Sentimental Value...

[spencer096]

i went to school for jazz and classical guitar, and my number 1 guitar was an eric johnson strat that i had signed by allan holdsworth after a guitar clinic he gave at the university of north texas. i did, and still do, deeply love this guitar...

but i realized a life of professional music wasn't for me, and music school carried quite a bit of emotional baggage which led to me quitting all music for a decade before picking up bass two years ago. i don't play guitar, have no interest in playing guitar again and don't ever really envision me playing it again, given how much ive fallen in love with bass.

it's a very fine instrument that i took care of well, and could probably trade for enough to pay for a significant chunk of the new amp/cab i desperately need (im still borrowing my bandleader's SWR workingpro 10). my uncle is borrowing it now, but it's not being played like it should be...

the logical part of my brain says sell it. the emotional part is waffling...allan holdsworth is one of my musical heroes, and that great guitar was with me through a helluva musical ride. that's a lot of emotional capital to get rid of. just curious what some thoughts are about this...im sure it's a pretty common dilema.

 

[maturanesa]

Maybe the best thing you can do for a beloved instrument is not to keep it on a closet, instead, giving it to a musician that plays it.
Sell it.

 

[two fingers]

Letting stuff like thay go is liberating!

(Welcome to TalkBass, by the way.)

I have been cleaning out my garage, my closet, and my attic. All three were full of JUNK!

I got rid of a sailboat that sat on the bookshelf in my father's office for decades. I always thought it looked cool. Bjt O never set it our anywhere and don't know where I would now. I felt a short sense of pain when I threw it away. But I don't miss it a bit now.

I have thrown away hundres of photographs from the 80s and 90s. I threw away my karate gi from the 80s. Dozens and dozens of things I "had to keep" becasue of the memories were donated or simply tossed out. Looking around my house I get a great sense of satisfaction and don't miss ANY of that old junk.

Live for today! Sell that sucker and get yourself a nice bass rig and rock the crap out of it.

 

[spencer096]

i basically posted and started making some calls to see what it might get me...

you guys are right. it's going to be hard, but im going to let her go.

 

[catcauphonic]

have thrown away hundres of photographs from the 80s and 90s.

Other than this ^ I agree with Two-F and that fella above about putting it in the hands of someone who will get use out of it, and putting a little coin in yours. Hard to part with some of the many items we accumulate, but you'll only ever miss 1 or 2 out of a hundred, and lightening the load can be very freeing.

 

[HD007]

i went to school for jazz and classical guitar, and my number 1 guitar was an eric johnson strat that i had signed by allan holdsworth after a guitar clinic he gave at the university of north texas. i did, and still do, deeply love this guitar...

but i realized a life of professional music wasn't for me, and music school carried quite a bit of emotional baggage which led to me quitting all music for a decade before picking up bass two years ago. i don't play guitar, have no interest in playing guitar again and don't ever really envision me playing it again, given how much ive fallen in love with bass.

it's a very fine instrument that i took care of well, and could probably trade for enough to pay for a significant chunk of the new amp/cab i desperately need (im still borrowing my bandleader's SWR workingpro 10). my uncle is borrowing it now, but it's not being played like it should be...

the logical part of my brain says sell it. the emotional part is waffling...allan holdsworth is one of my musical heroes, and that great guitar was with me through a helluva musical ride. that's a lot of emotional capital to get rid of. just curious what some thoughts are about this...im sure it's a pretty common dilema.

A few nice photographs will provide you memories, and letting it go will open the door for new, fun equipment in your life. Maybe you’ll make another Holdsworth enthusiast super happy, and that will be an added reward.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[JW56789]

If that guitar was/is associated with emotional baggage that would make me walk away from a music degree (or incomplete degree program) from NTSU, one of the great music schools, it'd be gone TOMORROW. I don't need talismans of old pain, mere inanimate objects that can put me RIGHT BACK in that space. You say you never play guitar, and you're gigging on bass without an amp . . . . . Hello ? ? ? ? ?

But, hey, EJ Strats are very fine axes, but puh-leeze don't dweeb out and ask an arm and a leg for it because 'it's signed by Allan Holdsworth', OK??

 

[two fingers]

Other than this ^ I agree with Two-F and that fella above about putting it in the hands of someone who will get use out of it, and putting a little coin in yours. Hard to part with some of the many items we accumulate, but you'll only ever miss 1 or 2 out of a hundred, and lightening the load can be very freeing.

I didn't clarify. My apologies.

I scanned some. And some were just pics of me with my ex wife. And I used to do photography. There were lots of "practice" shots. I must have had a hundred pics of areas around the creek on our farm.

I didn't just chunk photos without looking at them.

 

[spencer096]

But, hey, EJ Strats are very fine axes, but puh-leeze don't dweeb out and ask an arm and a leg for it because 'it's signed by Allan Holdsworth', OK??

lol...i called guitar center and actually asked if it being signed by holdsworth would lower the value.