I used to use that phrase , when I sold basses on eBay and started my auctions at .01 with no reserve.
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"This bass deserves to be played." Does it?
- Thread starter tb-player
- Start date
"This thing is the easiest playing bass I've ever owned. The neck just snugs perfectly into your hand. It's satin, not sticky. The fretboard is like butter. Frets are perfectly dressed, no sharp edges and no high spots. The body is delightfully light weight and perfectly balanced, so you can play all night. I've installed unobtanium pickups that sound amazing, a top of the line titanium bridge, hand-forged brass saddles, and a tug bar and finger ramp made from the wood of the Methuselah tree, which grants vibrant health and long life on contact. The bass sounds like a grand piano, looks killer onstage, and is loved by every sound engineer who hears it. I've owned a lot of basses, but this is the one I swore I would take to my grave.
"Selling because it's just sitting here collecting dust, and it deserves to be played."
"Selling because it's just sitting here collecting dust, and it deserves to be played."
It really bothers me when I have more basses sitting around than I’m actively playing. Anything beyond about 4 basses starts to weigh on me. I don’t like feeling an obligation to play thru the rotation like it’s some kind of chore.
I’ve sold quite a few really great basses because I wasn’t playing them.
I’ve sold quite a few really great basses because I wasn’t playing them.
It means the same thing a car dealer says when he/she tells you "this car deserves to be driven".
Mcdonalds used to tell me i deserve a break today.
Entitlement runs rampant nowadays.
Mcdonalds used to tell me i deserve a break today.
Entitlement runs rampant nowadays.
I see that a lot in motorcycle ads for higher end motorcycles. Folks essentially take on another care note and find they don't really have the time to ride. They'll list it for sale and say "it deserves to be ridden."
Translation - "I'm making a monthly automobile payment on a garage queen. Please take it off my hands."
Translation - "I'm making a monthly automobile payment on a garage queen. Please take it off my hands."
"This bass deserves to be reliced by a moron with a belt sander." Better? 
I always took it to mean the seller didn't use it much and saw that as a wasted instrument.
I always took it to mean the seller didn't use it much and saw that as a wasted instrument.
I just finished or am close to finishing a purge of all of my 5 string basses that aren't getting played. I had several nice ones, but I'm gigging Sandberg Superlights only now. Any one of those I sold could easily be someone's number one. I just had too many. But they really did deserve to be played. I'm not a collector, so if I'm not gigging it, out it goes.
"I like this bass and should play this bass more, but I don't/can't due to <insert reason or reasons>, and I can't justify keeping it anymore."
I just sold my 63 P bass. It deserved to be played.
Was definitely a dream bass for me and a total keeper but I just didn’t feel comfortable playing it and not being able to modify the crap out of it.
Sold it under market value and drove several hours to meet up with another TBer who loves it and plays it more than I do. Would rather that it stays in the hands of a player instead of some rich guys guitar collection.
I also just gave away my prewar Martin to a lifelong friend. It also deserved to be played and I don’t play guitar.
I think that we get wrapped up in having so many material things in life, especially here on talkbass. I’ve got plenty of nice gear that doesn’t get used often enough to justify keeping it. So it goes.
Was definitely a dream bass for me and a total keeper but I just didn’t feel comfortable playing it and not being able to modify the crap out of it.
Sold it under market value and drove several hours to meet up with another TBer who loves it and plays it more than I do. Would rather that it stays in the hands of a player instead of some rich guys guitar collection.
I also just gave away my prewar Martin to a lifelong friend. It also deserved to be played and I don’t play guitar.
I think that we get wrapped up in having so many material things in life, especially here on talkbass. I’ve got plenty of nice gear that doesn’t get used often enough to justify keeping it. So it goes.
Last month I sold off some gear that wasn't getting used, including a couple of nice basses.
A younger gentleman met me in my luthier's shop, tried the bass, said "Wow. Thanks for the brand new strings (that set saw maybe 5 hours of playtime. Maybe), I'm gigging it tonight." and handed me the money without haggling or any questions. For that comment alone I would've dropped the price $100, but he never asked...
He's the one who should own that bass, not me. It's a very fine instrument in its own right that I had zero use for.
Neither of us is wrong IMO. It's a matter of one's taste and preferences.
A younger gentleman met me in my luthier's shop, tried the bass, said "Wow. Thanks for the brand new strings (that set saw maybe 5 hours of playtime. Maybe), I'm gigging it tonight." and handed me the money without haggling or any questions. For that comment alone I would've dropped the price $100, but he never asked...
He's the one who should own that bass, not me. It's a very fine instrument in its own right that I had zero use for.
Neither of us is wrong IMO. It's a matter of one's taste and preferences.
Every bass deserves to be played and if we all owned only one then it would get played. Some of us own multiple instruments, amps, etc. (myself included) and do not play all of them equally. Thats okay.
To me it's a catch phrase "I prefer the money over the instrument I am selling"
To me it's a catch phrase "I prefer the money over the instrument I am selling"
Don't over think it, "deserve to be played" is just a figure of speech. In most cases it just means, nice bass, but doesn't get played, someone else might make better use of it.
Why should it matter why the person selling it doesn't play it? and why on earth should anyone feel guilty if they don't play it?
We all buy things, that for one reason or another, we end up not using much, why should a bass be thought about, or treated any different, to a bicycle, a blender, or anything else.
Why should it matter why the person selling it doesn't play it? and why on earth should anyone feel guilty if they don't play it?
We all buy things, that for one reason or another, we end up not using much, why should a bass be thought about, or treated any different, to a bicycle, a blender, or anything else.
If you're looking at this you'll know all about it.
(ie. I can't even be bothered to describe it.)
Reading this thread tends to make me believe I have too much faith in people... I did get burned a couple of times buying basses on TB so maybe there's some truth to that, I usually take the seller at their word and it usually works out fine with a minority of exceptions. For all the skeptics, do you just buy new? Do your homework thoroughly and/or use PayPal everytime so you have protection you anticipate you'll need?
I usually list for sale under market value and make it a point to add all details concerning condition, pointing out any cosmetic flaw and stressing there are no issues with neck, truss rod, frets etc... without much luck selling. Do you have better luck listing weight and specs only at or slightly above market price?
I usually list for sale under market value and make it a point to add all details concerning condition, pointing out any cosmetic flaw and stressing there are no issues with neck, truss rod, frets etc... without much luck selling. Do you have better luck listing weight and specs only at or slightly above market price?
This is how usually works for me: 90% is "this instrument deserves to be played by someone who don't care about tone like me"; the other 10% are "I like/love it, unfortunately need the money".
Yeah, now you know.
Yeah, now you know.
I am struggling with “it deserves to be played.”
i am up to 8 bases… soon to be 10. I still only have two arms. I love them and play them and rotate… and i like them all for a reason. none are dogs.
But some i like the look better, or they have history. My favourite basses are not always the “best”. There is also a desire to have all bases on a stand ready to pick up and enjoy, vs safe but forgotten in a case. Balance that with strings, cleaning, setups - i.e there is a tempting simplicity to less, and only having your absolute favourites. Vs a large collection full of character, history and variety.
as i get older (mid life) i have less free time. Time, not money, is my limiting resource. I dont need to sell anything… but i have been working hard to declutter and simplify my lifestyle. There is an appeal to just keeping an loving my favourites. Own too much… and it ends up owning you.
i am up to 8 bases… soon to be 10. I still only have two arms. I love them and play them and rotate… and i like them all for a reason. none are dogs.
But some i like the look better, or they have history. My favourite basses are not always the “best”. There is also a desire to have all bases on a stand ready to pick up and enjoy, vs safe but forgotten in a case. Balance that with strings, cleaning, setups - i.e there is a tempting simplicity to less, and only having your absolute favourites. Vs a large collection full of character, history and variety.
as i get older (mid life) i have less free time. Time, not money, is my limiting resource. I dont need to sell anything… but i have been working hard to declutter and simplify my lifestyle. There is an appeal to just keeping an loving my favourites. Own too much… and it ends up owning you.
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