Has anyone ever just give you an instrument

[Chris cook]

1st time -1977 I just started working at a carwash , On my 3rd day I was towel drying cars , While drying a car the driver asked me if I play guitar , I do , why I asked he said come over to the vacuums , I went over , he opens his trunk and pulls out a guitar case opens it , Ibanez in the early 70s weren't well known , I don't remember if I ever heard of IBANEZ ,
He brought out a sweet Blonde Ibanez les Paul copy , I probably said Kool guitar or something like that , he put back in the case and asked me again if I can play guitar , yes sir.
He handed me the case then said It's yours. I never Saw him before and
He never came through the carwash again that I knew about anyway . He shook my hand , said enjoy it . Got in his car and left .
Why did he give me a guitar ?
No Idea
2nd time - 2012 - a badass SPECTOR NS - 95 , I didn't know that at the time I knew nothing about the bass I heard of Spector basses, that's all
A friend just gives it to me for free
He never told me why and honestly I never asked. I played it every show for 2 yrs .
A monster bass
3rd time - 2020 given an All original pre 1920 Silvertone 5 string banjo & a pre 1940 Kay lapsteel guitar .
They were really kool , I don't do banjo or lapsteel
Sold both a year later for pretty good money.
4th time - last year given a dean acoustic bass
a Crate bass amp , I use it to this day.
I think I have Luck of the Irish
Why ?
I'm 1/2 Irish ; ? )

 

[LiptonJigglers]

No but I did "just give" a Schecter Diamond Studio 4 to a friend to hang in his pool room - bar area.
A nice bit of furniture...
That's about all it was good for..

 

[bobba66]

No.

 

[Bass V]

probably, but I've been doing the giveaways recently so we should be getting lots of yeses.

 

[comatosedragon]

Yes!

I was actually gifted a bass and an amp about 20-22 years ago by someone I didn't know, but knew I played bass through a work acquaintance.

The gifter was moving away, and did not appreciate what the local pawn shops offered for the items, so wanted the items to get some use.

I don't remember the make of the bass (the bass was a black 5 string, something not top-shelf like maybe a Samick or something. No idea). I remember even less about the amp, I think it was a 2*10.

So what did I do with this generous gift?

Well, I loaded it into my car, brought it to (most likely) the very same pawn shop, and sold it. Probably for like $100 or $150. Then I went to a bar and got wasted.

Yes, I was an @$$hole.

I don't drink anymore though.

(still an @$$hole though).

 

[Tari]

Never. Not even my parents. I had to save money and pay for all my gear myself.

 

[javi_bassist]

Yes, a year ago. The bass player of a friend's band moved to another country. He took his number 1 bass but he didn't want a secondhand short scale Marchis. Since I like weird old basses, I asked my friend if he was going to sell it because I was interested. He just gave it to me and said "it's yours now".

 

[Smith357]

I was given many instruments as a child by my parents, a guitar, a mandolin, a baritone horn, harmonicas, and there was always a piano. Music was a requirement in their house, all us kids had to learn at least one instrument, and play a sport in school. I chose guitar and hockey.

As an adult, no one has given me an instrument.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Being a Luthier, yes, people have given me quite a few guitars (and basses, and other instruments) over the years. Sort of like being an animal shelter. Often a nice instrument that just needs a little work. The usual story is that they don't play any more, or it belonged to a late family member or an Ex. They appreciate that it has some value, but don't want the hassle of selling it. They're asking me to find it a good home. Many of them I've ended up giving away to a youngster who is getting interested in instruments and Lutherie, as a project for them to fix up and keep.

One of the funniest ones I remember: I was in my shop working, and heard a knock on the door. When I opened the door, a car drove away. And there was a very pretty golden archtop acoustic guitar on my porch. Nice condition, no case, missing the strings and bridge. A drop and run abandonment. I don't play much guitar, but I've kept that one in my own collection.

 

[SteveHeissner]

No. But I've given away 4 basses over the years.

 

[Gunga Din]

I've been gifted an expensive Lowden acoustic by a GF, and a bass I sold to a friend gave me it back after a year, knowing that I regretted selling it.

I've given guitars to my son. I also walked into an Italian resto I used to frequent, a guitar case in my hand. I enjoyed my Dinner and chatted with the waiter whose son I knew wanted and electric guitar. I asked him how it was going with the so and he said 'No guitar yet!' so I took a Tele copy out of the case and handed it to him. 'That's for your laddie!' I said.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I played with a guitarist who made his own guitars for about 8 years. When he passed, his widow gave me an unfinished project.

 

[klattman]

I was given an acoustic guitar 25 yrs ago by a mentor. The only condition was that it couldn’t be sold. If I wanted to get something else I had to give it to someone else who needed it.

I’ve since given away gear with the same conditions.

 

[Queue]

My brother lives in a small town, that has a really cool music store. We were killing time one day and popped in.

On the wall was a used Epiphone EB0, that had wonky looking tuners, and some other "customizations". Being a fan of the original Alice Cooper band, I've always been fond of the SG shape. (On the back cover of Love it to Death, all three guitars, including Dennis Dunaway's bass were SG shaped.)

I'd been GASsing for a while for one, but not actively searching, and bang, here one was! I pulled it from the wall and plugged it in, and played it. My brother grabbed a nearby guitar and started jamming with me.

He asked the store owner "how much?" The response was, that'll need a little work, how about $150? My brother is very generous, and likes to support his local store, so he pulled out his wallet, and bought me the bass!

I've since replaced the tuners with some Grovers, and upgraded to bridge to a Hipshot, so I think I have invested about the same in upgrades.

 

[scott sinner]

Yes, old or broken down ones usually not worth much because I can fix them.

I wouldnt call myself a luthier, I have an unrelated day job and havent usually done it for money, just friends and family. But my grandpa was an engineer by training and guitar player and teacher and did do it as a side gig. He taught me a lot as a kid and, not having a ton of money, starting out, that was my MO: find busted stuff and fix it to keep for me or a friend or flip it. Ive got a big box of standard parts at this point.

Ha, recently was looking for something else in the closet and realized I had almost all the parts for a jazz bass. Asked around, my sister would be happy to have one (she plays a few instruments). Just needed a bridge and found a friend who had upgraded his. I couldnt tell her where all the bits even came from.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

I have never received one but I have given a couple away. They’ve never been anything expensive, but they have gone to folks who have wanted to play.

 

[ebo]

The guitarist in my current band had a MIM jazz that he’d had in his home studio for years. He upgraded because the jazzs’ neck was severely bowed and he was told by two guitar techs that the truss rod was no longer adjustable and it would need a new neck. He gave it to me. It was 10 years old but in perfect shape other than the neck. I was able to adjust it. I felt bad and insisted on giving him a little money for it.

 

[mercbass]

Twice. One is a Squier P bass that a friend of mine found on the side of the road in a garbage pile.

2nd is a Stingray 5 that was left to me by an uncle.

 

[Timmy Liam]

I gave a Squier Matt Freeman to my nephew a while back. Also gave a Peavey Patriot to a co-worker.

 

[Ed Goode]

I’ve given away/gifted/donated a fair number of basses over the years, but I’ve only been given one. In 2008 a student of mine lost everything during the financial crash and was forced to sell her bass gear. In order for her to keep working, I gave her a MIM jazz bass and a Crate amp. Shortly after that, she dropped out of sight and I didn’t hear from her at all until 2016, when she sent me an SX 6 string as a thank you for helping her during the down days. It was most unexpected …