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Basses you'll never sell ?


JohnFitzgerald

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It's fair to say that many of us in here easily have our eye drawn by new and shiny things.
But is there a bass, or basses, that you simply couldn't now sell, for some reason ?

What's the bass and why couldn't you sell it ?

My Fame 6 string did many great gigs with me a few years back so I have to keep it forever because of that. I must keep the bass that's in those pics of us playing at that venue. My matching 4 string fretless is here forever for exactly that reason too.

My MPU 6 string did some brilliant gigs more recently so that's here forever as well. Great pics from great gigs.

My Jaydee is special because I first had one in 1987 and always wanted one back again. That's here for keeps too. (It's away at Jaydee now being refinished).

 

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4 hours ago, Hellzero said:

:useless:

Really ?
I was more curious about your reasons for having a keeper, but seeing as you asked...

Somewhere down there, I'm playing my Fame 6 string. Loreley 2017. 
Yes closed the festival that day.
That's why I'll never sell that bass.

But what about your stories.

No photo description available.

This is the bass. I'll have it forever.

 

IMG_1975.jpg

Edited by JohnFitzgerald
Added image.
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It's already written everywhere here : my Leduc basses and my Ibanez AFR A104F are keepers simply because these are, to me, the best basses ever on all points, but especially on sound, craftsmanship and ergonomics.

Check my endless gear list here if you have time to loose

 

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15 minutes ago, JohnFitzgerald said:

Really ?
I was more curious about your reasons for having a keeper, but seeing as you asked...

Somewhere down there, I'm playing my Fame 6 string. Loreley 2017. 
Yes closed the festival that day.
That's why I'll never sell that bass.

But what about your stories.

No photo description available.
 

I played there too 15 years ago. What a great festival and a beautiful place!

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My two Franz basses are absolute perfection in every way. I've owned around sixty basses in over forty years of playing, but to me they are everything I want in terms of playability, build quality, and above all tone.

The fretted bass has a chestnut top from a tree that grew in my parent's garden, so that makes it extra special.

 

 

32093518327_15ebee8d0f_h - edit.jpg

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6 minutes ago, franzbassist said:

My two Franz basses are absolute perfection in every way. I've owned around sixty basses in over forty years of playing, but to me they are everything I want in terms of playability, build quality, and above all tone.

The fretted bass has a chestnut top from a tree that grew in my parent's garden, so that makes it extra special.

 

 

32093518327_15ebee8d0f_h - edit.jpg

Beauties and a great story too.

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My US 2015 Fender Precision. I’ve done so much with that bass, recorded the last three albums, did my first Rebellion Festivals, first European Tours. It has so much sentimental value that I won’t gig it or take it out of the house as I’d be heartbroken if it got nicked. Here it is (and me) in action at Rebellion:

 

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I have three that I'll never sell:

My 1983 Ibanez MC924 because it's my year of birth, the serial number dates it just one month younger than me. It's also absolutely brilliant to play and sounds amazing. 

My 2003 Warwick Streamer LX5 that I've played at nearly all my gigs with Eve's Fall. 

And my Ellio Martina Forza 5-string, my be-all, end-all workhorse that I've gigged and recorded with and it really can do it all! It lends itself to any kind of music I could think of and it just works. 

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Here’s my two...
 

The Japanese Foto Flame Precision I’ll never sell because it’s ‘the one’. Weight, balance, tone, neck profile - it’s just perfect for me. I’ve had it 25 years.

‘76 Gibson Ripper - I picked this up for a daft price (about £300 if memory serves) a good few years back off eBay due to its condition and the mods it’s had. I fully planned on getting it back to ‘normal’ but quickly decided I wasn’t going to do that. It’s not a looker, it’s not pretty, but it’s a one of a kind, plays great and has the hottest damn pickup I’ve ever had in a bass. YOB bass for me too. And as battered about as I am.

 

774B9240-A770-4747-B3D3-71243C5BF199.jpeg

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I’ll probably never sell my little Tanglewood mini P bass, for two reasons:

1) I’ve used it on records so I know I can rely on it for sessions now and again, and:

2) It’s the cheapest bass I’ve ever owned (less than £10) and nobody in their right mind would ever be daft enough to want to buy it off me 😂

9FB495A1-3BFC-41F8-977F-17CE5034B1A5.thumb.jpeg.933e68a6adfbabd8a2575703678a77f4.jpeg

I’ve never been sentimental about gear, it’s just gear to me, but I totally get why some folks hang onto things. 👍

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1 minute ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

precision.thumb.jpg.cbefb751a994746485043f2b2e03c11e.jpg

I don't think I'll ever part with my cherry sunburst '81 Precision even though it weighs as much as a small planet.

I bought it new in 1982 when I was 18 and worked all summer in bejams, hating every second I was there, to save up the £260 it cost from Rockbottom in Croydon.

Oof! Lovely. Also proves that, every once in a while, Rockbottom (a misnomer if there ever was one) had a quality instrument for sale. I can’t think of a single instrument that I ever bought from them, although I used to rehearse in their space once upon a time (lucky we weren’t all killed, it turned out the entire ceiling system was lined with masses of sand 😱!).

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5 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

precision.thumb.jpg.cbefb751a994746485043f2b2e03c11e.jpg

I don't think I'll ever part with my cherry sunburst '81 Precision even though it weighs as much as a small planet.

I bought it new in 1982 when I was 18 and worked all summer in bejams, hating every second I was there, to save up the £260 it cost from Rockbottom in Croydon.

Wow, £260 !!

I think you'd get your money back again.

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5 minutes ago, meterman said:

I’ll probably never sell my little Tanglewood mini P bass, for two reasons:

1) I’ve used it on records so I know I can rely on it for sessions now and again, and:

2) It’s the cheapest bass I’ve ever owned (less than £10) and nobody in their right mind would ever be daft enough to want to buy it off me 😂

9FB495A1-3BFC-41F8-977F-17CE5034B1A5.thumb.jpeg.933e68a6adfbabd8a2575703678a77f4.jpeg

I’ve never been sentimental about gear, it’s just gear to me, but I totally get why some folks hang onto things. 👍

Old school Portastudio, nice.

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The three I have now:

My first bass a squier bronco, bought new 18 years ago for £114 (found the invoice the other week). The neck has a natural "vintage" tint now. It's stored away, but I get it out occasionally.

Warwick thumb BO4, I instantly liked this bass when I got it, the feeling and tone. It's the one I play the most.

Fender elite jazz, always been a fan of jazz's, especially black block maple necked. I had this one resprayed in Oly white by Dave Wilson and I've made it passive VVT with a set of dimarzios. It's now a perfect jazz bass for me. Just need to source a decently priced BT-12 d-tuner.

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I actually really only have one bass that is not going anywhere: My Spector Euro 4 Mike Starr Limited Edition. Big AIC fan and this bass is probably the closest I will ever get to a US NS-2 as it also has solid maple wings, EMG PJ pickups and the HAZ 9V preamp. Killer bass 🤩

2034165260_SpectorEuroMikeStarrLE.thumb.jpg.092458d937c4638a8a1fde9e0a536539.jpg

 

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My MIJ Fender Jazz is the bass I'll probably end up being buried with. 

Perfect feel, action, sound and looks.

I fitted a set of pickups from a Roadworn Jazz, which I picked up on Basschat into it and they sound just perfect.

J Retro was the finishing touch.

 

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Edited by gjones
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All of these are instruments I'm never likely to sell. The black Jazz because I've been after a proper Fender unlined fretless jazz since the 90s, and now I finally have one I'll be keeping it.
The others because no-one would ever offer me enough money to make up for the amount spent modifying them, so I might as well keep hold of them.

IMG_2190.thumb.jpeg.445286fe401fa2778bed3d0d57a1633d.jpeg

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