get to it...

 

[el murdoque]

luckily, I was never forced to give up precious gear to get much needed cash. I did so by choice, though.
After trying a bass that was about a third of the price of the one I was playing at that moment I took it home with me. My hands just agreed more with that one. It was the cheapest and most played bass I owned for quite a while.

 

[Geogio]

I saw the need to horse trade early on. Pawn shops late 60s, my dad in tow, my lawn and paper money in my pocket. Fixer uppers, ok between my dad and myself we could do all the necessary wiring...
So I never downgraded. I was in search of...
And there's been should haves, bad trades, deals, and a few pieces I wish I kept.

But that's been my approach.

 

[Oneud]

I went from a Dingwall to a Squier P Bass(Matt Freeman sig). The Dingwall was awesome, but the Squier also sounds great, feels great, and I enjoy playing it as much as I did the Dingwall. The Squier is my only bass at the moment

 

[DaveParker39]

No, however, when I had a $2000 budget for a bass, rather than buy a $2000 bass, I bought a $1000 bass and all of the crap I wanted to customize it (Bridge, D-Tuner, Pro install Brass Nut, Flats, EMG GZR).

 

[PennyroyalWe]

I've done it a lot. Usually because I find myself liking the cheaper bass/amp more than the expensive one, so I sell off the fancy gear.

I've had Fenders (MIA & MIM), a Carvin, a Gibson, and sold them all and kept my Squiers.

 

[juggahnaught]

I haven't had to do it, no. However....

A bass is just a bass. If you gotta sell it, sell it. As long as you have something you can make music with, you'll be alright.

(Also...you've got a modal that hasn't and won't really see any significant changes over time. If you sell it, you'll easily be able to find something equivalent when you're ready to buy again.)

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

I got my hands on a Fodera once. Enjoyed it while I had it. However; my gigs & tours involved rough environments. Due to the monetary anxiety of the bass getting damaged or stolen; I ended up playing a cheap-*ss backup mostly.

When I decided that it doesn't make sense; I sold the Fodera and bought a good bass which doesn't cost a fortune. Their price difference was a welcome cash into my pocket too.

No one really noticed or cared. Except a couple of bassist friends. I enjoyed the new bass also.

Considering your one-band situation; as long as you have an instrument without technical issues, which you can play comfortably and sounds good to you, you are probably good to go.

 

[2F/2F]

I have cleared out lower end things at times, but I intend hold on to good, quality tools for life – or at least till disability of my hands or nervous system.

Buying quality tools, and then selling them for less, is false economy. It might be expensive, but it isn't a "loss," if you use it long enough to get well more than your money's worth out of it.

You spent that money for a reason; find a way to keep the item. I would pick up additional work, or think of other things to sell, rather than to sell a quality item that I had already invested heavily into.

The only smart time to sell an expensive item that could last you for life is if you have already got your money's worth out of it, and then some.

 

[MattZilla]

I'd sooner socially downgrade / health upgrade to cycling everywhere and park the car for a while than sell a $1,500 anything.

The difference in effect it'd have on the bottom line is huge, and that's ignoring how often the universe seems to alert everyone of a desperation sale making for a bizarre no-buyers at any sane price situation.