Time to sell it all?

[bpmben]

I've been wrestling with this lately and would love to get some outside opinions.

Our family is selling our house and moving to Denver. One thing my wife and I agreed on was downsizing. Not really for financial reasons but just to have less and simplify. And for all of us (we have three kids 7-11) to spend more time together outside etc.

And while it's been really easy (and cathartic) to cut down on stuff the one that has been hard has been my gear. I've sold my Baer Valkyrie and ML212 rig, one bass (my Stambaugh hollowbody), and a bunch of pedals etc. Those were all hard to give up, but now I'm okay with it and wondering if I shouldn't be really simplifying.

Right now I have four boutique basses, two relatively expensive guitars, a bass amp and cabs, a guitar amp, a guitar practice amp and a small pedalboard. But how much do I need? There's a part of me that feels like trimming down to a single bass (likely the burgundy mist one) and single guitar (the strat style Cutlass) would be plenty. Or even selling all of my boutique basses and just buying a cheap Pbass would be enough. My wife has told me to keep everything but it feels weird to be simplifying everything else but hanging onto these boutique instruments that are more than I need.

Thoughts?

Here are my basses and guitars:
View attachment 3359534

And my amps:

View attachment 3359535
View attachment 3359536

Nice gear choices. I gig on guitar and on bass and so I have 2 guitars (one fixed bridge and one floating bridge) and two basses (a passive 4 and an active 5), a guitar amp and a bass amp. So I suppose if you're really looking to downsize then maybe thin out the basses that are too similar. But as others have said, if they bring joy and inspiration you'll find a way to keep them all.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

You don’t have to sell until you really want to it sounds like. From what you described, you feel bad about selling one bass already. Perhaps wait and see if you feel the same after settling into your new place?

 

[mikewalker]

Since it occurred to you to ask the question..
100% SELL THEM ALL.

Time for a fresh new start, you only live once...

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Since it occurred to you to ask the question..
100% SELL THEM ALL.

Time for a fresh new start, you only live once...

You can start with the Accordian now!

 

[39-Bassist]

If you are wanting to record or play out still then I would....keep 1 guitar, both amps, your favorite (sentimental) bass. Then after selling everything else, buy a nice 2nd bass that you can take anywhere and enjoy playing it. (just in case the other expensive bass makes you not want to take to certain shows.)
just my 1-1/2 cents.
Nice selection of basses though.
and have a safe move.

 

[RichardW]

Maybe consider it this way: think of the enjoyment you'll provide the persons who buy your stuff. It's not like you're choosing between what to keep and what to toss into a landfill. Any piece you sell (or donate) will likely be a source of joy for another person. Those instruments and amps will live on, even if they're not in your possession.

Also: keep your wife.

 

[Jared Lash]

In order to make "simplified living" work, you cant burn with gas over the instruments you sold that will now cost more to reobtain, if you ever can.

dont sell them, if you do your wife will be able to say I told you so.

That is a real fear. That I'll sell custom basses at a loss and then want to spend to buy something else, or worse yet, spend the time and money to reacquire the ones I sold. I think that's part of what makes this hard, the basses are all one of a kind.

I'd be happy with this.

Toss up with the amps.
Nice that your wife is happy with you keeping everything but if you do feel it wise to sell most of your collection, go with the feeling.
Don't forget, someone else will be happy buying what you do sell.

I do love that bass. It's like a sleek version of a 70's jazz. And a reminder to me of why Nordstrand are so well regarded. The pickups and preamp in that one are fantastic.

Since you do play and enjoy everything, I would suggest keeping everything. Unless you don't have the room. If you get back to gigging, and a lot of people do after the kids get bigger, you will need some gear. Why sell now (at the "used discount") and have to replace the gear at a higher price at a later time?

I congratulate you and your wife on wanting to simplify your life, but when doing that, I feel no need to liquidate too much stuff that is still used or cherished. Get rid of the truly unused stuff. I know in my case, I pack rat stuff away because I it might be useful later. I come by this honestly by having parents that grew up during the '30s depression where nothing remotely useful was thrown away. I regularly have to dump old computer stuff that has become so obsolete it is not even worth trying sell.

"Used and cherished" - those are both good terms. I do play them all and honestly they are among the only possessions I have (other than purely sentimental things) that I really love. And my stepfather is a complete pack rat and I know that comes from his mom (my late grandmother) growing up in the depression era. It definitely changes your mindset I'm sure.

Two things you said that make me say this:
1. You are downsizing and simplifying to focus on spending time with your family.
You can't play more than one instumemt at a time, so in that respect, if You have 1 instrument or 20, it really doesn't fit in the time/time with family equation.
2. Your wife supports you keeping everything. Gives you autonomy to do what you want. I'd go for downsizing stuff I haven't touched in a year. If you are actively using everything in deference to time spent with family, keep it all. Really tho, there are people that get by on just 1 gig worthy amp/bass. I'm not one of them, but I've heard that such people exist.

I think that's what it comes down to. I can only play one at a time and how much gear do I really need. And honestly, there's a lot of guilt around having expensive/custom gear when right now I only play at home.

If you are wanting to record or play out still then I would....keep 1 guitar, both amps, your favorite (sentimental) bass. Then after selling everything else, buy a nice 2nd bass that you can take anywhere and enjoy playing it. (just in case the other expensive bass makes you not want to take to certain shows.)
just my 1-1/2 cents.
Nice selection of basses though.
and have a safe move.

Thanks. And what you're proposing is pretty much what I've been considering. Keep one bass and one guitar and sell the rest. Then, if I choose, maybe buy a nice Pbass or (more likely) a Stingray Special 4H. But then I think that selling gear just to buy something else kind of defeats the purpose.

 

[FenderB]

I've been wrestling with this lately and would love to get some outside opinions.

"Our family is selling our house and moving to Denver. One thing my wife and I agreed on was downsizing."

I tried that when me moved to our current house 16 years ago, didn't work. After the move I just started all over again. I have more crap now then I did when we moved. Keep it all, it's in you, it's who you are, except it.

 

[Jared Lash]

Maybe consider it this way: think of the enjoyment you'll provide the persons who buy your stuff. It's not like you're choosing between what to keep and what to toss into a landfill. Any piece you sell (or donate) will likely be a source of joy for another person. Those instruments and amps will live on, even if they're not in your possession.

Also: keep your wife.

That's very true. I sold my semi-hollow Stambaugh recently and while it was tough to part with, PMing with the TBer who bought it made me feel good about who was getting that bass. Especially after it arrived and he said he was happy with it. That meant a lot to me honestly.

I'm definitely keeping my wife. She supports my gear habit and music playing, is smart, funny, handy, a great mom, likes almost all the same stuff I do, and is a yoga teacher. I did something right in a past life I think.

 

[Jared Lash]

I tried that when me moved to our current house 16 years ago, didn't work. After the move I just started all over again. I have more crap now then I did when we moved. Keep it all, it's in you, it's who you are, except it.

That's something I worry about. Simplifying only works if I can be disciplined afterward. But if I trim down to one bass and then decide that I really need a fiver, or a fretless, or a J or P (depending on what I keep) then I'm just selling stuff now that covers pretty much all the basses only to buy stuff to replace it later.

 

[mrcbass]

Well, we really can't answer for you, but for me, now that I've done my due diligence in exploring what I NEED, I'm in favor of trimming down to NEED (I've sold 2 and have my other 3 of my "extra" basses up for sale). Even though I have plenty of room, extra basses are still clutter and they won't get much love in the foreseeable future. I have a box full of pedals that I don't currently use that I probably won't sell right away, because things can change and I may want/need them at some point. The cost of selling low and buying high is just too stupid to sell those off in any hurry. And they don't take up that much space. I just have the one "production amp", and have a couple of smaller amps that I keep around for auditions and other miscellaneous needs. Other than that, I don't have any "extra" stuff.

 

[fermata]

I do play them all and honestly they are among the only possessions I have (other than purely sentimental things) that I really love. ... I can only play one at a time and how much gear do I really need. And honestly, there's a lot of guilt around having expensive/custom gear when right now I only play at home. ... And what you're proposing is pretty much what I've been considering. Keep one bass and one guitar and sell the rest. Then, if I choose, maybe buy a nice Pbass or (more likely) a Stingray Special 4H. But then I think that selling gear just to buy something else kind of defeats the purpose.

I agree, selling only to buy is self-defeating! Seems like if you do sell any basses, you should keep two. Given that these are your favorite possessions, it seems like you'd be happier keeping most--all?--of them. On the other hand, if the guilt outweighs the pleasure of owning and playing them, well, then they're not sparking joy. So it's a bit of a balancing act! I'm down to one bass myself, and there is a lightness and pleasure in that, too, but I'm not sure if it will be the same for you...

 

[Jokei]

Keep the 4 strings, the fretless and the 5-string.
Keep the amp and cabs.
Keep one guitar for writing and the other for live (if you guitar live).

Or...

Buy 2 more 4 strings and keep 1, get the kids learning

 

[DrThumpenstein]

That is a real fear. That I'll sell custom basses at a loss and then want to spend to buy something else, or worse yet, spend the time and money to reacquire the ones I sold. I think that's part of what makes this hard, the basses are all one of a kind.



I do love that bass. It's like a sleek version of a 70's jazz. And a reminder to me of why Nordstrand are so well regarded. The pickups and preamp in that one are fantastic.



"Used and cherished" - those are both good terms. I do play them all and honestly they are among the only possessions I have (other than purely sentimental things) that I really love. And my stepfather is a complete pack rat and I know that comes from his mom (my late grandmother) growing up in the depression era. It definitely changes your mindset I'm sure.



I think that's what it comes down to. I can only play one at a time and how much gear do I really need. And honestly, there's a lot of guilt around having expensive/custom gear when right now I only play at home.



Thanks. And what you're proposing is pretty much what I've been considering. Keep one bass and one guitar and sell the rest. Then, if I choose, maybe buy a nice Pbass or (more likely) a Stingray Special 4H. But then I think that selling gear just to buy something else kind of defeats the purpose.

You are a thoughtful guy and you have made some fantastic acquisitions. Raising your kids is clearly your priority, I wish more people shared that with you. But someday they'll be out doing their own thing and you'll be looking to get out and play again. Sounds like that may happen sooner than later.

You definitely want to have 2 basses when you start playing out again and your amp and cabs are great, so you won't want to have to replace them down the road. It sounds like you like to play a 6-string too. So keep the Strat, sell the other guitar and consider selling the guitar amps. You can always play your guitar through your bass rig unless you are gigging with it. As far as how many other of those basses to keep, if you enjoy playing them all, keep 'em. You're right, you won't be able to replace them for what you get, so you might think about hanging onto them at least until you get settled in Denver.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I'm 53, and gigging several times a month minimum. But if I am not playing them out, I have been looking to get rid of them - other than my first acoustic guitar, which I got when I was 11.

I see 4s and 5s. Is one your preference, or do you play both equally?

I'd start putting some up for sale - don't dump them, but get a fair price for them.

 

[Jared Lash]

Well, we really can't answer for you, but for me, now that I've done my due diligence in exploring what I NEED, I'm in favor of trimming down to NEED (I've sold 2 and have my other 3 of my "extra" basses up for sale). Even though I have plenty of room, extra basses are still clutter and they won't get much love in the foreseeable future. I have a box full of pedals that I don't currently use that I probably won't sell right away, because things can change and I may want/need them at some point. The cost of selling low and buying high is just too stupid to sell those off in any hurry. And they don't take up that much space. I just have the one "production amp", and have a couple of smaller amps that I keep around for auditions and other miscellaneous needs. Other than that, I don't have any "extra" stuff.

I know that no one can answer for me. But it's been really helpful to get other input and viewpoints. A lot of times I think people posts threads asking for advice when they already know what they want to do. In this case I'm pretty torn. In one sense what I have isn't really a huge amount of gear and as a whole it covers pretty much all the ground I need. On the other, it's a collection that represents a significant amount of money (and space) that could be used for something else.

I like the idea of not having any "extra" stuff. I think where I'm struggling is deciding what is actually "extra".

And I had the same box full of pedals that I was hanging onto because "I might need them" and selling those was actually the easiest thing. At least for me, if I'm not using a pedal I tend to move it. Otherwise they seem to multiply.

I agree, selling only to buy is self-defeating! Seems like if you do sell any basses, you should keep two. Given that these are your favorite possessions, it seems like you'd be happier keeping most--all?--of them. On the other hand, if the guilt outweighs the pleasure of owning and playing them, well, then they're not sparking joy. So it's a bit of a balancing act! I'm down to one bass myself, and there is a lightness and pleasure in that, too, but I'm not sure if it will be the same for you...

I know if I could only keep one it would be the burgundy mist bass. It is just my #1. But trying to decide which other I would keep makes me realize how much I like all the others too. But there is a real appeal in having a single instrument. At least in theory.

Keep the 4 strings, the fretless and the 5-string.
Keep the amp and cabs.
Keep one guitar for writing and the other for live (if you guitar live).

Or...

Buy 2 more 4 strings and keep 1, get the kids learning

I think I can get my daughter playing. And maybe my youngest. My oldest doesn't even like listening to music let alone playing it. I'm not sure where we went wrong there . . .

 

[sikamikanico]

To paraphrase Einstein, you should aim to have as few guitars as possible, but no fewer.

Find where your balance is, with no guilt and burden of having too many, but no regrets either. To me, it sounds like you should sell at least one more bass/guitar, and you should keep at least one of each. Between these two “extremes,” I would suggest selling them, one by one. Constantly reevaluate, but don’t purge.

And if at some point you decide to buy another, don’t feel bad either. But be picky, be very picky!

In short, just be brutally honest with yourself about what you really want. That can be harder than justifying based on “need.”

 

[jbybj]

Asking this question on the interwebs is fruitless. Only you and your wife possess the insight and perspective to address this issue. Since you seem a little lost, DO WHAT YOUR WIFE SAYS.

 

[Jared Lash]

I'm 53, and gigging several times a month minimum. But if I am not playing them out, I have been looking to get rid of them - other than my first acoustic guitar, which I got when I was 11.

I see 4s and 5s. Is one your preference, or do you play both equally?

I'd start putting some up for sale - don't dump them, but get a fair price for them.

If I had to choose one or the other I'd pick 4 strings. But it's handy to have a five string bass. And the other fiver is fretless. Do I actually need a fretless bass? I don't know. But I love playing it.

And you make a good point. Since I don't need to sell them I can always list them for what I believe they're worth. If they sell at that price then great. And if they don't sell at that price I can hold on to them knowing that they mean more to me than what the market was willing to pay.

 

[Joedog]

Play Solomon and split the difference (at least for now). Keep a bass and guitar amp, and pare down to 2 basses and 2 guitars. Reevaluate a few months down the road?