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Best freebie you've had?


SamPlaysBass
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When I was 17, a drummer friend told me that someone his mother worked with was giving away an amp. I assumed a broken practice amp or the like, so I paid a visit. I was presented with an Ashdown MAG 300 2x10 combo and a Laney 1x15 cab - all for the princely sum of ZERO.

I'd never met the guy, I haven't seen the guy since, but from I was told, he was a pharmacist who had done the band thing in his youth and now had a family who needed the space in the garage for toys. Money wasn't really an issue.

That was 6 years ago and got me curious - what's the best freebie you've ever had? Not counting presents or gifts as such, but a genuine 'something for nothing' story.

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When I was 17, a drummer friend told me that someone his mother worked with was giving away an amp. I assumed a broken practice amp or the like, so I paid a visit. I was presented with an Ashdown MAG 300 2x10 combo and a Laney 1x15 cab - all for the princely sum of ZERO.

I'd never met the guy, I haven't seen the guy since, but from I was told, he was a pharmacist who had done the band thing in his youth and now had a family who needed the space in the garage for toys. Money wasn't really an issue.

That was 6 years ago and got me curious - what's the best freebie you've ever had? Not counting presents or gifts as such, but a genuine 'something for nothing' story.

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I, well the Herts Bash Bash, has had several basses donated to our raffle, including 2x EB Sub Rays, a Hohner Beatle Bass and a defretted Spector, the latter two by members of this forum - nice one fellas, you know who you are and will be repaid a hundred fold in the afterlife - not sure if you'll actually want 100 violin basses though.

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A candy apple red Patrick Eggle New York bass which I won in a Melody Maker competition in 1995.

I sold it in 2000 when I needed the money. It was tbe best bass I'd ever played and I bitterly regret selling it now. I'd love to find another one.

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A Darkglass Tone Capsule preamp! When Doug posted on Talkbass that he was going to call it the B2M, I warned him that Sonuus already had a piece of bass gear by the same name. Since this saved him a few quid as he was about to get everything printed up, he was kind enough to send me one for nowt. Top man!

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I gave my SX shorty P bass to my guitarist so his two musically gifted sons can jam with him. They are wonderkids, one of then learned the sax in a couple of weeks, plays guitar piano drums and now bass. He is TEN !
How good would it be jammin with your 10 and 12 year olds? Best thing I ever did. I think my position in the band is tentative hehe

I once ordered a freebie Bass Strings Online nail clipper, and paid the $12 international shipping, just to have one.

Jason felt sorry for me so he sent me TWO nail clippers, a beanie, a T Shirt, a strap and some stickers. Top bloke that Jason :)

Edited by bazztard
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I was kitesurfing in Greece last summer and there was a greek guy who was clearly a really talented rider. One of the days was really light wind and I was about the only guy to be able to ride because a had a second kite with me that was 17m2. The Greek guy asked if he could borrow it for half an hour to teach his friend to ride. I was happy to let him as it was an old kite and I was done for the day. Unfortunately his mate crashed the kite onto the beach and tore a huge hole in it. They were really upset that they'd damaged my kite but I was easy as I was already looking for new kites in end of season sales. He asked my name and where I was staying but I thought nothing more of it.
Next morning there was a big box in hotel reception for me and inside were three brand new kites (3 sizes) from a Greek company called core. Turns out the guy was top pro and core were his sponsors. He'd left them for me before heading back to Athens that day. I am now friends with him on fb and will be hooking up with him in September in kos for a few days. Total rrp of the three kites was just over £3K.

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During the 80s and 90s myself and a band mate entered pretty much every competition in the high tech musical instrument magazines and local music shops. Between the pair of us we won:

1. A miniature electronic drum kit that you played with you fingers
2. Boss PC-2 Percussion Synthesiser
3. Yamaha KX5 keytar
4. Boss RPS-10 half rack pitch shifter delay
5. Akai EX65D half rack digital delay
6. Akai AX73 Polyphonic Synth
7. Akai S2000 Sampler

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For me, a Line6 Studio 110.

Was looking for a small practice amp in any state to stick a new speaker I had in to make it a practice cab. Guy got in touch said he had an old Studio 110 that wasn't working, Line 6 had given him a replacement so this was taking up space so if I pay postage (Ok, not strictly free but close enough ;)). Turns up at my door and seems to work perfectly!


So basically an amp for free!

Edited by BassApprentice
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I've had:
An old Mesa/Boogie vertical 2x12" Rectifier cab with 2 EVM12L in
A slightly damaged (now repaired) Ashdown Mag 810
and a 1960s Guyatone all valve combo.

I guess my Squier JV P bass too. It was my wife's, before I met her. She doesn't play anymore so...

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Not quite the same but I had a mag300 head which was sitting unused at our rehearsal room. It had started buzzing and id already put too much mpney into fixing other bits to it so I replaced it with nice new amp. On a clear out I offered it to the other bands before i was juat going to lob it out. One of the guys took it off me expecting to have a tinker with. Spoke to him a few months later and it turns out he'd done nothing with it and it was perfectly fine! Doh!

Could have been worse, I was just going to Toss it if no-one took it off my hands!

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not actually got a freebee but came very close to what i would have considered the ultimate freebee.
i was working for a small company doing marquees and we were hiring out a barn to store our gear in but had to clear it out first, we were told if we saw anyhting we could use we could have it but to check first. Under a pile of crap emerged a hiwatt 200 head in very good condition (considering where it had been stored). unfortunately i dont think i contained my enthusiasm enough and the farmer clocked on and decided to keep it, barsteward!

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This one:

[URL=http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/Frisbee-%20vintage%20Wham%20O%201_zpspuq3dpoj.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r525/basstractor1/Frisbee-%20vintage%20Wham%20O%201_zpspuq3dpoj.jpg[/IMG][/URL]



Oh, sorry! Like most people posting here, I didn't read the OP.
:P :D

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Just received a set of what we think are Haussel jazz pickups from our very own ead after a very pleasant catch up in my local boozer. What a legend that man is! Now to dig out my soldering iron, or maybe I'll leave that till tomorrow as this IPA is quite potent!

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2x 5 String Wooden Steinberger basses from MusicYo!. I ordered one and the delivery was all cocked up. They sent a new one out and said its free of charge (i already had the refund). A couple of weeks later the original one turned up, and they said i could keep that as well.

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