Is your gear irreplaceable?

[Anachronism]

Reading the tale @Mantis Tobaggan related about his hurricane experience last weekend got me thinking a bit. It's unlikely I'll need to flee a hurricane in Missouri, but my gear could be damaged, lost or destroyed in other ways. And reflecting on how I'd have to go about replacing all of it made me curious about how other TB folks stack up: if you lost your gear but got insurance money for it, could you easily replace it with stuff that would be the same or better?

Personally, my basses wouldn't be that hard to replace. The Rickenbacker 4003 and the Rick Turner Ren4FL would be pretty easy, though I'd miss the discontinued ruby red color on the 4003. My 4004Ci would be a bit harder to replace, but a 4004Cii could do the job (I would miss the 4004Ci neck profile). As far as amps and cabs go, the Verellen Meatsmoke preamp is still produced and the Mesa Powerhouse 112 cab has a close equivalent in the Mesa Subway 12. The difficult part would be replacing my Mesa Buster 15 combo. There aren't many of them out there, and the combo of the amp and cab really is special, at least to my ears. So other than the glorious-sounding boat anchor tube combo, I could get my setup back pretty easily if insurance paid up. What about you?

 

[garp]

With policy coverage for replacement value – not acquisition cost – it wouldn't be too hard to restore my collection. The only "irreplaceable" item – insurance coverage or not – would be one instrument that has an extremely high sentimental value to me.

 

[MobileHolmes]

Of what I have, the only thing really irreplaceable is my first bass, which is an early 80s MIJ P copy from a brand I've never seen elsewhere. Ever. Apart from the sentimental value, there's just no getting another.

Beyond that, everything would be pretty easy, or could be replaced with something I like more (e.g. I would get different features on my two carvin basses).

 

[nonohmic]

My Matt Freeman Sig would be almost impossible to replace. That being said as much as I love it and i will never sell it, it's just a bass, I could buy something different.

 

[songwriter21]

Pretty sure Peavey won't make more of these in the States....

.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Fender Aerodyne Jazz: Easily replaceable, but it would still sting like hell since it was my first-ever bass.

Fender Blacktop Jazz: A bit "thin on the ground" since their discontinuation two or three years ago, but not impossible to replace.

Fender American Standard Jazz: Also a little difficult, given it's slightly odd finish (Jade Pearl Metallic). If it were lost to me and I wanted to replace it, I'd definitely hold out for one of the 2012-2016 variants…love them Custom Shop '60s pickups!

Various Parts-Basses: Again, it would be somewhat difficult to replace certain parts. The neck from a Squier Standard "Black & Chrome Edition" with a black painted headstock or my '90s-era Fender-Japan "Foto-Flame" Jazz body would be tricky to replace. What's rather ironic is my favorite part, a Transparent BlueBurst finished Mighty Mite Jazz body, would probably be the most difficult item to replace.

Mighty Mite bass bodies are becoming increasingly rare, especially in their more unique finishes (Trans BlueBurst, Trans Black, etc…). Given the timing of when they started to fade-out, I think it's safe to assume their license ceased being renewed when FMIC started selling their own replacement bodies, somewhere around 2013 or so.

 

[Blaargh]

Not vastly, but probably a bit of a pain. Ebony Gibson Thunderbirds and Peavey Internationals are actually surprisingly hard to find (none on Reverb at the moment), and I'd have to redo the mods on my AmStd Jazz, although they're not particularly taxing. My Ashdown amps are easy to find. Most of my pedals wouldn't be a struggle, even if the prices of my Bad Monkey and Synth Wah have become stupid lately.

Mostly the sentimental cost would be poopy. I've had my Peavey since I was 11 and my dad helped me buy my Jazz. I don't think replacements would really be the same.

 

[two fingers]

I could replace all but this one. Everything else could be replaced.... or at least close enough for my liking.

NBD - Welcome home old friend....

 

[alack]

Recent events have shown me as long as those I love are okay, I would happily play an MIM P Bass on every gig I have from now until the day I die. Some of my vintage stuff could be replaced provided I'm willing to shell out the cash. But as of now my GAS list includes items like a portable generator, three or four full gas cans, fully stocked 1st aid kit, flashlights, batteries, water, nonperishable food.................

 

[garp]

Of what I have, the only thing really irreplaceable is my first bass

I feel the same way. Mine isn't actually my first bass, but my second one. Traded in my first to buy a new '85 Ibanez, which has been with me as a faithful friend ever since, and for quite some time was my sole bass.

I've had my Peavey since I was 11 and my dad helped me buy my Jazz. I don't think replacements would really be the same.

Indeed. They would always be just replacements.

 

[GIBrat51]

Since I'm a lefty, nothing I own really falls into the "easily replaced" category. But, some stuff? I'd probably not even try...
- '71 Epi EA-250. Not even many rightys left, any more; and I've never seen another lefty for sale...
- '01 COY Rick 4003. Mine is the only lefty anything on the Rick Register in Desert Gold. There's a good chance it really is the only one...
- '94 Gretsch Broadkaster. The only lefty Gretsch bass I've ever seen - that wasn't a conversion. Took me 10 years to find this one; I'm still looking for another...
- '78 Kramer 450B. I'm sure there's another one out there somewhere, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting...
- '63 ODE Model 3, Style 3 banjo. The Boulder, Colo. ODE's are pretty scarce. The long scale Model 3's are even scarcer. And lefty model 3's? Good luck finding that white whale, Cap'n Ahab...

 

[Cowboy in Latvia]

Since I find a new home in a new (to me) country every few years, most of my gear must be replaceable or it doesn't make much sense to bring it with me. I've got a nice sounding black Russian big muff and a couple USA Peaveys that sound better than the rest I've tried but otherwise most of my stuff could be replaced with a couple years of savings.

Would I like some more rare gear or unusual items? **** yeah! But, until I hit that magic job that pays more than I can spend along with a solid retirement contribution and flights home yearly, I guess I gotta keep it easily replaceable.

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

I just don't know what I'd do without my rare collector's edition Ibanez GIO GSR105EX! At $199 I will be broke for years paying it off. As well as my unique short-scale ESP LTD (that means it's LIMITED) B5-JR! Which cost a whopping $149 new!

Lastly, my amp, the workhorse! My trusty Fender Rumble 25 amp, which I have had ever since the day I started playing bass! Set me back $99, I almost went homeless as a result.

 

[pjbassist]

Although I cannot imagine losing my avatar bass that I've had since '88, I am now 100% Warmoth basses, so it could be kinda fun picking out all new parts if I ever had to replace'm.

 

[PunkNerve]

I've never seen another bass quite like my green Tanglewood Rebel 4K, so if I were in a house fire, I'd probably save that first. The rest can be replaced, although I'd probably try to grab my Tele because of sentimental value.

 

[edencab]

my Edencab is from the late 90's...would have a hard time replacing it in the same nearly mint condition I found it, for the $ I paid < $200
my Traynor 200h amp head, replace it in a day
my Orange TB500 not in production and might be hard to find again...also a deal....used but fully mint, for half price of retail just prior to discontinuing
my 2004 MIM Jazz.....Midnight Wine is a bit of a rare-ish colour....also has different sized pups (bridge vs. neck) that are from a MIA I believe as they did back then as opposed to the MIM pups now
my Sterling SUB4 , replace in a day

 

[lbbc]

My 1986 Alembic Persuader... cocobolo top 32"scale would be darn near impossible to replace. My custom Dave Pushic would be impossible to replace due to the fact that he's closed his doors. Everything else could be replaced

 

[Nev375]

I've got tons of rare stuff!

Graphite necked basses are uncommon enough, but where am I going to find another prototype collaboration between Ibanez and Modulus?

These early 70's Rickenbackers with all their frets, pickups and bridge slanted at 11 degrees are pretty dang hard to come by.
It took me ages to even find a photo of one online like mine. I paid $270 for it in the late 90's. I don't think it would be so easy to buy now.

 

[Eilif]

Everything in my collection is replaceable.

-Two of my basses are custom-handmade and my PSG is also hand-built, but all the luthiers are still living so while they wouldn't be precisely the same and the wait might be considerable, they could both be replaced.

-Discontinued instruments aren't necessarily hard to replace. Even my great-condition '79 T-40 wouldn't be hard to replace. I'd have to pay more than I paid, but almost nothing from Peavey is truely rare so if I paid about 30% or so over market I could find one within a month that is just as good as mine.

All this to say it would certainly cost more than my cheapo-self paid, but with a bit of $ and time I could easily replace everything.

 

[jthisdell]

I have owned my '71 Fender P since 1976. It is one of the oldest possessions I have. I was working in a grocery store in high school and we would bag your groceries, wheel them out to your car and put them in your car for you. You didn't have to tip but most people gave a small tip, usually a dime. A lot of dimes in that bass. My nephew had it for 10-12 years and I was happy to get it back. I would be really, really sad to lose it. Oh yeah, and it plays and sounds good too. I could get another bass that plays and sounds good but after 41 years it would not be the same.