I am emotionally attached to a bass that's taking up space and I don't want any more

[BigRedX]

I'm the process of selling off the last of the guitars and basses that I no longer use regularly. At one point I had over 40. When I'm finished I'll have 5 or 6. 

 

I did the same with all my keyboards and MIDI sound modules. Now I have a single controller keyboard for programming my DAW.

 

While it was nice to have a large musical instrument collection, IMO there's little point in owning things that I don't use and are unlikely to use any time soon. They are better off in the hands of people who will actually play them.

[Steve Browning]

2 hours ago, Geek99 said:

yours is more valuable; I invite you to consider those people on here who sold 60s and 70s basses for peanuts but now wish they had not done so. 
 

correlate much? 

 

This, this and this. Imagine the force with which you'd kick yourself if they were a Fender with a 3 digit serial number, or one of only 20 made. Whatever the rule is, do NOT sell it. I absolutely guarantee you'll live to regret it. Maybe not for a few years, but you will.

Edited August 29 by Steve Browning

[Terry M.]

2 hours ago, kwmlondon said:

 but I just have no interest in 4-string basses any more so it sits in a case

This is why I think you need to say goodbye to it personally. Once I made the physical and mental switch to 5s all my 4s had to go but that's just me.

[chris_b]

1 hour ago, neepheid said:

. . . .  I have one rule - if it's not getting played, it's getting sold. . . .

 

I totally agree and that's my rule too. . . . with one exception!

[chris_b]

2 hours ago, Geek99 said:

. . . .  I invite you to consider those people on here who sold 60s and 70s basses for peanuts but now wish they had not done so.

 

 

This.

 

22 years ago I bought a Wal 5 string mk 3 for peanuts, played it for a few years and sold it for a bigger pile of peanuts. I wish I'd kept it. It would have been worth dozens of bags of peanuts now!!

[Geek99]

1 hour ago, Steve Browning said:

 

This, this and this. Imagine the force with which you'd kick yourself if they were a Fender with a 3 digit serial number, or one of only 20 made. Whatever the rule is, do NOT sell it. I absolutely guarantee you'll live to regret it. Maybe not for a few years, but you will.

Even “from a given specific era” seems to bestow the most magical and expensive qualities these days, rare serial number or limited edition not needed. Just enough that it came off a production line in a given year having been made the cheapest way. 

of course, whilst time has passed the wood has become magical

Edited August 29 by Geek99

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I bought my first Fender, a new cherry sunburst 1981 Precision when I was 18 and had to work all Summer in Bejams to afford it. It has had a few upgrades - HiMass bridge, aged pearl pickguard, EMG GZR pickup but lives in its case as the body is made of a special kind of ash that seems to be closely related to concrete. My bitza precision is much nicer to play, but I can't bear to part with the old one even though I hardly play it.

Edited September 3 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[Terry M.]

I believe there's "magic" in any bass from ANY era if the user believes there is rather than any intrinsic magic.It's all wood,magnets and screws with some strings attached ultimately. 

[Geek99]

10 minutes ago, Terry M. said:

I believe there's "magic" in any bass from ANY era if the user believes there is rather than any intrinsic magic.It's all wood,magnets and screws with some strings attached ultimately. 

Heathen! you blasphemer 

i think we need a stoning 

[MrFingers]

Dismantle it, that way it can be classifieds of "bass parts", and thus circumvents the rule.

In all seriousness, in this case: make an exception, and keep the 'Ray. You don't have to play it, you can lay it above a cupboard,...

 

EDIT: adding to that. I did the same thing with a guitar I got from my (now late) father. Absolutely unremarkable instrument, modified quite a bit, unused for years, but it's still that guitar. So it lives in a thick gigbag on the (dry and insulated) attic. And now, I am glad that I preserved that instrument, eventhough I put it up for sale multiple times, pulling it a few days later.

Edited August 29 by MrFingers

[Geek99]

This. Just take the battery out and put some silicon sachets in the case 

[uk_lefty]

4 hours ago, kwmlondon said:

It'd be interesting. I'm not exactly in a rush.

 

My ideal situation would be giving it to one of my friends kids who is an aspiring bassist and seeing them play it when they do a set at Glastonbury! We can all have fantasies...

You could give them it as a loan with no end date, provided they keep it in good condition, don't swap parts, keep it well set up etc. Then when it's worth ten grand take it back and sell it.

[Geek99]

Actually, after giving out all this sage advice and great wisdom, I think we deserve some vintage ‘ray porn 

 

📸

[Mykesbass]

4 hours ago, kwmlondon said:

It'd be interesting. I'm not exactly in a rush.

 

My ideal situation would be giving it to one of my friends kids who is an aspiring bassist and seeing them play it when they do a set at Glastonbury! We can all have fantasies...

I gave my nearly 50 year old Guild guitar to my nephew. Couldn't bring myself to sell it, but was never going to played again by me. When I saw he had and loved a Guild acoustic it made perfect sense.

[kwmlondon]

34 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

You could give them it as a loan with no end date, provided they keep it in good condition, don't swap parts, keep it well set up etc. Then when it's worth ten grand take it back and sell it.

It’s a fantasy that I knew such a person! I have a friend who has a prodigiously talented bass playing son but he’s about to go off to uni and I’m not sure if he’s playing in any groups. 

Edited August 29 by kwmlondon

[Mokl]

I have an 89 Stingray that I acquired from the original owner, a good friend of mine, in the early 90s. For years it was my only bass, went to uni with me, player in numerous bands etc etc. it was a dream bass for me at the time. It's a bit battered now and doesn't get played as much as it should, but it'll be the last bass I part with if I'm ever in the position of having to offload my selection (being in the fortunate position to now have several basses). 

 

It still plays and sounds great, and looks cool too. In fact I'm a bit inspired to take it out to my next gig after writing all that.

 

So, obviously in your position I would hang on to it if at all possible.

Edited August 29 by Mokl

[crazycloud]

My Steinberger only has 4 strings so is seldom used and is unlikely ever to be played out again, but why would I ever sell it? It has way too much sentimental value, even if I could get a good price for it.

 

Keep the Stingray.

[Hellzero]

If each time you look at it you think why am I keeping a bass I won't play anymore, just sell it or trade it for that fiver Stingray, at least you'll stay in the same territory sound wise.

[dub_junkie]

6 hours ago, kwmlondon said:

The thing I've mulled over would be doing a swap for a Stingray 5 string. That has an appeal.

There's your answer! The Stingray 5 is such a great five string imo. You cant go wrong with one.

(My 1994 blueburst is not for sale and posted for purely the purpose of inducing GAS)

 

[Geek99]

That is actually illegal under UN convention on torture 

you show it, but it’s not for sale. 
you bastard - I assume you’re off now to drown some kittens … 

Edited August 29 by Geek99

[tauzero]

I'm very attached to my two 4-string Thumbs, even though I'm now a 5-string player. They get occasional outings for open mic nights. If I return to 4-string they are exactly the basses I would want so I may as well keep them.

 

I did have a 4-string sitting in the wardrobe that I wasn't attached to, and saw an advert from someone wanting to swap an OLP Tony Levin (which I had kept an eye out for for a while) for a 4-string, and he fancied it so the deed was done. So I can see both sides of your dilemma. But as Stingrays aren't as rare as JD Thumbs, and definitely not as rare as Thumbs with reprofiled necks and replacement fretless ebony fingerboards, the sensible thing seems to me to be to try for a swap.

[Bolo]

Build an acrylic display case around it. Now it's art, not a bass. 

[Terry M.]

18 hours ago, kwmlondon said:

but it's sitting in a case doing nothing which seems awful to me.

Also consider this. I know I'm going against the general "keep it" grain here but a bass like that should be in the hands of someone who will use it. There'll be no shortage of takers and you'll forget about it quicker than you think. From an investment point of view it's already worth more than you paid for it so...

[Terry M.]

13 hours ago, Mokl said:

 

So, obviously in your position I would hang on to it if at all possible.

But remember that if you were in his position you would no longer be interested in 4s 😊

[mep]

We need to see a photo of the Ray from the OP. I have a 92 StingRay 2eq that is my main bass, but even if it wasn't I'd never sell it.