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Do your basses have sentimental value to you?

#101
I'm a pretty sentimental guy, but I have parted with basses that I used on hundreds of gigs: a '96 USA Fender P-Bass and, later, a Lakland Skyline Duck Dunn. I also long ago traded an inexpensive '70s acoustic guitar that my late parents gave me for my confirmation.
This may seem a little heartless, but for different reasons I was ready for a change in all these instances. I did replace he sunburst/rosewood Fender with a 2015 model last year that's a couple of notches above my '96.
 
#102
Yes - anything you spend that much time with and put your soul into has to, IMO.

First picture is my 70s parts Fender - bought when I was 18 over 30 years ago looking like !@#$%~. After playing it all this time, I restored it this winter. Second picture is the "before".

Third picture is my Lull P4. I bought it about 14 years ago when I first got heavy into Motown. I wanted a good P, but even at that time 70s Fenders were crazy expensive. I got this bass for about a thousand less than a '76 sunburst P.
 

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#103
Tons if sentimental value in my instruments. I'll never part with my Geddy Lee jazz. My fretless Ibanez was my engagement bass, but as my marriage is dissolving amicably I've been granted "permission" to sell it if I want. I will once I can replace it with a good fretless 5 that plays nicely with piccolo strings. My acoustic guitar was a steal and its indestructible, my strat is just a great kick-around standard tuned axe, my 61 Norma is the lightest guitar I've ever played.

And my Hagstrom, still in pieces in the basement, will soon be a HELLUVA bass with the Guild reissue bisonic
 
#107
I've posted this many times before, but it's still relevant:

My 1982 G&L L2000-E was purchased after the passing of the original owner. I came into contact with his son and purchased another bass from him. When I bought that bass, I saw this one on the wall and fell in love with it. However, he was not ready to sell it as it was his dad's favorite bass.

It took a number of months of conversations to prove my dedication to bass guitar and passion for music and to earn the opportunity to purchase this bass.

I absolutely appreciate its historical provenance, and the story behind it. It has become my number one, and I could never sell it.

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#108
My 77 Jazz: My brother bought it new in the early mid-80's, toured with heavily for over a decade. I bought it off him several years ago, it's to heavy to gig all night with, but it has a fantastic neck. I grew up watching him play it.
My 96 Stingray: I bought new in 1996, one of the first in my area to have a MM Stingray, it was my main bass throughout the 90's and early 2000's and I probably logged nearly a thousand gigs with it. This bass represents my glory days when I did music full time with a very popular long running band.
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#110
My first Carvin Icon - the left-hand bass in my avatar. I'd been GASing for it for several years and my wife let me order it for my 50th birthday. It is the one bass of my current four that I would never part with under any circumstances. I may follow a previous poster's lead and have it put into my will that it be buried or cremated along with me.
 
#112
Just the ones I've built... Mass-produced instruments are replaceable. You can always find something as good or better later on down the road (or just across the street).

I'm not calous or emotionless. I just don't empart emotional value to things. Possessions can end up owning you and weighing you down.

I've had to give up prized guitars/basses in hard times, and some of them hurt to let go of because they were great (or valuable) instruments. But never did I think I was losing a piece of my soul that I'd never recover. I also don't hang on to instruments that no longer work for me. When you refuse to let things go out of sentiment, it prevents other (better) things from coming into your life.

Guitars can have 'character' and 'personality', but they're not family members... As much as we like to anthropomorphize them, they're not people. And you'll never lose the fond memories and experiences you had with the instrument, even if you don't still physically have it in your possession.
 
#115
Evidently not. I bought my first P around the end of 72. Nice bass but sold it to get a 66 P, which was my main player until roughly 2007(?), fending off a parade of Jazzes, BC Rich's, Music Men, an Ibby or two, more P's, fretlesses and an upright to remain my main player. Ugly bass it was but very light, great neck, and whatever pickups they put in 66's. I had to sell, felt some remorse but was absolutely stunned at what I was able to get for the thing and thrilled that the buyer was thrilled.

The only attachment I have to my current two is financial. They are both either modded or parts basses and I literally could not sell them without loss.
I have lots of fun with these but since they are pretty much without value and I don't gig enough to justify any additional stuff, i can build any more. Rats.
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#117
My 96 Fender Jazz was bought at the midnight madness sale at GC in Boston with my friend Nick Nichols who died a few days before Christmas 1999. Every time I play it I think of him. He was a great musician and friend. My wife bought me an F-Bass BN5 that is a masterpiece that is my #1 and my sister came into an inheritance and bought me a Lakland U.S. Bob Glaub #85 and I could never part with any of them. These basses are very special to me.
 
#118
The late '60s EB-2 is one I will never part with. I rarely play it these days, but it's the last one I will ever part with. It's been around for more than 30 years, and it came to me in an amusing way. It's had me and I've had it longer than I have known my wife. It's one of a very few things and people I can say that about.
 
#119
I was 22, working in a used book shop that sold everything but prided itself on weird theater, counterculture, protest literature... run by a guy from the 60s generation. I was one of the gen x kids behind the counter and ran the place like a bar, with neighborhood regulars, fun times, drama, a lot of hitting on/being hit on by customers... the shop was a place to stop when making the rounds for many people. One guy used to come in, he knew I played bass and he used to as well, he played in a surf band back in the day. We would talk about music, gigging, bands from his era, from mine. One day he said he had arthritis and couldn't play any more, and wanted to sell me his bass. He wanted *me* to have it, and would sell it to me for whatever I could afford. I was working in a used book shop, so I could afford little. This is how I bought my 77 Jazz for $400, too young to know he was basically giving it to me out of kindness. In fact, I bargained him down a little. It has seen me through thick and thin and many musical evolutions. It plays and sounds like a dream and I never, ever, let out of my sight. At gigs, I go take a piss with it. Every time. When everyone leaves their gear in the rehearsal studio while getting some fresh air, I'm lugging my heavy bass. People give me a little s*** about it. But hey, that's my bass. And that's my story!
 
#120
Mine does. It's ugly, but over 17 years we've bonded. The neck feels just right, it sounds just right. I've bought and sold many basses in between, but this one always dodges the axe - even when I sold everything... except this one bass. I'm mostly pragmatic about my gear, but this bass is special to me.
 

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