Do your basses have sentimental value to you?

[Bob_Ross]

One of my basses my wife gave me for our 7th wedding anniversary.
One of my basses my best friend gave me for my undergraduate college graduation.

So those two are the ones with genuine "sentimental value"

A couple others I would deem "irreplaceable" for other reasons, but as I don't consider myself a sentimental person in general I would have to come up with a different explanation for my attachment to those.

 

[Korladis]

Something that I have only just realised as I am saving for a new bass (that's too good for my skill level ) is that I actually hold a quite a lot of sentimental value for the basses I have owned.

I've only owned a small few but I still even have my first bass (a $200 Squire Precision) though it's stored in a case under my bed and I can't imagine what would make me dig it out. Conversely I can't imagine giving it away/selling it though I'd struggle to articulate why

I don't expect many would be as severe as that but is there any basses you own - even though they might not be the 'best', what you're looking for right now or just a cheap old thing - that you just would not want to part with?

EDIT:
Interesting array of responses already!

I think it would be very interesting if people would like to add pics of the basses they do have an attachment to and why! I know I'd like to see them and hear the stories behind them

Absolutely. But it varies how much.

My first bass was just a beginner Peavey. But I'll never sell it, as it was a christmas gift from my parents and how I got my start playing bass.

My other basses hold less sentimental value but still quite a bit, especially my 4001, which was a restoration.

 

[TinIndian]

One does. I went on a 20 year hiatus from playing altogether and the only bass I kept was my 86 Peavey Foundation S that I bought new. Doubt I'll ever part with it. Has quite a bit of wear from being played heavily back in the day and isn't worth much on the market, but to me it's one I can never sell.

I still play it out every couple months or so. Doesn't deserve to be kept sitting in its case anymore. It did that long enough!

 

[malthumb]

Three of my basses have sentimental value, making it very likely that they will be inherited by my sons and not sold.

#1: 2000 Alembic Mark King Deluxe / Series II 5-string. First custom bass I ever ordered. Because I had four other Alembics before this, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted in terms of customization and I was NOT disappointed. Still the best bass I have ever played.

#2: 1987 Alembic Series I. Second or third best bass I have ever played (there was that 1979 Series II medium scale...). I bought this from Stanley Clarke. Nuff said.

#3 2002 Marchlewski 5-string. Second custom bass I ever ordered. Truly one of a kind, since the builder (Jacob Marchlewski) is now in the Honduras doing God's work (not joking...he and his family are now missionaries in Honduras). Closest to it is Wolfehollow's 4-string fretless. Wolfehollow drew up the original design. Some of the details on my bass (neck contour, bridge, scooped headstock surface) are my own ideas, thus the one-of-a-kind.

 

[AndreasR]

I swap instruments like crazy, so no.

 

[Nino Valenti]

My 1984 G&L L-2000 is my baby. I've owned it since late '93, early '94. It's pretty much in the condition I received it. It's been poorly refinished. The neck has no finish and has slightly twisted. It originally had a Kahler Trem but I removed it. plugged the hole and bought a G&L bridge from either ebay or here about 10 years ago or so.

She's heavy but the neck feel GREAT and sounds killer. I brought it to rehearsal last week and it kills. I don't play it much but I will never sell this bass.

 

[LowEndOperative]

No. The only sentimentality I've ever attached to a bass was one I wanted but never owned, a Univox Hi-Flier.

 

[JRA]

i think i get 'dependent' on instruments which play well for me and the dependency makes for some sentiment: i wouldn't sell them or treat them poorly because i depend on them (tools?). so i'm careful, respectful, yada yada. i think if i came upon a bass that really made me want to play it, i would have to get rid of one or more --- i could/would do it. that said: i haven't played any that compare to what i have already.

i'm currently thinking through the idea of selling a 20 year old custom build: and my hesitation comes from some sort of sentimentality. we'll see!

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

My wife is more sentimental about them than I am. I recently acquired a G&L SB-2 and planned to fund it by selling a Fender J I never play. She teared up because she had given me a custom pickguard for it for a birthday present. She demanded I never sell any basses again. I love my wife.

 

[lildrgn]

Funny. After a long hiatus from TB, I reset my password yesterday and have been nosing around. I've been reminiscing about my gear lately, writing about basses I had in high school (link), then teaching my son a bit about bass, and then about a bass I traded away several years ago and the hunt to track it down.

Long story short, I have had basses and have gotten attached. The Sterling in the aforementioned links is one I regret letting go. My current SB-2 will be with me forever. The DD Skyline is a cool bass, but I'm not married to it.

 

[Deleted member 264575]

You should tell that little kid to put his left hand a bit closer to the fret. ( just kidding).
Seriously, that's a fantastic shot. He really looks like he was concentrating on his playing! Thanks for sharing it!
I had one of those Trace Elliot heads, back in the day. Nice amp!

 

[lildrgn]

Here he is last week:

 

[Deleted member 264575]

Here he is last week:

With added size and improved technique! Well done. It must be so cool to pass it on....
(Nice Yamahas, too. Oak?)

 

[bassist4dalord]

Yep.

My Ibanez AEB5E acoustic bass was a Christmas present from my wife for our first Christmas as a married couple. She bought it with the intent that I would play it for our future children. Four years later both of my kids (ages 2 years and 6 months, respectively) love it and so do I.

My Schecter Raiden Special-4 was a gift from my wife got my first Father's Day, two years ago. Love that bass, too.

My Squier Standard Precision V was a Christmas present from my parents when I was in college. I used that bass for a bunch of ensembles and gigs in college. I don't particularly like the pickups in it but it's not worth it to sell and I'm too cheap to buy new pickups so I'll just hold on to it.

In the past I've gotten rid of things (specifically instruments) that have had sentimentality and have always regretted it.

 

[Marial]

Yes, for various reasons each of my basses is irreplaceable in its own way.

 

[99Z3]

Yes, they have a sentimental value to me.. I am sentimental to the fact that they are expensive!

 

[Sav'nBass]

My 78 Jazz ... I don't even play it anymore.. and I have thought about selling it.. Truth be told I don't even really like it anymore.. It's a 4 and the neck is too thin.. but it was my first real bass.. bought new from Alex Axe in March of 78. I am at work now and don't have any pics.. but i can edit some in when I get home..

 

[crucislancer]

I have one bass with sentimental value but that is quickly waning. It’s a MIM Jazz that my ex-wife gave me when we were dating, and it was my main bass for years. Very much a FrankenFender, the only original parts are the body and wiring harness. I keep it at my girlfriend’s apartment so if I am there I can get a few minutes of practice in. Thankfully she likes to listen to me play so no worries there. But, I have been thinking about selling it for something else, or just for some extra cash.

 

[lildrgn]

It turns out the Sterling I was tracking down has indeed been found. The owner resides in the UK and we have had a few friendly messages. I don't know if he's willing to part with it, but I believe I have first dibs.

 

[PWRL]

Not particularly. There've been a couple I'd buy back, but for the most part, stuff is just stuff to me.