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Letting go of Basses

Doughd54

Doughd54

I wanna rock. rock.
Nov 30, 2006
76
1
37
Pompano Beach, Florida
#1
I find that I have a hard time letting go of a bass when it comes time to sell. Is there anything you say to yourself before you get rid of one? Are do you have any basses that you refuse to ever sell? (pics or they don't exist) Personally, I think it's time to thin out my instrument collection, but I just can't decide who should go.
 
#2
I haven't had that many basses but i've been hopeless recently, buying and selling. I'm taking 2 to the shop tomorrow to put up for sale... i need to have a clean out and focus on playing not gear... i get caught up in the look and 'mystique' of instruments... i gig a lot but i mainly just use 1 bass... funny thing is its by far the least expensive one i own... you've just got to be cut throat about it, clean em out...
 
#3
I have started selling many great basses that see no playing time from me. Unless there is a tone-related or sentimental or investment reason to keep a bass, a bass can move on to other hands (my 50+ herd has thinned down to 45 and still thinning)
 
#5
I'm in the process of selling my first bass, a brown Squier P-bass. I used to hate the thing when it was my only instrument, but now I feel really bad that I won't ever get to see it or play it again. I don't even know if I'll be able to grow as attached to my next bass. It's like a pet just died.
 
#6
I have a TON of basses and I've decided to get down to a core 12 or so. I called my buddy Evan, one of the owners of Bass Northwest here in Seattle and I asked, "with so many outstanding basses constantly coming through your door, how do you decide which ones you want to keep in your personal collection and which ones go on the sales floor?".

I was told that pretty wood and paint, wiz bang electronics, etc. will ALWAYS present themselves, however If the tone and feel you are after aren't there, it goes on the sales hook. It really comes down to being business-like and honest with ourselves on these issues. This line of thinking makes my decisions VERY easy now. Yes, I have a couple of basses that have sentimental and historical value that I plan on hanging on to, but you get the drift.
Hope this helps.

KT
 
#8
It's a rare bass that I can say I will never ever get rid of.

But this is definitely one of the rare ones:

2007Bongo4HSDD-02.jpg
 
#12
GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) can be a serious disease. I seem to have a mild, but fairly controllable case of it. Here is what I do. I have what I call the one month rule. If I do not play a bass at least once a month it gets sold. Period. Hard and fast and not subject to second guessing. I even sold my first ever bass last year (an 1981 Fender Precision) becasue my sound had migrated to the point where I no longer ever picked the bass up. Huge sentimental value and hard as heck to sell, but I used the $1,400 proceeds to buy a bass I play every week!!
 
#14
Since I found a bass on craigslist last month, I've been crazily going through my non-bass instruments that I haven't touched in a year - bouzouki's, guitars, amps, mandolins and selling them locally and online. I had a guitar I built in high school and college that had sentimental value, that I let go... And then there were quite a few very unique acoustic bouzoukis and slide guitars that I also had to let go. It is definitely nice to have the room in the house, and to feel a little more "portable" - I feel like I don't have a bunch of possessions that I have to worry about holding me down.
But I'm spending a lot of my time searching for more basses and bass gear. I feel for every few instruments I sell, I'm allowed to replace with one new instrument. If I put in half the hours I spend on buying/selling into practicing, I'd probably be pretty good on bass by now...
Learning to play bass and learning about basses, bassists and going out to hear live music and listening to bassists has given me a whole new passion for music.
 
#15
I've owned close to 20 or so basses throughout the years, and there aren't really any I wish I had back. Tastes change, my playing style has changed, and right now I'm down to only 2 instruments. Less is more with me! However, I recently acquired my first-ever P-bass, and I can't see letting it go anytime soon. It's become sentimental quickly. Selling my Taylor acoustic bass was really tough, but I needed the cash and never looked back.
 
#18
Being left handed when I finally decided I was going to let some of them go... no one wanted them.
I even re-converted my Non-reverse 5 string Thunderbird that I had flipped back to being right handed and still couldn't sell it.

So I still own every bass I've purchased.

I go through cabs like nothing though.
 
#19
i love my bass's too much the only bass i'm prepared to sell is my custom airbrushed epiphone thunderbird as i hate playing it (it just doesnt feel right)
ok i have a fretless and a 12 string that have about half an inch of dust on them but i'll never sell them just incase my band writes a song that i can use em in

certain bass's will never be sold like my peavey milestone (my 1st bass) and my maverick and aria pro zzb bass's
 
#20
DeanT said:
It's a rare bass that I can say I will never ever get rid of.

But this is definitely one of the rare ones:

2007Bongo4HSDD-02.jpg
Click to expand...

dammit dean, stop showing that. I absolutely love that bass and I'll never be able to afford one. man that thing is GORGEOUS

to the original subject though, I think if there is a bass you are having particular trouble parting with, DON'T I've had some I've sold and never looked back. The ones I had trouble parting with are the ones I wound up regretting
 

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