What to do when you're dead...

[socialleper]

I guess it depends when.
If I wipe out on the way home tonight then it will be up to my wife to decide. She would probably want to keep one or two basses, as would my sister. The rest, my rig, and my pedals would probably be sold off. If she was smart she would use my band's connections to auction it off as some kind of benefit; use the whole "tragic death of a young musician" thing to her advantage.
If its when I'm old, I will have probably would have had to sell it off when I "retire" from music. There aren't any musicians in my family that would want them and none of them are inherently valuable as collector pieces. I would like to be buried with one, but that isn't very likely.

 

[Tim817]

I'm sure there is a church in your area that could use the equipment. They can even rename the band after you.

 

[Muttleybass]

Although I appreciate my gear now, I'm not THAT emotionally attached to it. After all, it's just STUFF.

I'll leave it to my kids.. If they sell it, that's fine. Hopefully it'll eventually find it's way to someone who appreciates it.

 

[jthisdell]

One of my nephews played my gear for years while I was raising a family, etc and he was in teens and twenties. Got it back from him a few years ago and I want anything my kids don't want to go to him.

It is just stuff, except my 71 P that I bought when I was 17. To say that has sentimental value is understating it.

 

[HeavyJazz]

Presuming I don't go suddenly I plan on selling everything off except my #1 which will stay behind with one of my kids.

 

[lbbc]

My Alembic Persuader is willed to my middle son and my Pushic Custom to my youngest son (both bass players). Amps, PA, lights....I don't care. If the kids want it they can have it

 

[JimmyM]

When the sweet release of death comes for me and takes me out of this maddening hellhole, I've got detailed instructions for my wife and current market values of all my gear. That way, she'll be able to sell it all to the person with the first $5000 that comes along.

 

[Charlzm]

I'll be dead so it won't really matter to me what happens to anything I owned. I suppose I want my permanent girlfriend (Common law wife? I don't think that's a thing any more) to sell the gear for a good price and use the money for something she wants to do.

 

[Liam Wald]

Familty First, then after that probably gifted to a school or other place that always needs instruments for kids to use.

Yes, I have also told my wife to gift all the gear to a school.

 

[Chef]

My gear? After I'm dead?
Sell it all, and get hookers and blow for my wake.

 

[SirMjac28]

The Intonation Music Workshop | Providing “All Access” to Innovative Music Education!

Very cool thanks for the link.

 

[Biggbass]

what happens to all of my gear will be my son's concern

 

[DwaynieAD]

divide it among my two boys.

 

[Plutonium244]

Amps, cabs, all that stuff-- if the kids want it, great, if not, that's great too. Instruments are something different. The few that have special significance, I definitely want the kids to keep, if they're interested. Other, non-special basses, well, donate to a school or sell for the benefit of the family.

My dad died this year, right now his wife is keeping the Yamaha baby grand piano, but if she decides to move to a small condo where it won't fit, I definitely want to have the piano. Do I have room for a real grand piano? Borderline, but I am sure not going to let that piano go to some stranger, since it meant so much to my dad.

I also have a friend whose dad passed away a few years ago, he now has the collection of about 10 fantastic/classic basses... and although he is not a super-serious bassist, he is very profoundly happy to have this legacy from his father.

 

[bassstrangler]

Burned up with me.

 

[Big Hoss]

Ditto. I'm more concerned about the organs I can give to save another human being. Gear is only stuff. As much as I enjoy my gear, it will always remain things, stuff, tools.

Interesting perspective. So you can do some good to others by donating your organs, but aren't concerned with doing good with your stuff? I would think you could positively impact lives with both after you are gone...

 

[Plutonium244]

I like the idea of donating stuff to school music programs which are, unfortunately, and endangered species. Maybe when they are gone for good (since music programs must cost the average tax payer upwards of a nickel a year--waste!!) they can be replaced by charitable Music Clubs, like a Boys and Girls Club, where kids can get music instruction after school and on weekends. I'd donate for that. Maybe I ought to START one of those and see if it takes off.

 

[garmenteros]

Ideally if my friends are still alive and in better shape than I am, I'd like to leave my instruments to them, maybe a son or daughter if I have any down the line interested in music. If not then all my gear can just be sold and money donated to a worthwhile cause.

 

[Snibborwocky]

I'd probably let my daughter inherit most of it and also donate some of it to the School Of Rock or some place like that.

 

[shaboda]

A very dear friend of mine passed recently.. his mom asked him on his death bed, "what do you want to do with your guitars".. he replied, "Steve will know and take care of it". I honestly took that as an honor. Yes, they are just 'material' things.. but they are also an extension of someones personality.. especially instruments that had sentimental meaning to that person. It got me thinking what I would want to do with mine, and I would think putting stuff in a 'living will' is the best bet. None of us want to worry about that kind of stuff 'right now', but ya just never know. Ok... enough about the sad stuff... just wanted to throw this in.