The Bass That Got Away

[FromTheBassMent]

When the family court judge decided that I owed my soon-to-be-ex-wife 70% of the value of my gear, there were a whole bunch that got away:

FBass BN5
G&L 2500 (quilt top, bound)
Turner Renaissance Fretless 5 with custom Cremona flame top
Pedulla Pentabuzz

Oh man, I can't go on.



Right now there's one probably getting away at a GC in SoCal, a continent away from me... saw it when I was out there visiting my kids. EBMM SR5 in true gold with maple neck, matching headstock and mother-of-toilet-seat pickguard. Absolutely stunning. No special price or anything, just a discontinued color that I happen to love.

No $, no bass....

 

[Herbie 80's]

I was a young teen in Florida. Snuck into a club and some dude in a headband was playing some amazing riffs on an old Fender J. I noticed the frets had been ripped out, and the neck redone in some kind of coating. The pickguard had been removed for some reason. After the gig I got say hi, and we struck up a conversation. He took a liking to me after I said I wanted to learn to play bass just like him. He said "Here, take this bass". I said "No thanks, I'll get a bass that still has frets and a pickguard". Oh well.

Ugh! You totally had me going. I almost blurted out 'What!', and then I realized.

Sir, you just trolled me.

 

[Barcode]

I'll get flamed or laughed at, but I wish I had never gotten rid of my Peavey T40. That thing, no matter what the snobs say, sounded and played great. They are cheap enough now, but I've been spending all my money on the rig, not the bass. Soon, though, I will replace it and hope the one I get has as good intonation and sound as the one I had.

 

[bassinzombie]

Thankfully I havent been in any situation where something mightve gotten away yet, but after reading some of these stories i'm gonna make sure to realize what I have and what I could potentionally have throughout the future!

 

[gruvit]

I have a couple. First one is a Carl Thompson. About twoish years ago it was in pretty rough shape with an extra pickup added but it was at BassNW for only $1500!!!! I checked the site every day religiously and must have seen it an hour after they listed it. I had the perfect opportunity and I would have bought it had I not just bought a Warwick Katana NT 5 at Guitar Center two weeks before! :scowl: I don't feel quite as bad because the Katana had been at Guitar Center unsold for two years so I got a wicked good discount on it ($1600 including tax IIRC) and, having forgotten how little I paid for it, sold it for the same price later when I needed cash. Someone here on TB owns that Carl Thompson, don't really remember who though.

The other one is a CB D bass I sold to clear my wife and I of all our debt. I still have a photo of it as the background on my phone. I'll be out of debt in a month or two and I'm going to tell my wife that if I can't get that one back I get to order a custom one.... I wonder how well that'll go over.... This one:

 

[bassbenj]

The hair on my neck went straight up and I reminded him "I was the guy who offered you the cash just before you got ripped off."

What goes around, comes around!
Yeah, sometimes the "ya snooze, ya lose!" rule is valid for the seller too! I've learned the hard way that "going away to make up your mind and coming back later" is a SURE way to not end up with the bass! See "snooze" rule above. If you see something you love, you just have to decide right then and there if you want it. It won't be there later when you finally decide it was a great deal. Fer Sure!

 

[Dark Horse]

My old 66 Jazz. I had to sell it to pay rent and bills one year.

My 74 Jazz and 63 Jazz that were stolen from my car.

Man, there are so many that if I think about them all, I'm likely to fling myself from the top of a tall building.