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The one that got away

#23
I've posted this before but I went into a guitar show about 15 years ago and found a 65 sunburst P bass with what felt like an A neck on it, it needed work, had a ski slope but I still wanted it, it played great and sounded great through a V4-B that the guy had set up right next to it. I had had a 68 CAR P bass with a J neck on it for years so it felt right to me. The guy wanted 800 bucks for it and I told him I was going to go home and get the money (somehow:laugh:), and I took his number. I did get it and called him up about the bass a few hours later and he said, "What that 65? It sold about 15 minutes after you left"

I also could have had a 67 Hofner for 250 bucks sometime during the 70's or early 80's.
 
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#26
Not a bass, but a guy offered me a HiWatt amp + 4x12 1/2 stack for GBP100 in the early 80s because he was 'upgrading to solid state' and I was so broke I couldn't afford it.
Other than that, I hesitated on a white whale, 70s Shergold Marathon bass in a pawn shop. Thought about it for a week, went back to get it and it was gone.
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#30
I posted these in other threads, so I looked them up & copied them here. They still stand!

The first that comes to mind for me... I had my eye on a Pedulla Hexabuzz in Emerald Green at Kurosawa in Japan since November/December 2017. I had saved the link in my favorites and I'd open it occasionally to dream, looking at the pictures. My wife and I were even planning a trip to Japan in February. I was planning to go to the shop to try, and buy if I liked it. Around the middle of January, the instrument was sold. For me, that is "the one that got away" I regretted the most.

July 2019 on Reverb, there was an Alembic Epic 6 that sold for $1425. I just missed it by 2 days. I would have purchased if it was still available on my payday.

From TalkBass Classifieds, there have been a few "Basses that got away." All missed due to lack of money at the time.

This Ritter Jupiter 6 sold by @DELACIUS

This FBass AC6 sold by @Mik Walker

This Pedulla MVP 6 sold by @DarnellBass

This Wal Mk3 6 sold by @BWorm

Some GAS items in general, without specific links: I've always liked the Fender Steve Bailey signature and they occasionally appear between $1500-$1800, depending on their condition. A few times, I noticed Rickenbacker 4003sw on Reverb for $1200! I never seem to have the money whenever one appears for sale. I remember a used Roscoe SKB 3006 on Guitar Center for $1500.
 
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#31
An almost-mint condition Fender American Special Jazz Bass, Olympic white, rosewood fingerboard, for roughly $750 Aud.


It wasn’t in my city, so I was hesitant about getting it shipped over and they didn’t have a case to ship it in, so I was very hesitant. Of course it sold. But I moved on and it doesn’t bug me at all really, because I’m very happy with my player series bass. The quality is great, the neck is still straight since I bought it early last year. Put some amazing pickups in it... what more could I ask for? I even prefer the colour... (black/maple)

Although I’m sure I would have been very happy with the American one though. Especially at that price.
 
#32
From college days, a 60's P that was painted red, white and blue like a Buck Owens guitar...could have had it for $80 but the neck was bowed. Unfortunately, back in 1972 I knew nothing about truss rod adjustments. Passed up a 60's non-reverse Firebird guitar for $75 when I was in high school (early 70's) for the same reason.

Walked by a Hayman for $80 at a guitar show thinking no one will buy this, the dealer didn't even know what it was, he had it labeled as a 60's Japanese import. Figured I would walk around once and then pick it up...it was gone when I got back a half hour later.

A couple on talkbass that I can think of are:

This Elrick NJS5 with burl top and synth pickup...I would buy it instantly if it came up for the price point it was last posted at.

The other was a Lakland Skyline Scheff 5 without a pickguard, Shoreline Gold, that was on here a few years ago.

At the time that these two were for sale here, I had never played an Elrick or a Scheff, and wasn't sure how much I would like either of them. Now I know how fantastic both of these are and I would buy either if they reappear.
 
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#34
Last year, I came across a pristine-looking '70s V4-B for $600. It was the week I was moving from Chicago to California, and the dude selling it was way the hell outside of the city. In Chicago I never had a car. I wasn't going to spend $80 renting a zip car and driving two-hours round trip for something that might not be worth it. Besides, it wasn't the best use of my moving funds.

$800 seems to the low end price on any I see these days.
 
#35
MichelD said:
Do you have any bass guitars you remember being for sale that you just for some reason or the other were not able to buy or were too indecisive that you left it too long before someone else bought them?

I have a few in mind, not that my life depended on getting them, but they were:

!. A pre-CBS sunburst P-Bass I was offered with Traynor amp for $500 in 1975 I couldn't afford because I was just married and saving to buy land to build a house.

2. A local shop had one of those Dan Armstrong Ampeg lucite basses I just couldn't bring myself to spend on.

3. Same shop had a vintage Danelectro short scale for sale on another occasion. I was gonna bring an amp up to try it out but it got sold before I could.
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An early 2000s Padulla Rapture 5 string the was in dubious condition being sold at a local mom and pop store for about $1200. It really needed some work and I wasn’t thinking ahead at the time.:sour:
 
#36
A late 50’s early 60’s butterscotch Fender P Bass. A buddy offered it to me for $250.00, but I’d just paid that for a spiffy new Univox Professional Bass... he ended up selling it to the local music store, and I don’t think he even got $200.00 for it.
 
#37
NoSlapForYou said:
Last year, I came across a pristine-looking '70s V4-B for $600. It was the week I was moving from Chicago to California, and the dude selling it was way the hell outside of the city. In Chicago I never had a car. I wasn't going to spend $80 renting a zip car and driving two-hours round trip for something that might not be worth it. Besides, it wasn't the best use of my moving funds.

$800 seems to the low end price on any I see these days.
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Lol! I traded my Ampeg V4-B for a half rack Yamaha reverb unit back in the 90’s. I also removed the speakers out of the V4 2x15 folded cab... and dumped the cab.

In my defence, it was a nightmare moving that gear around, And I was gigging full time back then...
 
#38
I found a sweet G&L L2500 for sale on ebay that I just had to have. I thought it over for a day because I was tight at the time. When I went the next day to get it, it was tragically gone. Well it turned to have a happy ending, because the person who bought it was my wife for a gift. Ended up being my main for like 10 years, and it still comes to gigs as my second. Technically it didn't get away, I guess.
 
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#39
Yango said:
Lol! I traded my Ampeg V4-B for a half rack Yamaha reverb unit back in the 90’s. I also removed the speakers out of the V4 2x15 folded cab... and dumped the cab.

In my defence, it was a nightmare moving that gear around, And I was gigging full time back then...
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I mean, it's heavy. But when paired with a 212AV, I don't think there's a single amp I like more.

If I was gigging I'd probably have a V4-B for studio/home use and then the smallest possible Class D head for live use. You're going to run through the front of the house anyway. If the sound guy knows what he's doing, it'll sound good.
 

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