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Which Bass do you most regret selling?
- Thread starter Biffa
- Start date
Early 90s German built Fortress One 4 string with wenge fretboard, brass nut and brass frets. Don’t know if I so much regret selling it, but I do miss it sometimes. I make it all better by playing my later model Corvette 4 or my Lakland 5...
In 92 or 93 I let go of a yellow Ironbird. Although I regretted it I wasn't in the position financially to own more than one bass at the time.
If I wanted to continue playing with the changing scenery music it wasn't going to be with a yellow ironbird bass. As it turns out the alternative and grunge scene was just as vain as the 80s metal, right?View attachment 3468788
If I wanted to continue playing with the changing scenery music it wasn't going to be with a yellow ironbird bass. As it turns out the alternative and grunge scene was just as vain as the 80s metal, right?View attachment 3468788
If you have a lot of basses over time, you can end up with a lot of regret. And while some things can be made less regrettable by making money on them when you sell, the economy of that eventually catches up to you and you realize that the money made doesn't necessarily add up emotionally to what it was to have that instrument. That, and the fact that trying to buy an instrument back which increases in value becomes very expensive.
Which leads me to my regrets:
- 90 Steinberger XQ 5 string
It was pretty basic, but a great bass to have. Clear sound, always in tune, easy to travel with. The kicker was, I only paid $450 for it and it was a great player for me for years. When it was relegated to the case after a while, I turned it for about $900 on ebay to a guy in Japan.
No chance of seeing that one again.
- Status Empathy 5
I bought this one for about $1,250 after selling my Modulus Q5. The Status SLAYED that bass, it was so much nicer in the preamp and woods, the feel, it was awesome.
After being in a more mellow, jazzy project, I sold that bass for $1,750 and was pretty happy with myself...
Many years later, I miss my Status, but can't find one like that for under $2k. (Nor can I find the $2k for a bass)
Which leads me to my regrets:
- 90 Steinberger XQ 5 string
It was pretty basic, but a great bass to have. Clear sound, always in tune, easy to travel with. The kicker was, I only paid $450 for it and it was a great player for me for years. When it was relegated to the case after a while, I turned it for about $900 on ebay to a guy in Japan.
No chance of seeing that one again.
- Status Empathy 5
I bought this one for about $1,250 after selling my Modulus Q5. The Status SLAYED that bass, it was so much nicer in the preamp and woods, the feel, it was awesome.
After being in a more mellow, jazzy project, I sold that bass for $1,750 and was pretty happy with myself...
Many years later, I miss my Status, but can't find one like that for under $2k. (Nor can I find the $2k for a bass)
93 Ken Smith Burner I traded away.
I wasn’t happy with the way it sounded but I’m starting to think it was my rig that was the limiting factor.
I can’t find another one in a similar condition and price now a days.
I wasn’t happy with the way it sounded but I’m starting to think it was my rig that was the limiting factor.
I can’t find another one in a similar condition and price now a days.
- Dec 28, 2009
- 2,053
- 1,380
- Disclosures
- Endorsed by K.B. Guitars, Nordstrand Audio Pickups, Von York Strings and Gallien-Krueger Amps.
My 20th Anniversary Ibanez Soundgear Bass. I bought it off of a member on here and loved it. I took it to Guitar Center to try some new amps and the store manager was a huge Soundgear fan like me. At the time, I also played and owned several Ernie Ball Music Man basses and the store manager offered a straight across swap on a brand new EBMM Stingray 4H. I did the deal but soon thereafter, got buyers remorse. I now no longer use EBMM instruments and have looked like crazy for one of those basses but to no avail. Maybe one day I will find one but who knows when?
My 77/78 ric 4001. It was my first real bass after owning a couple of copies
I consider myself to be very lucky, I have never had to sell a bass because I needed the money.
Every bass that I've sold was replaced by a better one, so no reason to go back and revisit old decisions.
I do regret not buying several basses when I had the chance, but that's a different thread.
Every bass that I've sold was replaced by a better one, so no reason to go back and revisit old decisions.
I do regret not buying several basses when I had the chance, but that's a different thread.
No deep regrets, because I've only sold basses when I've barely played them, and this is usually because they've been replaced by something I prefer. But there are two I wouldn't mind having back, and, interestingly, both were booted out of the herd by my G&L SB-2.
1. G&L L-1500. The stock tone didn't work consistently enough for me, but this had the best playability of any bass I've ever owned. Years after selling it, I learned about a modification to lower the pickup's resonant peak, which may have made it work for me, and I'd love to have it back to give this a try. (If I knew this mod would do the trick, I'd be interested in a Kiloton 5.)
2. MIA Fender P with Lindy Fralin pickup. I dumped this mostly because the SB-2 has much better playability for me, but sometimes I miss having a straight-up P-bass, and this was a very good one. In my current project (a Stones cover band), it would be a perfect backup/alternative to the SB-2.
1. G&L L-1500. The stock tone didn't work consistently enough for me, but this had the best playability of any bass I've ever owned. Years after selling it, I learned about a modification to lower the pickup's resonant peak, which may have made it work for me, and I'd love to have it back to give this a try. (If I knew this mod would do the trick, I'd be interested in a Kiloton 5.)
2. MIA Fender P with Lindy Fralin pickup. I dumped this mostly because the SB-2 has much better playability for me, but sometimes I miss having a straight-up P-bass, and this was a very good one. In my current project (a Stones cover band), it would be a perfect backup/alternative to the SB-2.
Probably my walnut Ken Smith BSR4M with gold hardware and growls humbuckers. Had to sell it to help pay to fix a leaky roof after the previous owner lied to us abut its condition. What really hurt was that it was during the days when Ken had his original line of lower end, made abroad basses and that had the effect of making resale really tough so I only got $1200 for it.
Also regret selling my original Fender performer.
I guess, though, if I hadn't sold those I probably never would have my beloved Alembic Dragonwing, so there is some consolation.
Also regret selling my original Fender performer.
I guess, though, if I hadn't sold those I probably never would have my beloved Alembic Dragonwing, so there is some consolation.
'81 P Special. Was my second bass, first good one. P with an active/passive toggle, 2 band eq/single tone. Best of both worlds. Was a good one. I was a dumb kid. If you're ever about to do something and you stop to ask yourself "Should I be doing this?", the answer is no. Turn around. Walk away.
I don't really miss any of the old basses. The Rickenbackers, Peavey Palladium and the various Jazz basses had necks that were thinner than I like. I never really "took" to the several 5 strings I owned as well as the Kramer Aluminum Neck bass and ended up selling them all. The Ibanez Blazer and the 80s MIJ Fenders sounded good but were a bit on the heavy side (which became an issue later in life). I'm actually happier with the current basses I have...the right necks, pickups and weight.
I had to sell one for food in 1978. It was a hollow body Rickenbacker . It might still be in L.A. -still rockin !
For me it is the sunburst Gibson RD Artist I traded in the 2000’s to Kevin KeBo Borden for a Geddy Lee Jazz...that was dumb, dumb, dumb.
I've bought/sold many lust worthy basses but eventually you realize they are only "things". You don't own "things", they own you.
honorable mentions: 62 Jazz (stripped to bare wood with one non-original pu), 1990 Thumb 5NT that was a shoulder breaker.
honorable mentions: 62 Jazz (stripped to bare wood with one non-original pu), 1990 Thumb 5NT that was a shoulder breaker.
Circa 1974 Gibson EB0 in cherry. I did a few mods to it before I really knew much about bass guitars or could even play well for that matter! Badass bridge and Dimarzio pickup after which it did sound great ... and it was pretty light, always stayed in tune, and the short scale was kinda nice at the time too. Used it towards my first brand new guitar - a 1979 Rickenbacker 4001.
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1982 Sunburst Jazz. I moved over to two 5-strings, a Jazz and a Precision. I had difficulty playing 4-strings after that. A good friend of mine was using a Epiphone that he hated and I wanted him to have a quality bass to play. I traded for a lot of sound gear that he had (and I needed at the time). I don’t regret the trade, but I do miss that sweet Jazz.
