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Do you recall "The One that Got Away"?

#21
A 1965 Fender P. In my first band, the bass player ( I played guitar ), went out and bought a new one, and we played high school dances. I went to college, he went to Nam, and left the bass with me. I was still playing guitar when he returned, and gave it back to him. He said I could have it as he was not in to playing anymore, but I said no. Years later, I switched to bass, but he had moved away by then. As I recall, it had the black LaBellas on it and had better action than my Fender Mustang !
 
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#22
I was in graduate school at UNC/Chapel Hill back in the mid 80's - at the time, I didn't have a bass, but had a Roland Juno 106 synth (long time keys player). I perused through a music store in Durham, and they had a beautiful Spector NS-4, cherry top. Not sure of the exact year, late 70's...maybe. They wanted $450 for it. I was going to trade the Roland for the bass, but changed my mind at the last minute. was it a good decision? well, I'll never know. But when I look at the prices for used Spectors in that age range, it's like, ***, should I have done it? Eh, still bugs me a bit when I think of it. Thanks for getting me riled up, drjlux! LOL...JK.
 
#23
Squier James Johnston Jazz Bass

upload_2022-3-3_6-45-13.jpeg


all it needed was a red torte pick guard.
 
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#24
Nope, not really. I might have wanted it from the specs and pictures but since I never played it, how do I know what I missed.

I think I might have liked one or two but I never pulled the trigger for one reason or another.
 
#26
Ahhh, it would have been way too much bass for me at the time but when I was probably about 14 I went to guitar center and spent hours playing a stingray 5 HH in pace car blue with gold hardware. I LOVED that bass and it looked incredible. Another one that didn’t really get away but I had a Warwick corvette std 5 string made in Germany for about ten years. I was ready to move on from it in 2019 so I sold it for another bass, I only got $400 for it…those basses tend to be over a grand now if I’m not mistaken, ugh what a poor choice.
 
#28
drjlux said:
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.
Click to expand...
One?
Many!
And it is painful to recall :woot:
so I’d rather not:wideyed:
And to make it more painful most instances of this for me were items that were comparatively underpriced.

Oh the pain just typing about it…
upload_2022-3-3_8-58-51.gif
 
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#29
I was bidding on a very strange bass on eBay in ~1998 and my dial-up connection fritzed out at the very last minute, returning back online just in time to see that it had sold for $150. It was a neck-thru Precision with the brand name “Mann” in the headstock. I’ve never seen another one since then.
 
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#31
A few years ago, I was playing a show in a city about an hour away from home. I drove down early to get some lunch and check out a couple music stores.

A Music-Go-Round had a '70s Ovation Magnum IV up on the wall that I had seen on their website, which had been listed for at least a year by this point. I picked it up and played it for a while. The graphic EQ was stiff and crackly, and pretty much all the electronics needed a thorough cleaning. But it didn't weigh a ton, played really nicely, and was all original, including a hardshell case with a nasty crack in it.
They had it listed at $900. I said, "This thing's pretty ugly, and I know you've had it for a while. Would you take $500 today?"

The kid working the counter smiled and said "i bet we can work something out." Went to the back to talk to a co-worker or something. Came back and said "I can't do it right now, but let me get your phone number and our manager will give you a call. I know he's been looking to unload this thing, I bet your chances are good."
Never heard from the manager. :(

This photo isn't the EXACT bass, just a visual representation of all that could have been.
ovation-hOEymXx.jpg
 
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#32
Seems I am always a minute too late on the great deal's that do come up from time to time. I once had the chance I guess you could call it of buying a legit 90's MIA Fender Precision for only $200, (garage sale). I did not have enough cash on me at that time and by the time I went to the ATM and came back of course it was gone. Sad thing is it did not even occur to me to ask if they would hold it for me while I went to the ATM... :thumbsdown: A mistake I'll never make again.
 
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#33
1974 Fender Jazz Bass @ Willy's American Guitars in Minneapolis/St.Paul, Summer 1998. Near Mint condition, perfect action, already had a hipshot installed, every note went 'burp'. 2 grand U.S... I just didn't have the scratch at the time.
 
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#34
There are two:

First was a 1970s Pedulla EL-10B bass. Super cool looking, very rare and going for $850. (listing below)

1970's Vintage Pedulla EL-10B Bass | Rockin Bob's Guitars | Reverb
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Second was more of a catch and release: it was a beautiful 1975 Fender Mustang bass that I got for a great price. Unfortunately, at the same time, I had won a '68 Mustang competition bass on Ebay (which was in pretty rough shape). I was a broke 20-something that could barely afford ONE vintage bass let alone two. So I sold the 75 and kept the Competition. Most of the parts on the Comp weren't original and I've had to do a good amount of work on it (pickup was bubbling up, needed string ferrules and a neck plate).
 
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#36
I have three:

-Fodera AJ6 (the original double-cutaway). Like-new condition, on the rack at Rudy's for $3200.
I couldn't sleep the night after I played it. This would have been around 1998.

-Pre-fire Dingwall Voodoo Bass Z2 (essentially, the earliest version of the Sklar bass).
Could have bought it NOS for $1600. Didn't have the money. Probably about 2004.

-A Warwick Streamer Stage II, probably from the early '90s.
Wenge/afzelia with factory EMGs. Just one of those basses that did everything right. $1400 at the time.

Oh well...
 
#38
Most recently a Schecter stiletto studio 6 FL. Much like someone had just posted, the only one I could find was a single listing I was watching on Reverb. Thought "WTH, maybe I'll use my tax return" and treat myself, but it ended up selling first.

Also, gotta count any of the last times I saw a Handbox R-400 amp head for sale used anywhere. Caught a few that popped up used at GC and one on Reverb as well a few years back, though each time I didn't really have the extra funds to buy one outright. Then the pandemic hit, and I haven't seen one for sale since. Could have, and should have just gone to my local GC in a heartbeat to trade up some lesser used gear for one of those amps in hindsight..
 
#40
A friend was selling a B00 MusicMan Stingray in a very rare gold color. (I can't even find a pic on the net.) He let me borrow it for a week. Strung with Optima flats this thing had amazing tone and played perfectly. I've never owned a 'Ray and b/c the neck neck had been refinished, and it was expensive, I passed. He sold it to a guy in Italy. Italy?!?

Man, I still kick myself...
 
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