Author Topic: Regrets (Read 394 times)

jalevinemd · « **on:** July 05, 2004, 12:07:33 PM »

Today I was thinking of my greatest instrument regrets...either guitars I didn't buy and should have or ones that I sold and shouldn't have. My worst was a beautiful 1965 tobacco sunburst pre-CBS Fender Stratocaster that I owned several years ago. Anyway, my live-in girlfriend at the time (my wife now) and I split up. She moved back to Chicago and I stayed in Connecticut. The separation was anything but amicable. I owed her a couple thousand dollars for rent etc... Being a poor resident, just finished with medical school, I sold the only thing I owned of any value. And since I was in somewhat of a bind, I hocked it for what you might call crack money. I've seen ones not nearly as clean selling for close to $10,000 lately. That's my biggest regret to date.

Anyone else have a story to share?

Jonathan

dannobasso · « **Reply #1 on:** July 05, 2004, 01:12:21 PM »

Not like yours, but I did sell some things that I wish I still had around to constitute a collection. A BC Rich Mockingbird in blue/green burst w/ cream Dimarzios, A Robin white reverse neck strat 1 BL L500 w/ Khaler, Ovation custom balladeer 12 in bk, Lined 4str fretless, emg's badass, Kharma Sheduah body Kubiki neck, Juno 106, Moog Source, Taurus 2 pedals, Boogie 412 slant cab. I did have to sell an engagement ring at an obscene loss to make ins, and rent. She did me a tremendous favor by calling it off! Thanks Judy. My Alembic family thanks you as well.
Danno

rami · « **Reply #2 on:** July 05, 2004, 03:24:08 PM »

Regrets... I'VE GOT TONS OF 'EM!!!

Fortunately, only one Bass related regret; an early '70's fretless maple, sunburst P-Bass. It was in mint condition - so perfect in fact, that I doubted it's authenticity. I too was strapped for cash at the time. I actually sold it for a hundred bucks more than what I paid for it, but still missed it dearly.

I've since found several others to replace it (including a '72 sunburst, '78 Antigua, and '76 Natural Ash) - all Fretless Maple P-Basses.

So I guess I shouldn't mourn its loss anymore - but I still do!!!

Rami

P.S. I'm not even a fan of the P-Bass!

kmh364 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 05, 2004, 05:07:24 PM »

Amen, Danno! You lucky, lucky B******d! (use your best Life Of Brian dungeon accent). I wish I had only lost the engagement ring money. I broke the Benny Hill Cardinal Rule: Why buy a book when there's a thrivin' lendin' library in town!, LOL! Fortunately for me, it wasn't cheaper to keep her, LOL!

bsee · « **Reply #4 on:** July 05, 2004, 06:05:53 PM »

Bah, I could go on for days between the ones that I sold and the ones that were stolen.

1987 Gibson Les Paul Custom Lite PROTOTYPE, stolen in 1988 with a regular American strat.
1971 Fender Jazz, Olympic White, Maple board with pearl blocks. sold in the late 80s for about $600.
19?? Univox copy of a Ric. My first 'real' bass, stolen around 1980.
19?? Fender P-bass Elite fretless with walnut body, absolutely mint. Traded for a pair of Hi-Fi speakers a few months after I bought it.

Other stolen instruments:
Late 80s Modulus TBX 5, first year Kramer Pioneer with a P and double J pickups and a replacement Warmoth neck (someone picked up the case when it wasn't locked and gouged the original fretboard badly in several places), SWR SM900 head and Goliath II cab.

Probably the biggest regret, though, was that I didn't buy an Alembic 20 years ago. Who knows if the GAS would have had me selling it too, but I sure do love the sound today.

-Bob

rami · « **Reply #5 on:** July 05, 2004, 06:28:20 PM »

Probably why my Bass collection has gotten so ridiculously huge - fear of regret.
Which one could I part with?

Even when trading up, you still feel a sense of loss.

malthumb · « **Reply #6 on:** July 05, 2004, 08:35:49 PM »

Regrets......

I'd say three of the four Alembics I've sold fall in that category. Most were sold to enable the purchase of another Alembic, so it wasn't all bad.

My worst regret is probably 74-84. I had quite a history with that bass. I didn't get another Alembic when I sold it. I had the two that I still have and it simply was not getting any playing time. The other two I regret are my '87 Stanley Clarke Deluxe and my '78 Series II Small body 32 scale. They were sold to fund the purchases of the two Alembics I still have.

My non-Alembic bass regrets are my '79 Music Man Sabre and my Lakland 55-02 fretless.

Peace,

James

88persuader · « **Reply #7 on:** July 06, 2004, 02:21:54 AM »

I regret every bass I've sold! The ones that come to mind right now are a 1980 American Fender Jazz with a PJ setup, (rare at the time) A Carvin fretless I had custom made for me and a 1981? (not sure of the year) G&L LB2000 that was choice. Also many Fender Jazz basses and a few Musicman Basses. Also a Conklin 8 string bass. (8 seperate notes, not two together like a 12 string guitar.) It sounded awesome but the neck size and angle to get to the low B gave my wrist cramps! But what a head turner! :-) I hope never to be so hard up as to need to sell any of my Alembics. I'd like to just add more! (A bad case of GAS!;-)

kmh364 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 06, 2004, 06:22:12 AM »

I'm with Rami: Keep 'em all so you don't regret losing them. I've only gotten rid of crappy stuff. I still have all the decent instruments I've ever bought...some nearing the 25yr. old mark of ownership. If your collection gets as big as Rami's, however, you had better have a big place or you'll be pushed right out of house and home, LOL!

dannobasso · « **Reply #9 on:** July 06, 2004, 08:06:58 AM »

Being as I do sound for weddings most weekends I view the pomp differently. For all of you married men, I wish you all many years of bliss, passion and joy. May you never have to explain or justify an Alembic to your loving spouse. In keeping with the spirit of the thread, I did have a 78 Ripper sold to s store after I lent it to a druggie.(didn't know it) I hunted him down and got most of the purchase price from him. I have just run out of wall space for my stuff! (guitars are people too)
Danno

bracheen · « **Reply #10 on:** July 06, 2004, 09:14:18 AM »

I only have one instrument regret. It is a classic or collectable as such but my first. I started out with a used Guild B302 and a 15 Peavy combo in about 1982. I didn't have it long enough to learn much before sacraficing it for a car payment during a lay off. But it was my first so I think fondly of it.

Sam

the_mule · « **Reply #11 on:** July 06, 2004, 11:27:44 AM »

Hey Sam, my first bass was a 1977 Guild B-301, that was heavily modified during its lifetime. I made some final modifications myself and I really love it. I play it mostly acoustic, it hangs in my living room. It's the bass I'm playing on the photo in my profile, and for anyone who wants to see more, check my Webshots 'Basses' album: http://community.webshots.com/user/themuleguitars

811952 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 06, 2004, 11:32:46 AM »

Mid-60s Hofner bass. My first instrument. Sold it for $200.00 in '77 or '78 for a sweet Carvin medium scale bass. Selling that bass to buy a long scale Peavey T40 in '78 or '79 is bass departure regret number 2. The early '70s P-bass I used at the Montreux Jazz Fest (Casino Terrace, sadly NOT the main stage) was in many ways a sweet bass, but I don't regret selling it to help pay for 811952. '76 Ric, '84 Steinberger, early to mid '70s Ovation medium scale hollowbody electric fretless, 1940s carved-top upright 5-string, Chapman Stick and late '60s Thunderbird bass are all regrettably lost to me..
John

bigredbass · « **Reply #13 on:** July 10, 2004, 12:01:32 AM »

Don't really know why, but . . . I do miss my late 70s Yamaha BB1200. That cherry sunburst they used with amber instead of yellow. 5-ply neck thru, reversed P-pickup. It did, however have a neck like a Louisville Slugger, but I still miss it. Lovely brown case with green fur.
My first neck thru with a lot of ALEMBIC influence (even oval MOP markers in the striped ebony neck) applied to make an improved P-Bass.
McCartney had a left-handed one. Well, there will always be another one on EBay . . .

All the rest were tools. They did their job, and I moved on. Strangely, now in my old age, I'm QUITE sentimental about the two basses I now own. Probably as it should be by now . . .

J o e y

PS The regret about the one that got away: A pearl-white TUNE Bass Maniac 5 on EBay I couldn't get to in time . . . . scarce on this side of the Pacific, but VERY interesting.

thebass · « **Reply #14 on:** July 10, 2004, 06:52:01 AM »

When I started bass in 78 my 1st bass was an old Hoefner solidbody from the sixties which I bought for 50 DM (approx $25 today) at this time. Well, it was playable but the sound was a POS. After I could afford a much better Bass 2 years later I sold it for almost the same price I bought it. A year ago I saw the same model, beaten up on ebay for 2500 Euros starting and some dumbhead paid almost 3000 Euros ($3500) in the end ! Well, I really don't mind the sound, it was awful, but the price must be just a bad joke (someone wake me from this bad dream please).