How do you decide which bass to sell?

[Neon Blues]

Yer right about the whole vintage market mojo crap. I see things all the time with crazy asking prices.

Ive owned a number of pre CBS Fenders and some are very special, but people have this attitude now that JUST BECAUSE something is 30 years old or more it must be worth a lot of money.

I've seen old Hondos from the 80s on Reverb for $500.

You see old Teiscos and such that people used to scoff and laugh at selling for more than a grand. Used to be you couldn't give those things away.

I mean, I love weird old Asian and Soviet bizarro instruments and am a big booster of el cheapos but come on.

I played an L-Series Precision that was selling for $10,000 AUD in a local store. It was not even close to the tone and feel on my now sold, 2015 '63 American Vintage Precision.

Not even close, I am sure there are some Vintage that beat the pants off anything new. This particular one was not the case.

In saying that, the new Yamaha TRBX505 I bought is one of the best I've ever owned. I seriously just sold 3 $2K+ basses in favour of the Yammy.

 

[hypercarrots]

you may have more serious psychological questions (no offense) pending answers before you can determine which bass to sell. try thinking about which one you want to give away for free

yes i'm a bass hoarder. i don't understand the concept of "give away"

 

[GG7]

I played an L-Series Precision that was selling for $10,000 AUD in a local store. It was not even close to the tone and feel on my now sold, 2015 '63 American Vintage Precision.

Not even close, I am sure there are some Vintage that beat the pants off anything new. This particular one was not the case.

In saying that, the new Yamaha TRBX505 I bought is one of the best I've ever owned. I seriously just sold 3 $2K+ basses in favour of the Yammy.

Having grown up in the 60s back in the day where all these now hugely expensive guitars were "the only" ones we "kids" could afford cause they were OLD and cheap, there are dud vintage guitars just like there a dud new guitars and vice versa. The paradigm shift we "players" are now dealing with is that a huge chunk of the buying audience for these vintage instruments don't even play! They are buying them as investments to put in their man cave in a glass case, or hung on a wall. This thought makes me cringe, but that is the truth. So... For many of the people forking out these ridiculous dollar amounts for these guitars, they wouldn't know the difference between a total dog and the best guitar that particular maker ever produced.

 

[Neon Blues]

Having grown up in the 60s back in the day where all these now hugely expensive guitars were "the only" ones we "kids" could afford cause they were OLD and cheap, there are dud vintage guitars just like there a dud new guitars and vice versa. The paradigm shift we "players" are now dealing with is that a huge chunk of the buying audience for these vintage instruments don't even play! They are buying them as investments to put in their man cave in a glass case, or hung on a wall. This thought makes me cringe, but that is the truth. So... For many of the people forking out these ridiculous dollar amounts for these guitars, they wouldn't know the difference between a total dog and the best guitar that particular maker ever produced.

I'll make this my last comment on the subject, as I don't want to turn this into a Vintage vs Modern thread, but I know exactly what you mean. I used to work with a guy who was a fairly well paid member of the states Education Board who "dabbled" in guitar and owned a 64' Jazz, 58' Precision and a 51' Precision all in amazing condition. He never even played bass. AT ALL!

Anyways, to counteract that and get back on topic. I will always sell the least versatile bass. If I have a 1 trick Pony in the stable. It's usually the first to go.

 

[hypercarrots]

When you go to your collection to grab a guitar, which one do you continually avoid picking up?

there aren't any that i avoid. sometimes i have one in mind that i want to play and when i go in its general direction i get distracted by another.

 

[hypercarrots]

i don't have a one in, one out rule but i'm at the point where i don't have much more physical room. that is why i'm thinking i should pick one to sell if i buy another. i've sold many in the past for all the reasons listed by everyone. of the 20+ basses i have now, i deem all worthy to own for some reason or another, that is why it's hard to pick which one to sell.

 

[Nephilymbass]

When a new bass comes in and one must go out or when it's time to make room, what do you think of when deciding which one must go?

I can't find any reason to sell any of them but I have too many and I keep finding more that I want to own!

I think it's gotta go if....

1 just not playing it much

2 bored with it. I've owned my "dream bass" the warwick thumb NT5, but after about ten years I just wanted to play something else. I find a new instrument inspires me to play and different instruments inspire me to play differently.

3 there's something physically abnormal, for example the weight of my 7 string was pretty heavy, the lack of weight of my corvette fna which would flop around when Id pop the d or g strings.

4 not enough strings, may sound silly but I sold my fretless Jazz and that had a lot to do with it. I am planning to pick up a used 5 string eventually and put a Warmoth fretless neck on it.

Reasons to keep.....

1 gear for studio use. No now obviously I'm not going to keep 20 basses just in case I want them to record. But keeping say an active fretted, a passive fretted, a fretless, and an 8 string isn't out of the question.

2 if its worth a LOT more to me than it is to anyone else. Typically that's more of an amp and effects situation than basses though. I have a $1300 SWR head I couldn't sell for $300, yeah I kept it. I have several pedals I put up for auction and they didn't sell. I just refuse to spend my time to drive to the post office and ship a pedal for so little.

 

[Jeff K]

I take turns playing all my basses. One one day, another the next, etc. But if I HAVE to get rid of one to make room for yet another GAS-fueled purchase, here's what I do.

I take a close look at all of them. Then I decide, "Which one(s) is/are simply out of the question as far as getting rid of them?" So far, so good. Then I look at the remaining ones and try to determine which one would hurt me the LEAST to sell. If it comes down to two of them that I'm having a tough time deciding between, I think of it like this: If I were to flip a coin with one bass represented by "heads" and the other by "tails", which one would make me think, "Gee, I hope it doesn't land on THIS one!" during that "moment of truth" when the coin is in the air. If you still can't decide, you'll just have to ACTUALLY flip a coin.

It does get very tough once you've built up your collection to a point where you truly love all of them. You just can't beat yourself up after you've sold one though. That's not healthy.

 

[SteveC]

In the end, they are tools - unless you are "investing" in vintage stuff.

I struggle with this all the time - as do many of us. I think we need to not be so hard on ourselves when we decide to sell. Someone mentioned having their "dream" bass. I have had many "dream" basses. I own a pair now. That doesn't mean that my taste may change. My gig may change - although I think that many basses can handle many gigs so maybe that isn't as bug an issue as we make it. Maybe I just want to try something new. Change from 5 to 4 or whatever. Different strings mean a different way of playing and sometimes that's good - especially for us older guys.

I think there's guilt that some of us associate with deciding to sell a bass we worked hard to get, or paid a lot of money for, or had custom made, etc.

 

[bking0217]

This is just me, and I'm sure my particular situation is quite different from a lot of people. I have 3 basses. My main bass, which is a MIM Jazz. I also have a Precision project that I work on as time and money will allow. Then there's the Squier Affinity Precision that my Grandfather gave me when I fell on hard times and had to sell my only functioning bass. That one I will never part with. Two of the basses I mentioned will be modded until they're perfect in my eyes. Then I will have no need to buy any more basses. The Affinity will not be touched due to sentimentality. Amps, however, the more the merrier.

 

[RED J]

Well, I'm kind of in that mode right now. I try to get rid of one, and I have really refined my collection to ones that really speak to me the best. I have three right now, maybe four, that need to go. I gave one to my brother, maybe I'll give one to my brother in law, and one I'm going to part out. There are a couple of others, and a lot of parts and components. So I'm going to sell that stuff, throw a few things that have lived out their useful life on the burn pile, and maybe give one to my neighbors kid. Part of the problem is I'm sick of packing and shipping so that comes in to play as well. There are a few that hardly get played but I love so I'm just going to put them in my junk room in their case and let my widder sell 'em when I croak.

And as I write this I think to myself "what I would have given when I was 20, owned one bass and one amp, to have this kind of first world issue".

 

[Gaolee]

I don't generally sell musical instruments. But if I did, this is how it would go: Is it a Thunderbird or a Precision? No? Ok, I can sell it.

 

[bking0217]

I don't generally sell musical instruments. But if I did, this is how it would go: Is it a Thunderbird or a Precision? No? Ok, I can sell it.

Now that's funny. But I wouldn't sell my Jazz, either.

 

[Clark Westfield]

Sell the one with the least amount of fingerprints on it.

 

[Watchootognbout]

The one you use the least.

 

[NecroticImbecil]

1. Does it have primary live gigging value - is it a "go to" main bass for anything?
   
2. Does it have primary recording value - does it work great - really great - for recording?
   
3. Everyday play/practicing/composing value - is it simply a bass I have fun playing, that motivates me and helps me generate ideas?
   
4. Special/unique purpose - does it have a *useful* x-factor, something it can do that my others don't?
   
5. Long-term value - Is it something that would have meaning or value handed down to my kids?
6. Sentimental value - Does it mean something special to me, or have a positive association?
   
7. Financial/resale value - Is it going to hold its value, or even increase?

Red Four put it quite well. I've done something similar. I'd also add replaceability. If I part with this now, how difficult will it be to obtain another should I desire at some point? Over the years I've sold off the more common ones, keeping the ones I know I'm unlikely to see another example of. I also tend to hold onto those that might not be unique but have a replacement cost that would put them out of my means.

Of course the most important question is "How desperately do I need the money?" One bass doesn't take much space. I've kept a bass rather than sell it for $50 when I had enough money to pay the bills. One of these I leave at the drummer's house, and one at the guitarist's. Guitarist has a cheap guitar at my house and the drummer's. Can make the difference between practicing and not practicing when time is tight and wives are involved.

 

[godofthunder59]

I have a core collection from my early days that I will never sell. Vintage and USA stuff stays, import stuff goes first.

 

[.BumeStik.]

I try and go with the one that makes me cry the Least at the thought of boxing and shipping it.

 

[VWbug]

I admire the folks that keep it simple with just a couple. Years ago I guess it's true that folks got by with just one or two...

I think sometimes I feel guilty having more than what's necessary when I see so many folks having a hard time with finances, jobs etc.

I primarily use one MIA Fender Jazz. I'd like to maybe just get a nice solid MIA Precision as a backup because my Luthier is a 1 man shop and should a bass go in, it's there for a long time...
I got by for years with just a MIA Jazz and a MIA Precision
...

 

[Shardik]

i only sell the ones i don't play. if i had to sell one to buy one, i'd sell the one i play the least.

I subscribe to this, but I have noticed that selling the first instrument of some class is difficult. I still have my first bass, I wore out my first classic guitar (which was also my first ever stringed instrument), I still have my first and only western acoustic guitar, and it took 30 years before I sold my first electric, even if it was mostly sitting in its case the last 20. I attribute this to some sentimental value. It's also more difficult to part with instruments that have seen extensive DIY customizations.

Right now I have 4 basses, and I have sold 3. Those I sold I either didn't play much or they wasn't up to par with my preferences, which seem to continually evolve.