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Bass You Own - But Never Play?


spongebob
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I know someone who's bands' bassist always gigs with, and is never separated from his trusty Fender.

It turns out he also owns a gorgeous Ric 4003 in a now defunct colour!

However, he never plays it, ever. But he won't part with it!

For me, anything I have/own that I never use doesn't really justify keeping.

Anybody else got gear that they never use but won't ever sell? Or I am I just very unsentimental? :angry:[size=4] [/size]

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My Sabre doesn't see much use these days actually, it used to be my main bass but since i migrated to Jazz basses I've only used it once or twice. Its really rewarding to play, but every time i get it out I'm reminded that its actually quite a bit more effort to play than my trust JB. I won't part with it though as it was a gift from my dad who bought it new in 1979!

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My first ever bass, built by the late Jim Cairnes. It's a 4 string and I play only 5 strings nowadays so it doesn't get a look in. It's probably not worth a great deal from a monetary point of view but it sounds great and I played some of my most memorable gigs on that bass. I will never sell it.

Jim was the guy that really kicked off my bass playing career and built me this bass when a shop screwed me over by selling a bass that I had put a deposit down on. That was his nature - he couldn't believe that a shop would do that to a youngster who had saved hard, had gone back the next day to pick it up only to be handed back his deposit... so he built me one better.

All my other basses get played on rotation and the only bass that I have moved on in recent times was my Status and Lakland DJ5. I'm ok with all the basses that I have moved on... but I do miss my Yammy BBNE2.

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My Marlin Sidewinder was painted in a Hawaiian Shirt theme, was subjected to some very amateurish upgrades, and has been under a bed at my dad's house for the last fifteen years or so.

Since getting the Ergon 5 last summer, I've barely touched my '78P, until last week when depping for an old band. It felt lovely to play it again after so long.
It is definitely being kept for when the need arises.

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[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1359976259' post='1962643']
Maybe the band he's in now just doesn't suit the Ric?

The next one might.
[/quote]

Exactly this.

I have basses that don't get used at all right now because they simply don't suit the bands that I'm currently playing in. However they were used in previous bands, and there's a good chance that they will find a place in my music some time in the future.

On the other hand, I've decided that I'm unlikely to ever play 4 string basses again, so I'm selling all of those.

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[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1359976259' post='1962643']
Maybe the band he's in now just doesn't suit the Ric?

The next one might.
[/quote]

By all accounts, he's not played it in years!

I did suggest that if he wanted to part with it.......but apparently, that's never going to happen!

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I have found that ever time I get rid of something because I never play it anymore, invariably, a year or so later, a situation comes up where I need exactly that thing, and I have to buy another one.
it is frustrating, and the reason that my rickenfaker is still in its case in the garage, waiting for the right gig.
That and it owes me more money than I'll ever get back from selling it, and it's really pretty....
:)

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My Squier VM P's gathering dust after very little use - really need to get round to re-homing it. It's got some sentimental value though so i'm in two minds whether it's worth it when it could make a decent back up. Who knows.

We played with The Monochrome Set on saturday and their frontman Bid has a 60's Jag that's "too nice/ expensive to play anymore" apparently. Bit of a shame in my eyes, but fair play to him! I probably wouldn't want to be gigging with something like that.

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My sticker covered Squire Affinity Prescision - sentimental reasons really, it was my first bass and while it's at my parent's house and never gets played it's worth so little second hand that there's no imperative to sell it, so I'd rather keep it as my first ever bass. Would I sell it on if it was worth a few hundred quid? Probably, though I am sentimental sod so I might balk at the idea.

On that note, I am hopeful that I'll get to pass it on to one of my daughters when they're big enough - the 4 year old had her short-scale acoustic down this morning as she wants to learn to play I Still Believe by Frank Turner, mostly I think because she likes singing it in the car and has heard me play it on her guitar. She can't play the guitar yet - not really big enough, but she does start sentances with "when I'm in a band....."

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Aria Pro II SB-1000
Last played it around 1992, spent 10 years in the loft (which were not kind), currently being restored. Probably won't gig it, but keeping for sentimental reasons

Fender US Standard Jazz
Last played it around 2010, currently sitting on top of the bookcases. May find its way to the For Sale section one of these days.

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Couple of cheapies that never get played - they're both pretty thrashed and autographed though, so more sentimental / display pieces. Ibanez (probably) Gibson Grabber copy, signed by Mani, and a Tanglewood TB12 semi-acoustic (with the back split and re-glued multiple times), signed by Duff McKagan. Couldn't get rid of 'em.

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I have a beautiful fretless Warwick Thumb bass that never gets played.....mainly cos there is very little call for fretless bass these days!

It was customised form me as an 18th Birthday present from my Mum - it had 18 in roman numerals engraved at the 12th fret and blue LED's installed on the side of the neck and on the roman numeral....For that reason it will never be sold, even if it doesn't ever get played again!

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[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1359984608' post='1962869']
Luvverly.
Also, there's a fantastic thread right there. I'll start one, or dig out an old one.


best,
bert
[/quote]
Aye, I love it, she's definately got a frontwoman personality and the younger one seems to be distininctly interested in percussion so I plan to continue encouraging these.

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Not a bass, but I do have a guitar that I'm in two minds about parting with.

My first 'proper' guitar - a Burns Bison Reissue from about '04. Bought for me by my Dad at the London Guitar Show (when it still existed.) Looks amazing, but it's huge, and I'm not a big guy. I've also come to find I'm more of a fan of Les Paul style 6-strings.

I really feel it could do with a good home, but they're just intensely unpopular - you can't give them away at the moment!

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I use both my basses ..and the one thing that stops me looking very hard for another is the fact that
it isn't feasible to carry more than two on the gigs I do.
If I commision another, I'll have to decide which one to sell...

I like to play, not collect...

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