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Bass You Own - But Never Play?


spongebob
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[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1359976622' post='1962652']
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.
[/quote]

Agreed Jim was a great bloke, he sorted my Hondo II P (my first bass) out for me when I was young and clueless.
Back in the early 80's he made instruments for a few of my old mates
(a couple of Explorers, a Strat and two BC Rich Mockingbird basses, one being fretless)
In 96' he replaced the missaligned BBOT on my old Silver series Squier P with a Schaller 3D bridge and did a full set up inc fret dress, all for £40.
When I reminded him about mates guitars he'd made, he asked, "Wot were they?" When I told him, he said, "Not me, I've never made copyrighted designs" he said. "oh yes you did Jim" I said, he just winked.
The shop that sold your bass wasn't Guitarzan/Bong Bill's was it?

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My first ever bass that my brother bought me, I'm never going to get rid of it so it sits on a stand with no strings on :) Oh and an electric and acoustic guitar that were my mums but she never used so they now sit in my room getting dusty. I can't play guitar in the slightest.

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My 78 Precision has been unplayed for a couple of years but as my stupid back has been pretty well behaved recently it's currently out of its case and reminding me of just why I brought it in the first place. If I applied common sense and sold it because it's too heavy I know I would regret it

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I used to have a few that fitted the owned but not played category so I then started selling and buying... which was a bold step sideways really so these days I only own stuff I play. Much healthier than the bad old days of owning a silly amount of instruments, for me at least

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[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1359984509' post='1962865']
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

[/quote]

Snap! I love my SB1000 but it hardly ever gets played, don't know why to be honest.

Edited by darkandrew
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I used to play all my basses but since I bought a Dingwall I don't use anything else.

The listis
93 USA jazz
84 Japan jazz bass special
83 fretless sting ray
2005 stingray 5
2003 USA p bass

I do use the fretless stingray from time to time but the rest I will sell. I never wanted to be a collector might even make enough money to buy another Dingwall ;)

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As above for some other people

My first ever bass sits on my wall at home. Naff old ibanez Gio thing. Worth under 100 quid. Shocking action on it ( higher than a stone Jamaican). The strings are probably worth more than the bass ( some flat wounds )
Never selling it though. I do occasionally (very occasionally ) use it to work out songs in Eb tuning variations because it's easier to tune 4 strings than 5

I also have a fretless aria pro 2 on my wall gathering dust. It just needs a replacement tuning peg but has been 18 months since I bought it for 80 quid or something daft from a cello player who couldn't get on eith it. Might be worth a few Bob if I fixed it and got it set up etc.

Edited by gapiro
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Not anymore. I had a Fodera that sat on a stand for the simple fact that it just didn't work. It didn't work in any band situation. It didn't record well. It felt great but I never used it though couldn't part with it because , well, it's a FODERA! Finally, after many years I figured someone else would appreciate it more and I sold it for twice what I paid for it.

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[quote name='darkandrew' timestamp='1360013043' post='1963652']
Snap! I love my SB1000 but it hardly ever gets played, don't know why to be honest.
[/quote]
I don't play mine because the batteries seem to last all of 5 minutes - got fed up constantly changing them and haven't ever owned another active bass :)

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[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1360066846' post='1964197']
I don't play mine because the batteries seem to last all of 5 minutes - got fed up constantly changing them and haven't ever owned another active bass :)
[/quote]

Sounds as though there's something wrong there and the circuit isn't switching off when you unplug the lead from the bass. I have an Overwater with typical 80s battery chomping electronics and even that lasts 3-6 per battery months depending on usage. On most modern basses a PP3 should last about a year even if you use it every day.

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My Wood&tronics Klimt hasn't been out of its case for a gig, or even more than 10 minute noodle over my fretless Zoid for about 4 years. The Zoid is just that good, and I am that much of a one bass person.

Both would work fine. I just prefer the fretless for everything I do.

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Another Aria SB - this time a 600 - apart from some dings nothing wrong with it . It's a 1979 model I've had since since about 1982 - i know it's a really good bass - if a tad heavy, but I don't ever seem to use it.
It's spends most of it's time on loan to various people, if it was worth a fortune I'd maybe sell it but i'll probably hang onto it for sentimental reasons.

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