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

#81
No.
I traditionally lose all of my basses to either theft or destruction. My last collection of 6 or 7 basses was destroyed in an incident with a mentally ill family member a little over 2 years ago. And I've started losing my memory on all the other times I've been cleaned out entirely of all my musical gear through some kind of breakin or incident or whatever.

I've lost bass collections enough times now that I've lost count. But what I've learned in the process is, once you go with good basses, you never want to go back to less good ones, even if you have 0 basses and have to buy them all all over again as I always do.

My last collection had my Carvins, two Bunnies and a Bromberg 5, a 4003, my beloved L2000 unlined, and a couple others. So when I had to rebuy everything this time, the bar was pretty high.

I went with a Tony Franklin and Jaco Artist, and not too long ago an L2000 fretted bass. Expensive, but I just couldn't "downgrade" after having such nice basses in the past.

If (or likely when) my current stable gets stolen or destroyed, I'll probably have to buy equivalents or better the next time too, like always. IF there is a next time: I'll probably just quit altogether after these get nicked - I'm going deef as a post anyway :).

It is true that selling a good/prized/higher end/etc. bass to fund a less good bass never works out financially. It seems like it will, but it never does. It's nearly always cheaper to just keep the good one through whatever playing lulls you go through, and just pick it back up if the interest/time/etc. ever reappears.

So not a good idea, IMO.

L
 
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#82
DanBass said:
We do that, believe me.. But the barrage of issues destroyed any smallish "nest egg" or emergency fund of sorts that we had. I have cut so many corners, it is round.

1) My wife's Mom passed just prior to Christmas after a lengthy illness. We had to fly back and forth from FL to PA during her illness as well as after she passed. Family issues caused us to had to put out considerable funds for things associated with the multiple trips. Hotels (long story.. you'd think we could stay with family.... no..) rental cars (silly prices) etc etc.. Her Mom was such a fantastic lady - that has really been beyond difficult.

2) wife fell and broke her arm and severely dislocated her shoulder. She cannot work and the medical bills are hanging there.. Been bobbing and weaving those like Marvin Hagler. Her inability to work essentially cut our household income in half. Drastic effect not only financially but mentally as well.

3) Hit a deer and totaled car... no comprehensive, stupid, yes.. couldn't file a claim.. I had no idea. So car kaput.. had to figure out a plan B.. rebuilding something from ground zero, piece by piece with my limited auto acumen. I am mortified I dropped the ball here and with her car no less... Plan B car has been a work in progress, me trying to do what I can when I can and get it up and running. But again, I am upset that it was my fault.

4) other remaining car - needed $1000 worth of brake work.. this was just a few weeks ago. Ouch. But can't mess with those.

There is more, but these all and then some occurred in a stinking 6 month time frame..

I mean sheesh... at least give a guy a chance to rebound. Sigh. Nope. I have always been a go-getter, but man this has really tested my resolve.
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Yikes! That's terrible. Hope things improve. Good luck with the sale and if you wind up downgrading to a Squier it's not much of a drop in quality.

"I have cut so many corners, it is round." You still have your sense of humour. :D
 
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#83
luciens said:
No.
I traditionally lose all of my basses to either theft or destruction. My last collection of 6 or 7 basses was destroyed in an incident with a mentally ill family member a little over 2 years ago. And I've started losing my memory on all the other times I've been cleaned out entirely of all my musical gear through some kind of breakin or incident or whatever.

I've lost bass collections enough times now that I've lost count. But what I've learned in the process is, once you go with good basses, you never want to go back to less good ones, even if you have 0 basses and have to buy them all all over again as I always do.

My last collection had my Carvins, two Bunnies and a Bromberg 5, a 4003, my beloved L2000 unlined, and a couple others. So when I had to rebuy everything this time, the bar was pretty high.

I went with a Tony Franklin and Jaco Artist, and not too long ago an L2000 fretted bass. Expensive, but I just couldn't "downgrade" after having such nice basses in the past.

If (or likely when) my current stable gets stolen or destroyed, I'll probably have to buy equivalents or better the next time too, like always. IF there is a next time: I'll probably just quit altogether after these get nicked - I'm going deef as a post anyway :).
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about the incident. I've wondered how I would go about replacing my gear should it ever be lost/destroyed. I might actually go with cheaper stuff. The quality has improved a lot and I've played some less expensive instruments e.g. Yamaha that were impressive.
 
#84
Bass Viking said:
Sorry to hear about the incident. I've wondered how I would go about replacing my gear should it ever be lost/destroyed. I might actually go with cheaper stuff. The quality has improved a lot and I've played some less expensive instruments e.g. Yamaha that were impressive.
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I always had to replace my basses The Old Fashioned Way, by just buying all the SOB's again and again :). The Rick 4003 is the only bass I've always had at least one of, played or not, in the collection for at least 25 years. And that I haven't replaced. I've lost so many Ricks I can't remember all the ones I've had. But haven't been able to fund one yet. Working on it tho... :)

L
 
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#85
OldSchoolFlats said:
...at the risk of starting a "Holy War", perhaps there might be some local assistance in your area: churches, local gov. With the cost of food, it wouldn't take much in the way of food assistance to hit $800, over time.
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Probably take just a few weeks to reach $800! In our house food is the number 1 expense. My wife is good about combing the flyers for sales. :thumbsup:
 
#86
pbassnut said:
I don't see where selling your 2004 USA Fender P that you love and buying a lesser cost Pacific Rim offering is going to net you enough money to make any kind of real difference in your life. I'd say keep your good P and enjoy it. Life is short ... grab (and hold onto) the gusto while you can.
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I agree with this. And if you end up "upgrading" the cheaper import (which many seem to do), you're moving back toward the value of the one you sacrificed, except the upgrade $$ is not retrievable.

Still, you gotta do what you gotta do. Tough situation. BTDT in the past, hope I never have to again. Good luck.
 
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#89
perfektspace6 said:
I would ask yourself whether the money from the sale of the bass will make an appreciable difference financially. If it does, then the argument to sell is strong. For example, you can cover a costly auto repair for a vehicle that you need to get to work. If the sale income isn't going to change anything, like it goes toward a 100k debt that will become a 98k debt, then maybe keep the bass and look at other solutions.

Money stress is the worst and I wish you the best.
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This +100.

Although it might be noble to sell your instrument you should consider if doing so would actually improve your circumstances or just be an empty gesture. You might end up staying in roughly the exact same situation but with a lesser instrument that you may become almost antagonistic towards because of what it represents.
 
#90
Yes, kinda....I used to play at this really rough joint, people walked across the stage to go in & out. I used to play a Fender P, heard all the talk about the Sterling Ray4, so I got it to play at this dive. I have not quit playing is since. Went back to the fender P, but could not get used to the single muddy sound. So I have sold the P. Someday I will Look for another humbucker bass. (Side note, I have been bashed about suggesting people buy a bass that has a good resale.)
 
#92
Bass Viking said:
That's a nice gesture but I disagree that it was "the right thing to do". You owned the bass free and clear with no obligations attached as soon as you bought it. You obviously bonded with it. You don't owe the previous owner anything. If his financial situation improves then he is free to buy another Sting Ray.
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I didn't see it that way but you're welcome to your opinion and views on the matter. I only know his sale to me was an act of desperation and, while I was under no obligation to offer it back to him, I, personally, felt it was the right thing to do. If he said I could keep it, I would have gladly done that. I didn't force him to buy it back; I made the offer and he took it. I would like to be afforded the same courtesy if the shoe were on the other foot. Again, just my view on the matter and I'm not pushing my agenda on anyone. Additionally, my point being to the original poster that nothing lasts forever and circumstances may change for the better at a moment's notice.
 
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#94
Yes.

There will never be a shortage of awesome basses and gear to go after. It sucks to sell off a bass you love, but you need to do what you need to do. Nothing says you cant get another USA Fender in the future, or something else you want.

Most important thing is to keep playing. If you have to go from your USA Fender to a Squier or something more affordable, that's perfectly fine. Just keep playing.
 
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#95
I downgraded once I got tired of the cycle of selling and buying. I couldn't afford more than one high end bass at a time, so for years I tried finding the "perfect" one, but you don't know what that is without experiencing a range of specs. Once I worked out what I like--Novak pickups and short scales--I bought a modded MIJ lawsuit bass, a Kasuga EB-3, with two Novaks worth twice as much as the entire bass. In a recent lapse, I bought another weird bass and put the Kasuga up for sale, but I changed the strings from Chromes to Hi Beams and fell in love with it again. If you know the pickups and scale you like, and are a little too penurious for a stable of hot brands, modding a lawsuit bass to your needs is a great bet.
 
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#97
Ben Esparza said:
I didn't see it that way but you're welcome to your opinion and views on the matter. I only know his sale to me was an act of desperation and, while I was under no obligation to offer it back to him, I, personally, felt it was the right thing to do. If he said I could keep it, I would have gladly done that. I didn't force him to buy it back; I made the offer and he took it. I would like to be afforded the same courtesy if the shoe were on the other foot. Again, just my view on the matter and I'm not pushing my agenda on anyone. Additionally, my point being to the original poster that nothing lasts forever and circumstances may change for the better at a moment's notice.
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That's cool. :thumbsup: But be aware, there are people out there who will make up sob stories to get what they want (not saying this happened in your case). In another thread, the OP bought a Fender Marcus Miller Jazz bass. A few weeks later the seller posted on Facebook that he wanted it back, he had sold it in error and it had sentimental value. A number of posters said the buyer should be nice and sell it back, karma, right thing to do, etc. The buyer had already put money into the bass and offered to sell it back for an extra $200 to cover the cost of the upgrades, which is fair. The seller refused stating he could get a cheaper one elsewhere. So much for sentimental value.

Here is the thread: Seller wants his bass back?

Personally, if I sold an instrument during hard times (or any other circumstances) I would never expect to see it again. You can always buy another one.
 
#98
I don't think it's worth it. Sell and make $1,000. Buy a low end P for $300. I mean, it's $700 but is it really going to help in the long run? IDK. I've debated downgrading just because I sometimes feel guilty for having 3 basses that average maybe $2,300 each, but they are paid for and I like them. I suppose if something happened and I needed money I could sell a couple and get by with one, but I'd probably use another option, like a HELOC to get through the short term crisis.
 
#99
SteveC said:
I don't think it's worth it. Sell and make $1,000. Buy a low end P for $300. I mean, it's $700 but is it really going to help in the long run? IDK. I've debated downgrading just because I sometimes feel guilty for having 3 basses that average maybe $2,300 each, but they are paid for and I like them. I suppose if something happened and I needed money I could sell a couple and get by with one, but I'd probably use another option, like a HELOC to get through the short term crisis.
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Good question.

That said, for me, actually it would. It would give me some much needed cushion that I currently don't have. You have to understand that every situation is different. $700 in the bank is better than $35.00.. With things looming... $700 is nothing to some, but a fortune to others. Doesn't make it suck any less, as I love the bass, but to stave off the sleep denying anxiety and worry, I try and tell myself it is worth it.

A HELOC isn't an option for everyone... And definitely not an option in my case.

Believe me, I wish there were other options aside from selling cherished items..

Lord knows my hookin' days are behind me. ;)
 
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