I went through this recently, when I had a moment of clarity and realized that to achieve a state of "rightness" with my instrument lineup, I needed to buy something I didn't have and, due to finances, kids, etc., sell something I did have. The clarity came when I realized I would always find something else that I "wanted" or liked, but there were far fewer things that were really essential to me. When it all came together, my GAS evaporated and my goal got a lot more specific.
I had my emotional response - I don't want to sell anything! - which wasn't very helpful on its own. I've gradually accumulated a set of gear that feels like an achievement, in terms of finding what's right for me and has character, and the idea of selling any of it felt like "wasting" the effort I'd put into it - like I would be taking a step backward. I needed something to get myself past that mental block.
So I came up with a pretty detached way to look at it, using a good ol' spreadsheet and numerical system. First, I came up with a set of criteria for what is important to me in an instrument and how I can use it. For me, that list was:
- Does it have primary live gigging value - is it a "go to" main bass for anything?
- Does it have primary recording value - does it work great - really great - for recording?
- Everyday play/practicing/composing value - is it simply a bass I have fun playing, that motivates me and helps me generate ideas?
- Special/unique purpose - does it have a *useful* x-factor, something it can do that my others don't?
- Long-term value - Is it something that would have meaning or value handed down to my kids?
- Sentimental value - Does it mean something special to me, or have a positive association?
- Financial/resale value - Is it going to hold its value, or even increase?
So I put my instruments on one axis, these questions on the other axis, and scored each instrument on each of the criteria listed above this way: 5 (high value), 2 (medium value), or 0 (no value). I tried to be blunt and honest in my scoring, looking at my actual history of recording, playing live, etc., not thinking in hypothetical terms about what something "might" be able to do. I added up the scores for all 7 criteria to get an overall score for each instrument.
The results were
really helpful. They lined up well with my instincts about which tools had which value. The scores ranked my desired instrument and the one I suspected had to be the one to go in places that helped make that decision clearer and more settled for me. And since I included other non-bass instruments I own (acoustic & electric guitar, folk instruments, a synth), it gave me a big-picture view that I can return to as needed for a reality check if something else needs to go. (I also did a separate one of these for my pedals, which was also helpful.)
Good luck with your process! Figure out what you really need, and letting go (or not buying to begin with) will get a lot easier.
