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what do I do when I am done?

MTMTEX

MTMTEX

Apr 30, 2008
1,030
377
austin tx.
#1
i saw this once on the alembic forum and think more and more about it everyday. i am 47 and currently own 16 basses, with no plans to stop acquiring more anytime soon. my problem is i have no children, and noone in my family to leave any of my basses too. i want to load them up and take them to the school of music and give them to up and coming bassists. my wife thinks they wont appreciate them, without having put the time and effort and yes resources, to acquire their own. but how cool would that have been when you were 1st learning how to play? some old geezer handing you a rickenbacker or alembic! my other option is the put them on the bay or a forum and sell all but the one i want to keep. who knows what they might be worth in 20 or 25 years? i might need them to help in my retirement. so there it is. anyone else have this delema? any thoughts or ideas to help me make this decision? just wondering what you guys would do. :help:
 
#2
Don't give them to random people who are up and coming, If I were you, I would give it to somebody who you REALLY think deserves it, somebody you can tell loves music so much and takes it very very seriously.

Basically I think you should just make sure you DO find people who will appreciate it alot!

OR send them to me... :D I have 1 crappy bass

but seriously haha, for now, just PLAY THE HELL OUT OF THEM :bassist:
 
#4
Is it possible to set up some kind of scholarship or benefactor deal with some local schools so as to target talented kids who really don't have access to a quality instrument? It happens all the time for priceless Stradivarius violins, rich benefactors 'loan' the instrument to up-n-coming talented musicians on their way up.
 
#5
RiseOfTheWooten said:
Is it possible to set up some kind of scholarship or benefactor deal with some local schools so as to target talented kids who really don't have access to a quality instrument? It happens all the time for priceless Stradivarius violins, rich benefactors 'loan' the instrument to up-n-coming talented musicians on their way up.
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this sounds like a good idea
 
#7
I would agree with the above posts. If you want to give them away. Find people that you know will love them as much as you do. The one thought that comes to my mind is. Find out who in the local music scene is good and is gigging like crazy and doesn't have great gear. Show up before a show and just give it to him/her. That way you know that the bass is getting what it deserves... other people hearing it sing.
 
#10
RiseOfTheWooten said:
Is it possible to set up some kind of scholarship or benefactor deal with some local schools so as to target talented kids who really don't have access to a quality instrument? It happens all the time for priceless Stradivarius violins, rich benefactors 'loan' the instrument to up-n-coming talented musicians on their way up.
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Wow, you are quite cool to be thinking about this!

Great ideas. I think directly giving basses, especially high end basses, to beginners is kind've a waste. Perhaps you could find a music school or teacher to act as a trustee that could sell the basses and use the money to fund music education(or more specifically bass education). One Fender collectable could sell for enough to buy quite a few beginnner basses and pay for lots of lessons. Giving some kid a $15,000 bass really doesn't make a lot of sense. The instrument would be better off in the hands of another collector with the proceeds benefiting something you care about.
 
#11
RiseOfTheWooten said:
Is it possible to set up some kind of scholarship or benefactor deal with some local schools so as to target talented kids who really don't have access to a quality instrument? It happens all the time for priceless Stradivarius violins, rich benefactors 'loan' the instrument to up-n-coming talented musicians on their way up.
Click to expand...

Here are some articles with some examples of what I mean:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

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http://www.amatifoundation.org/

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Incidently, the violinist in the first link: Link Removed

" So-Ock plays a 1666 Antonius Stradivarius kindly loaned to her by an anonymous donor. "

Violins, violas and cellos, however, have not been improved on since Stradivari made his first known violin, in 1666. That very violin is on loan to So-Ock Kim, the brilliant 24-year-old Korean-British violinist who has just been signed by Sony BMG, and it is sitting on the table between us. Beare has helped to supply her with violins ever since. Having won the Shell/LSO competition at 15, she was loaned a Guarneri fiddle from the Worshipful Company of Musicians for several years. “Then I needed to give that back and I was without a violin, and I thought: panic. I got a letter from Mr Beare saying that he had found a sponsor who’d bought this violin to be used by a soloist, and would I like to come and play on it? Three days later, I was playing the Beethoven concerto at Bridgewater Hall, in Manchester. It sounded great in there.”

Such an arrangement is much more common in mainland Europe, Japan and Korea and now Australia. In January, an anonymous benefactor paid £3.6m for a 1743 del Gesu to be given on long-term loan to the Australian Chamber Orchestra.​
 
#14
mothmonsterman said:
or get sold for crack
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Yeah i agree we shouldn't give anything o the less fortunate... it'll all get sold for crack (sarcastic obviously)

I can't believe this was posted.... and for the record satchmo was given his first trumpet because he had nothing else going or him... if 15 basses get wasted and produces an amazing musician, then giving them all away was worth it
 
#15
y0shimitzu said:
I would agree with the above posts. If you want to give them away. Find people that you know will love them as much as you do. The one thought that comes to my mind is. Find out who in the local music scene is good and is gigging like crazy and doesn't have great gear. Show up before a show and just give it to him/her. That way you know that the bass is getting what it deserves... other people hearing it sing.
Click to expand...

probably nothing would make me happier then watching someone with an instrument i have cherished through the years up on stage making it sing for the enjoyment of everyone there. thanks.
 
#17
Yep, some good thinking.

A. Keep them in case you need a financial boost when you're an old geezer.

B. But set up a scholarship or something of the sort, with a sensible legal structure to save bequeathing chaos, with a couple of trustees (that's a UK term, but there's certain to be an equivalent) to manage it.
 

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