One bass that I will never part with. My 71 Jazz body with 68 neck I've owned for 35 years. Been through alot. Started off black,filed the frets down to make it fretless, gave it to a friend who owned a bodyshop to repaint it in pearlesecent white who had it for so long I demanded he buy it from me, didn't see it for 2 years then went to his place and saw it leaning up against the wall STILL not done. He GAVE it back to me. Sat in my basement for years unplayed while I promiscuously had my way with about 70 other basses. Then decided to have it refinished in classic sunburst,re-fretted,plek'd,put Lollar single coils in it,Badass bridge, new Hipshot classics, and tried TI flats for the first time on it. It now is the most amazing sounding bass I've ever owned (see profile). Spent years woodshedding on that instrument early on. Told my daughter that after I die she gets it and I'd like her to hang it on the wall in her house so she'll remember me every time she sees it. To me it represents my lifelong love of music and bass.
Sure I know it's just a "tool". But to me it's the only inanimate object I own that feels like part of me.
That's how much an instrument can mean to someone.