Before discovering reverb.com I was regularly going through the bass guitar listings on ebay when, one evening, I came upon this uniquely natural yellow stained (as I thought) precision bodied bass listed out of Australia. Turns out the body wood wasn't stained at all but got its beautiful golden look from its Huon Pine, a protected wood from the Tasmanian Rainforest area of Australia. Reasonably priced, it seems like I thought about it throughout the night with the idea of purchasing it first thing in the morning. Much to my sadness....it had sold. Making it worse, still haven't seen anything like that since.....the one that got away.
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Do you recall "The One that Got Away"?
- Thread starter drjlux
- Start date
There was a Rickenbacker 4001c64 in TV Yellow, I think it was 1 of 5 that were made in 2011. I had talked to the guy via the phone, worked out the price and was waiting for some funds to transfer between accounts. The guy didn't pull it off reverb and it sold overnight and at that point he was obliged to honor the sale. I actually think he is here on TB, can't remember his name on here though.
That was one that got away, anytime I see something that catches my eye and I decide to get it I make sure to have payment ready or at least have the seller take their postings down while waiting for bank account transfers.
That was one that got away, anytime I see something that catches my eye and I decide to get it I make sure to have payment ready or at least have the seller take their postings down while waiting for bank account transfers.
Bacchus...hesitant about shipping from Japan.
Should've jumped on it.
Never saw another one.
Should've jumped on it.
Never saw another one.
I haven’t bought the squier 50s SCPB, although I’ve been eyeing it for at least 5 years. I guess I’ve postponed it because they are readily available. Does that still count ?
Pedulla PentaBuzz ... $1599 used at Guitar Center, and played and sounded like an absolute dream. I thought about it overnight as well, and it too was gone the next day.
Cool....Rickenbacker does some nice limited runs....twice I just about committed to buying one of their Laredo 4004L in "Snowglo" but guess the one I already have in Blue produces the hesitation. Oh well...maybe three times will be the charm.
my #1 got away from our GC then came back at under 1/2 the new price in an add 2mos later.
I was yard sale-ing with my mom about 2007-8, I was in high school and basically on a guitar player. One house had 3-4 cheap acoustics out and I asked why so many and she said her son ran a music shop before he died and these were some he had leftover. I talked a bit more and she said she had several nicer ones if I wanted to look. Most metal pointy style guitars. But one bass. A neat bass. It was an early-mid 70s Jazz bass. Still had the OHSC and dealer tags. The guy was a dealer and custom ordered this bass in a nonstandard Gold, it was block and bound, and was the absolute coolest bass I had played at that time(still probably top 5). I knew I couldn’t afford it as I literally spent all my savings to get my first car a few months before, so I almost didn’t want to know. I thanked her for showing me and for the stories and she said “you bring me $700 today and it’s yours.”
My heart sank, and still does. I tried to explain to my parents what a rare opportunity it was. They said it was all scratched up and declined to loan me the money. Definitely not their fault, but man…. I wish I had that bass today. Easily worth double, even then.
My heart sank, and still does. I tried to explain to my parents what a rare opportunity it was. They said it was all scratched up and declined to loan me the money. Definitely not their fault, but man…. I wish I had that bass today. Easily worth double, even then.
Oh yeah. When I was on the lookout for a new bass, I went to a shop in Antwerp called 'Strings and Things'. Between the Ricks, MM's and Fenders stood a lonely Wal JG. She had been modified and I remember thinking to myself: 'what's all the fuss about Wal basses anyway?'..... I played her for quite a bit there in the store, not touching any other bass, and yet for some reason I skipped buying her. For no real reason at all. She played very good, sounded very good, and the price was below 1000€ - so cheap enough for my budget at the time.
Like a cocksure idiot I went and bought an American Standard P-bass instead. I regretted my foolishness days later - unable to return the P-bass where I bought it, and the Wal had been bought and disappeared into a seam in the universe, never to return.
She had a blueish body.....
I cannot forgive myself - I need professional help.
Like a cocksure idiot I went and bought an American Standard P-bass instead. I regretted my foolishness days later - unable to return the P-bass where I bought it, and the Wal had been bought and disappeared into a seam in the universe, never to return.
She had a blueish body.....
I cannot forgive myself - I need professional help.
Ibanez GWB35, there was one at my local guitarcenter for a really really low price. Played it long enough to bond with it. After I left I couldn’t get it out of my head and well, you all know the rest…
Do I remember? Do I ever! She married a photographer from Idaho. Thankfully, the next one has stuck around for almost 28 years.
Oh, wait…. You’re talking about basses, aren’t you?
There have been a few:
Philadelphia, 1996, pawn shop: a Carvin LB-50 fretless in koa with an ebony board for $400. It played and sounded great. I could have offered $350 and they probably would have taken it. To this day I’m still not sure why I didn’t buy it.
Chelsea Guitars, NYC, 1994 or ‘95, a late ‘60s Dan Armstrong lucite bass with an extra large case containing both a fretted and a fretless neck. I’ve never seen another set like it. It was in great condition and they wanted $1200. I didn’t have the cash handy. what was I thinking?!? I should have sold a kidney!
Rogue Music, NYC, 1995-ish, a Stuart Spector bass from his initial run of instruments. The serial number was, IIRC, below 50. I never had much interest in his basses…. Until I played that one! I think they were asking $1600. Cosmetically it was no beauty queen. I passed on it and kicked myself a few times since then.
Oh, wait…. You’re talking about basses, aren’t you?
There have been a few:
Philadelphia, 1996, pawn shop: a Carvin LB-50 fretless in koa with an ebony board for $400. It played and sounded great. I could have offered $350 and they probably would have taken it. To this day I’m still not sure why I didn’t buy it.
Chelsea Guitars, NYC, 1994 or ‘95, a late ‘60s Dan Armstrong lucite bass with an extra large case containing both a fretted and a fretless neck. I’ve never seen another set like it. It was in great condition and they wanted $1200. I didn’t have the cash handy. what was I thinking?!? I should have sold a kidney!
Rogue Music, NYC, 1995-ish, a Stuart Spector bass from his initial run of instruments. The serial number was, IIRC, below 50. I never had much interest in his basses…. Until I played that one! I think they were asking $1600. Cosmetically it was no beauty queen. I passed on it and kicked myself a few times since then.
1960 Epiphone Newport.
I found it in a local shop and wanted it immediately upon trying it. It had ancient flats on it...just my style. Unfortunately I couldn't afford it.
I visited that shop for several months just to sit and play it for a while to fill my soul with its greasy tones. During one of my visits the manager approached me and we talked about the bass for quite a while. He asked if I'd like to arrange a payment plan. I said I'd think about it but I knew I had to decline. I continued to visit the shop to play it. One day I stopped in and...it was gone.
I found it in a local shop and wanted it immediately upon trying it. It had ancient flats on it...just my style. Unfortunately I couldn't afford it.
I visited that shop for several months just to sit and play it for a while to fill my soul with its greasy tones. During one of my visits the manager approached me and we talked about the bass for quite a while. He asked if I'd like to arrange a payment plan. I said I'd think about it but I knew I had to decline. I continued to visit the shop to play it. One day I stopped in and...it was gone.
No basses got away. . . . but I let one go, which I regret, a lot.
It was a Mike Lull M5V Jazz with Brazilian rosewood board, burst, tort and 18v Aguilar preamp and it only weighed 8.5lbs.
Yep, I sold it when the Sadowsky came along!!! How I wish I hadn't done that!
It was a Mike Lull M5V Jazz with Brazilian rosewood board, burst, tort and 18v Aguilar preamp and it only weighed 8.5lbs.
Yep, I sold it when the Sadowsky came along!!! How I wish I hadn't done that!
A '70s Jetglo Rickenbacker 4001 in a store in New Brunswick, Canada for about $1200 Canadian dollars. Fredericton New Brunswick is waaay off the beaten path. Was really surprised. I'd never played a Ric I liked due to thick and clumsy necks. But this one didn't have that and played well and it opened my eyes to what a good Ric is capable of. It had a non-original replacement tuner, but besides that and some nice wear, it was fine. Some local guy had brought it in and was done with it.
1. Ampeg "Devil" bass at a long-defunct Mom & Pop guitar store in Boston. I had cash out on the counter when the Owner walked out and slung some BS about how it was tagged wrong by $100, which was $100 more than I had, so I walked.
2. Alembic "Persuader" some Sketchy looking guy was trying to sell at EU Wurlitzer Boston in the early 80's. They wouldnt go high as he wanted, so he offered it to me and the other guy drooling over it, I got outbid. In retrospect, I'm pretty sure it was stolen, no case, no paperwork, so maybe I dodged a Karma Bullet.
2. Alembic "Persuader" some Sketchy looking guy was trying to sell at EU Wurlitzer Boston in the early 80's. They wouldnt go high as he wanted, so he offered it to me and the other guy drooling over it, I got outbid. In retrospect, I'm pretty sure it was stolen, no case, no paperwork, so maybe I dodged a Karma Bullet.
yes and no. In 66 I got my first 'real' bass, a 60s something sunburst Fender Precision ($400 used). A couple of years later I sold all my stuff and went to tech school [definitely the right move]. Years later I got back into playing again. Of course, went back to a P bass (first one was a black MIM). Soon after I got another sunburst P. There were 4 more of these that I bought, then sold, to finance some other model of bass [there have been many]. What finally ended this cycle was getting a Squier sunburst P. It looks and sounds and plays essentially the same, it didn't cost an arm and a leg and although I don't play it that often, I'm keeping it. For the ones that got away - no regrets.
Yes and I have told this story in the past I was driving through the park in a near by town on my way to the office, I seen a guitar case near a stack of garbage I notice as I drove by the big letter G embossed on it so I moved over to park as I was getting out the the car I saw another car had pulled up behind me and he had the case already in hand he open it and pulled out a Gibson EB-O bass guitar I was like what the hell he threw into the car and drove around me if I just would have stop at the driveway it would have been mine, but no Mr goody two shoes moved up not to block the drive way and lost
if I just would have stop at the driveway it would have been mine, but no Mr goody two shoes moved up not to block the drive way and lost
