How attached are we to our basses?

[dwm74]

Just wondering...

With the exception of boutique-bass owners, almost all of us buy an instrument that's basically stock. Whether we mod it a little or a lot, or leave it as is, it is still OUR bass. We get comfortable with them, we learn all the nuances and little things that let us get the sounds out of them we want.

But regardless of what you paid for yours or what you have invested in it, is your bass ever NOT for sale? What I'm saying is if someone offered you, say, one-and-a-half times or even double what you have invested in your favorite instrument, would you let it go? (I'm talking about your main player, not a spare/backup or one in your collection that never gets touched.)

Even if you could easily replace it with the same model and mods, would you be confident you could truly replace it? (whether it's a $110 SX or a several thousand dollar boutique.)

 

[KramerBassFan]

How attached am i?

Very.

Don't touch it.

Don't even look at it.

 

[Lammchop93]

I feel that way about my Schecter Custom-5. Sure it's not a super nice bass, and I use it the least out of all of my basses, but I feel an attachment to it. I've played it since I was 12 years old, and I've changed all the parts on it except for the body and neck. Other than that, all changes have been done by me. It never breaks down on me, and it very reliable.

I wouldn't get rid of it for anything.

 

[SteveC]

Basses are a commodity for me. I buy, sell an swap freely. I do seem to hold on to my Yamaha BB605 with Bart pups and Aguilar preamp. Not sure why. I guess it does what I Ned so it stays around. My Geddy Lee is a great bass but with only 4 strings, it may not be here long. Hard as I try, I just seem to be a 5 string guy.

Sorry for the tangent...

 

[stoolpigeon]

Nope...my favorite basses are not for sale...ever.

 

[bass4worship]

Never been attach to much to any of my basses, hated to sell or trade them but I been lucky to have three nice basses now, but I don't know I long I'll keep them. My GAS large.

 

[GM60466]

In case of a fire, my wife grabs the cat. I grab my Curbow

 

[bubinga5]

i tell you now(even though i have offered them for trade at some point) if i was on the breadline and was gonna be homeless and pennyless i still would not sell my basses...i have grown into them and they are now part of what makes my playing mine...the favorite things that i own... oh and my MacBook

never ever, ever..

 

[bstringkyle]

no, I will never part with my Geddy lee jazz or Musicman Sterling. They are mine

 

[kcole4001]

NONE of mine are for sale.
Replacing some may be possible, but to find examples that feel as good, etc....who knows.

 

[kjpollo]

I own a total of 8. I have one true boutique bass, and 2 others that are "custom" to some extent (Carvin and Warmoth 5ers) the other 5 are all stock.
Out of those, there are 3 that I cannot ever imagine parting with. One's a basic SX SPJ that my wife bought for me-she really doesnt "get" my hobby so for her to buy something like that means a LOT to me.
Another is my Carvin, I've owned it for 16 years now-never owned a bass for anywhere NEAR that long. It was my 1st fiver and I tried to trade it away last year but I kept getting cold feet and couldnt pull the trigger. I dont play it all that often but there's a connection there that I just cant explain.

The other one is my Clement custom- it's a boutique bass and my #1 player.
The others all could be had if the $$ was right. But I gotta say, I really, really enjoy having the options I have.

 

[vinxbass]

I own 7 basses and 5 of them are American made, I'm attached to those. Why? Because of the quality and age of each instrument. I've played alot of gigs with all 7, but I could let the off shore basses go for less than what I paid for them. That's just me.

 

[Tampabass]

I apply the "hurricane test."
If we had to evacuate for a hurricane (which we have done), my priorities would be:
1)Family - d'oh!
2)Dog
3)Photos, and anything carrying them, including cameras/laptops
4)My 100-year-old upright
5)My electric basses and guitars
6)Important documents
7)Kids' top possessions
8)Week's worth of clothes
9)Combo amp
Everything else is gravy

 

[Lemoore-on]

Hell Yeah, I would sell any of mine for double! They are an inanimate tool that I bring to life. Although some are better than others (Some way better!) I have never came across one that made me feel as though I couldn't make music without it.

 

[splitcoilsenior]

I'm kind of attached to my Schecter Stiletto Elite 4, but not because I love it for any sentimental reasons, but because it's so banged up I know I'll never be able to sell it.

 

[timmus]

my wife does not understand why I can't sell ANY of my basses but here's why...I had a 66 Jazz bass through the late 70's and I sold it cause I thought I wasn't going to play anymore...one of the biggest regrets of my life. I now have 12 basses and I am always scheming for more...maybe it's a phobia.

My wife asks why I have keep so many basses...they all sound different, I say...why do you have more than one dress I ask her?

She just rolls her eyes and realizes there are just some things about me she will never be able to change...

 

[jnuts1]

i would sell anything other than my MTD, Suzy. i have played her almost exclusively for about 9 years. it may not always be my main but she will never be sold.

 

[trayner1]

Before blooming as a bassist, I conditioned myself as a guitarist and still play (but am primarily a bassogynist). My main weapon: a red satin Mexican Fender Stratocaster. How attached am I to it? Let's just...hypothetically...say I would kill my own mother before selling it.
If you're thinking, "what's this guitard doing talking about his guitar on TB?", I'll have you know that if it weren't for this instrument, I would have never become the bassist I am today.

 

[Nedmundo]

I'm down to four, but I'm much more attached to my 2003 MIA Jazz than the others. I wouldn't sell it, even for much more than it's worth. It's difficult to replace due to its strong acoustic resonance, and it gets the job done more reliably than anything else. I feel similarly about my 2004 Strat. If I had to pare down to two instruments, I'd keep these.

 

[Lady Kayri]

If offered double or more, I'd sell any or all of my basses; while I love my Combustion (my current favorite/go to bass) if I could sell it for double what I paid for it I could buy the Dingwall Afterburner I'd really like (but don't have 'cause I don't have the money at the moment.) I'd probably keep one of the 4 stringers (probably the Fender P) just in case I needed a 4 string, but ... I guess I haven't found that "one, true, perfect bass that fits me like a glove" so to speak, if that makes sense. Heck, I may NEVER find that one perfect-for-me bass...