The one that got away.

[Five or Six]

Didn't sell or trade it but some ass stole it out of my truck. Truck was locked, windows up. Walked into the club to get my backup bass, came out to leave, and it was gone. Side window broken out, door open. I'm sure he knew what he was getting and watched me put it in the truck.

 

[bigjames]

Sigh, I have two:

#1 My first bass was a gorgeous Samick PJ neck through. Just a dream to play, really hot passive pick ups, beautiful natural finish. Traded it in when I was young and foolish.

#2 EBMM Stingray ~1994, cherry red with maple neck and fingerboard. Sold it in 2001 to help make ends meet after I got married. There was a promise we would replace it, but alas, no MM on my wall...yet.

You know, I think I do deserve an old Smoothy....

 

[wyleeboxer]

Early 80’s white Jaydee Supernatural

 

[avalancheMM]

I have the completely opposite issue, I can't sell anything, so I haven't! Now I have a poopie ton of instruments, but still, the GAS doesn't go away for long. On the other hand, I don't drink, don't smoke, hardly ever step out on my wife, and have no kids, what else would I do with my earnings?????? Kidding. My compulsion to never feel the regret that some of you have experienced keeps me with way too many guitars and basses. And amps. And a bunch of other poopie. Now I am re-thinking my life, I should never have clicked on this thread........

 

[micguy]

I’ve sold one bass (a Ric4001, my first bass), and donated more basses than I have. So far, zero regrets. The few I have are VERY nice.

 

[ToddB1963]

For context, I think a more comprehensive reply is warranted.

I set out intending to keep every bass I've ever purchased, but over time requirements change and an instrument acquired with good intentions often loses its appeal once it's tested in a gigging situation.

That said I only ever truly regret selling one bass - an Ibanez Musician MC 824 I sold to my brother in 1985 after he'd started playing bass. I sold it to him upon purchasing a '78 jazz (in '85), thinking... a) I only needed one bass and b) the Fender was better because...it was a Fender. I was wrong. In hindsight I should have kept the Ibanez because it was markedly superior to the jazz in every aspect. Neck through construction, well balanced, not too heavy, excellent fit 'n finish, and it sounded very good (the growl with both pickups on full was better than any jazz bass I've heard since). Sadly, it was stolen out of his car a couple of years later - after a gig I might add (rule #1 - NEVER leave gear in a car unattended)

On the other hand, here are the basses I don't regret selling:

• Vantage VA 900B ('80 - bland sounding; horrible neck-dive. Traded it on the Ibanez mentioned above)
• Ibanez MC 924 Fretless ('82 - v noisy preamp)
• Fender Jazz (MIA '78 - the one mentioned above; the less said about it the better)
• Fender Jazz (MIJ '62 reissue '05 - lacklustre)
• Fender Jazz (MIA 2012 - bought a Yamaha BB2000; made the jazz obsolete overnight)
• Sadowsky Metro UV '70 5 (2012 - sound with HC pickups was too compressed / bland; finish flaw; rear pickup died just out of warranty)

Lastly, here are the basses I'll never sell:

• Yamaha TRB6II ('03)
• Yamaha TRB6P ('92)
• Yamaha BB2000 ('82)
• Yamaha BB3000 ('84)
• Fender CS '59 Precision ('14)
• EB MM SR4 3EQ ('04)

I gigged the TRB6P yesterday on an outdoor folk-rock gig, and I'll be giving the Precision an outing over the next two nights at a festival playing 6 sets of jazz/pop/RnB. I'm really spoiled for choice at this point. I have every sound I've ever wanted/need for any imaginable gigging situation. My bass buying days are over.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

For context, I think a more comprehensive reply is warranted.

I set out intending to keep every bass I've ever purchased, but over time requirements change and an instrument acquired with good intentions often loses its appeal once it's tested in a gigging situation.

That said I only ever truly regret selling one bass - an Ibanez Musician MC 824 I sold to my brother in 1985 after he'd started playing bass. I sold it to him upon purchasing a '78 jazz (in '85), thinking... a) I only needed one bass and b) the Fender was better because...it was a Fender. I was wrong. In hindsight I should have kept the Ibanez because it was markedly superior to the jazz in every aspect. Neck through construction, well balanced, not too heavy, excellent fit 'n finish, and it sounded very good (the growl with both pickups on full was better than any jazz bass I've heard since). Sadly, it was stolen out of his car a couple of years later - after a gig I might add (rule #1 - NEVER leave gear in a car unattended)

On the other hand, here are the basses I don't regret selling:

• Vantage VA 900B ('80 - bland sounding; horrible neck-dive. Traded it on the Ibanez mentioned above)
• Ibanez MC 924 Fretless ('82 - v noisy preamp)
• Fender Jazz (MIA '78 - the one mentioned above; the less said about it the better)
• Fender Jazz (MIJ '62 reissue '05 - lacklustre)
• Fender Jazz (MIA 2012 - bought a Yamaha BB2000; made the jazz obsolete overnight)
• Sadowsky Metro UV '70 5 (2012 - sound with HC pickups was too compressed / bland; finish flaw; rear pickup died just out of warranty)

Lastly, here are the basses I'll never sell:

• Yamaha TRB6II ('03)
• Yamaha TRB6P ('92)
• Yamaha BB2000 ('82)
• Yamaha BB3000 ('84)
• Fender CS '59 Precision ('14)
• EB MM SR4 3EQ ('04)

I gigged the TRB6P yesterday on an outdoor folk-rock gig, and I'll be giving the Precision an outing over the next two nights at a festival playing 6 sets of jazz/pop/RnB. I'm really spoiled for choice at this point. I have every sound I've ever wanted/need for any imaginable gigging situation. My bass buying days are over.

In the mid nineties I had a BB 3000 traded towards my first Rick 4003. The old BB ' are really great.

 

[Bassmike62]

Peavey T-40, all natural. Can't remember which year, probably late 80s, all original and working perfectly. Saw it at 699$, wasn't ready then, got it ready 3 weeks after and guess what... she was gone. They go for 2K these days....

 

[songwriter21]

I regret selling two blue, quilt-topped Yamaha TRB 5IIs, and a white w/ red pearl pickguarded Trace Elliot/Status T-Bass 5'er, all three having left back around 2000-2001. The latter, especially is very rare now, and goes for a lot more than what I paid in '00.

 

[JohnnyChatter]

Gibson Flying V bass. I was 14 and saving every dime from work. I wanted one so bad. A friend of ours who owned a music store convinced my mom and I it was a waste of money and that I should buy a Cort. Over 20 years later and I’m still gasing for one but the prices are nuts and I can’t find a good kit Flying V bass anywhere.

 

[sheltjo6]

We all have the story of Basses we should not have traded, or sold, but which one do you miss the most? I let a 1974 White with Black binding and hardware, Rickenbacker 4001 get away. Stupid.

late 90's all maple Spector Euro (Closest thing to a USA Spector as you could get)
All it needed was a HAZ preamp.

 

[Jogobass]

Had a Westone 4 string fretless unlined. With 2 humbuckers passive. Sold it to a fellow bassplayer because I got a new 5 string. It was my first fretless so kinda sentimental.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

Gibson Flying V bass. I was 14 and saving every dime from work. I wanted one so bad. A friend of ours who owned a music store convinced my mom and I it was a waste of money and that I should buy a Cort. Over 20 years later and I’m still gasing for one but the prices are nuts and I can’t find a good kit Flying V bass anywhere.

There's one on Reverb now, $6000.00. Nuts.

 

[tb-player]

 

[mdlewis]

This ones in fairly recent memory. I was in Tokyo and saw a Fano Rhythymstar. Passed on it as I wasn’t heading directly home. Posted about it on Talkbass. By the time I made it back to Tokyo, it was long gone.

 

[Ric5]

We all have the story of Basses we should not have traded, or sold, but which one do you miss the most? I let a 1974 White with Black binding and hardware, Rickenbacker 4001 get away. Stupid.

 

[PennyroyalWe]

Probably the Squier VM telecaster bass (the one w/ the tele body) that I had. I didn’t appreciate the 32” scale at the time, but I’d sure love to have it now.

What I regret even more is not buying a Squier VM Precision Bass TB a few years ago because it was a 2hr drive each way to the seller. They were only asking $125 for it!! These days they’re fetching ~$600 the rare times that they come up for sale at all.

 

[Nebadon2000]

My '75 Olympic White Precision had it 1975 till 2000

 

[wiscoaster]

.... I let a 1974 White with Black binding and hardware, Rickenbacker 4001 get away. Stupid.

Ouch. I feel your pain.

It wasn't a bass, it was a pre-SG Les Paul Jr which I bought used for about $200 in 1966, traded away in 1970, and today goes for an easy $7,500 on ebay (when you can find one).

 

[BassToGoGo]

A Gibson RD Artist that I had painted candy purple when I worked at Gibson in the early 90's. It also has a Gibson Custom Shop decal.

I would love to know where it ended up.

I lost it at a pawn shop. Kids don't do drugs.