Which Memorable Bass do You Regret NOT Buying?

[Pauly 4001]

I'm still slightly miffed at being denied the chance to buy my friend's EB3-L for $140 in 1979 or so.
I worked out town on a fire crew in a remote spot and after I offered him the $140 he went and sold it to someone else for $125. I played and loved that bass a lot before he sold it and pined for it for 35 years or so until I went out and bought this beauty which cost considerably more than either $140 or $125:

 

[leegreenman]

Early 80s Alembic Spoiler priced at $1200 at a GC about a decade ago. That thing played and sounded incredible.

 

[Riff Ranger]

Yet another vote for any Ric back in the ‘90s. I seem to remember them selling for under 900 USD new

 

[DRay521]

Found a really nice cream Yamaha BB3000 in a music shop in Athens, GA ten years ago. It played and sounded incredible, and I’ve wanted one ever since. It was $450 and I just didn’t have it at the time. Still soul-crushing.

 

[JimmyM]

Can't say it's ever happened.

 

[rocmonster]

I forgot for a second , I passed on a 4002 for $1500 because I already had a 4001 that I loved . I did manage to get a 4000 though .

Same here but I was choosing between a 4002 and a 4080 4/6 string. Bought the 4080 and unloaded it a few years later for peanuts.

 

[groooooove]

i feel really lucky that i can honestly say I don't think i ever passed on anything I really wanted. Ive missed out on deals, but anything that really was on my "want" list, i ended up getting.

i've always been good with money/saving, and justifying gear has always been easy due to an alleged career in music that i have.

truth be told i make more money playing and teaching violin, and i only own a $400 crappy old fiddle. I think i have something like $9,000 worth of bass guitars roughly at the moment. yikes.

wouldn't change a thing, though

 

[Tnavis]

There's been a few. A hollowbody "Lyle" bass that was only $40 (this was back in the early 90's, i was like 16 and didn't have ANY money or favors to call in), a Pedulla MVP5, a strange double neck 4 string bass and 12 string guitar, a G&L Interceptor bass with a whammy bar...

 

[TolerancEJ]

I just posted this in another thread with the subject “the one that got away”, so I’ll copy it here too.

The first that comes to mind for me... I had my eye on a Pedulla Hexabuzz in Emerald Green at a shop in Japan since November/December 2017. I had saved the link in my favorites and I'd open it occasionally to dream, looking at the pictures. My wife and I were even planning a trip to Japan in February. I was planning to go to the shop to try, and buy if I liked it. Around the middle of January, the instrument was sold.

Another one... Last summer on Reverb, there was an Alembic Epic 6 that sold for $1425. I would've had enough money if it was still there by my next paycheck but it sold two days before

 

[57pbass]

It was in my hands and I put it back...

 

[Pauly 4001]

A used Pedulla Pentabuzz fretless about 20 years ago. I tried it at the Seattle Guitar Center, but didn't pull the trigger. Went back later and it was gone. Best tone and feel I've ever experienced. I have a Buzz now that I love, but wish I had that 5 string. It would cost me 3 times as much as it was priced at then if I were to get one today.

Yet another vote for any Ric back in the ‘90s. I seem to remember them selling for under 900 USD new

I owed three Rickys at once in the 90s not because I was looking to collect but they were washing up everywhere at such cheap prices that you just had to grab them at those prices.
I traded a very clean fireglow 4001 that I got in a pawnshop for $600 for an ARP 2600 in the 90s. Those were the days.

 

[Pauly 4001]

Someone really wanted me to buy a canary yellow Kubicki back in the 90s and insisted I borrow it.
I took it home and that night I put Drano down a bathtub drain that was stopping up that was above the crummy little room the Kubicki was sitting in and the room flooded but the bass was untouched. I was freaked out enough that I returned the bass immediately. I can't remember if they were asking $800 or $900 at the time.
I miss the Travis Bean guitar that sat on a pawnshop rack for a couple weeks at $200 much more. I gave it a lot of thought but passed.
They sell for $5000 or more these days.

 

[zon6c-f]

There are three for me.

A 70's something Fender Precision fretless maple fingerboard, no fret lines, seafoam green

A 70's something Fender Jazz, black, rosewood fretboard, white block inlays. I could just feel the power in that instrument vibrate me without an amp.

A Rickenbacker 4001 fireglow, fretless, at Guitar Center for $450 (early/mid 90's). Went back the next day and it was gone.

Tobias 5 and Simmons fretless 5

 

[bobyoung53]

I'm still slightly miffed at being denied the chance to buy my friend's EB3-L for $140 in 1979 or so.
I worked out town on a fire crew in a remote spot and after I offered him the $140 he went and sold it to someone else for $125. I played and loved that bass a lot before he sold it and pined for it for 35 years or so until I went out and bought this beauty which cost considerably more than either $140 or $125:

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View attachment 3480166

Nice, I was looking at one of those the other day, something came up that I just had to buy though.

 

[JIO]

None - rather I am fortunate to own basses that have become memorable over the years (that I did buy). Any basses I would have bought but didn't may not have turned out to be memorable in he end anyway.

 

[Marc DLarosa]

Kubicki, Dual P. It was offered to Me via a "friend of a friend", about 2 years ago. I was out of town with work, 3 days from being home.
My GF said that She'd go get it for Me.
I said... "nah, I'll be home soon. I wanna check it out, in person."

Well... I guess the guy was desperate. He sold it for 600 bucks!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!

 

[jnuts1]

I once found a TBC 5 string that was great. thin fast neck with a beautiful wood pick guard for 250. I went back the next day and it was gone!

 

[rmayer]

Two come to mind. One was my friend Darryl’s 64 Precision (L series) back in the late 70s I believe for around $700. The other was an Elric singlecut, from Bass Specialties in PA, probably around early 2000s. Nice Buckeye Burl top, sounded and played great. I just thought it looked a little strange.

 

[cataract]

I passed up buying a Wal for $1200 back in 2000-‘01ish.

 

[GreyBeard]

I have bought every bass I have ever wanted and then some.