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Instruments that you to this day regret parting with!


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As the tittle says, list the instruments you at some point were stupid enough to part with, but later regret selling, and still to this day blames yourself for letting go of, preferably including pictures, and eventual including a short story about the instrument and how it happened.

The first instrument that I was stupid enough to let go of was actually not a bass, but a guitar, a Westbury Standard guitar, that was only produced between '79 and '81, and from stock had a DiMarzio PAF humbucker installed in the neck position and a DiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker installed in the bridge.

Served me well for about 10 years, and I loved it dearly, best damn guitar I have, not only ever owned, but ever have had the pleasure to lay my hands on.

Loved the tone of it, and absolutely loved the way it felt and played.

I don't have any pictures of my particular one, but here's one looking exactly alike (Edit! : well except the fact that mine had all it's 4 original pot knobs, didn't notice that): 

5cd06a22591be96422baa0b8

 

Next stupid thing I did was selling my now discontinued 24 fret short scale Jerry Jones Longhorn bass, which was sort of a high quality, higher end, one might even call it boutique, version of the original Danelectro one, from a now retired fairly legendary guitar maker/company.

Best bass I ever have had the pleasure to play, loved how it felt in my hands and played, and with the stock option the pickup selector offered of having it's 2 lipstick tube pickups wired in series it was capable of some pretty solid rock tones as well, especially paired with another of my big regrets, though that is kind of another topic, the 60W Ampeg B15-S tube amp from 1969, that I also was stupid enough to part with at some point.

Again I don't have any pictures of the exact one I owned, but looked just like this one:

Jerry_Jones_Neptune_Longhorn_bass.jpg

 

Well, except mine was the version with only 2 knobs, a master volume control, and then a 4 position rotary pickup selector switch, with the options: -/- bridge -/- neck -/- bridge + neck parallel -/- bridge + neck series -/-, like this one:

p1hnx7utit4jjokmep4x.jpg

 

Finally there was the 28 5/8" scale bass I had made out of Warmoth baritone parts, with a headstock of my own design (though it is arguable that I might have went over the top with that part :crazy: ), equipped with a bass Seymour Duncan Rickenbacker Neck replacement pickup in the neck position and a guitar Seymour Duncan Hot Rails humbucker Strat pickup in the bridge position, mahogany body and bolt on maple neck with a 24 fret rosewood fretboard.

That one I do actually got a picture of, and it sounded absolutely amazing, with this astonishing clarity and quite piano like quality to it's tone :

Warmoth-28-5-8-bass-small.jpg

 

One fairly rare instrument that I don't regret letting go of the slightest was the short scale Ampeg Dan Armstrong Plexi Bass, that I was the owner of for a fairly short while before I passed in onwards, I hated how it felt in my hands and played, and didn't like the tone of it either regardless of which of the 2 slide in interchangeable pickups it came with I used.

 That one became a fairly short and not particular memorable acquaintance.

 

Edited by Baloney Balderdash
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There`s a good few that I regret parting with, none that it really hurts but my Mex Strat that I had from 1995 til about 2015 - I sold it cos I wanted to play solely bass for my band and not get distracted by any other instruments, looking back I had it for 20 odd years, didn`t need the money so should have kept hold of it. I also regret moving on my Gibson Les Paul Studio, it was a great guitar but again, moved it on when I joined a band and wanted more basses - more than I needed for the band. Should have been disciplined but never been my strong point. And my Gibson Les Paul Bass, and my MIJ Fender 51 Precision Reissue, would be nice to have kept them. 

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Not an instrument but when I got a multi effect I sold all my individual pedals with the velcro still on them. I had real trouble letting them go.  😄

 

Seriously though, I was using my Longhorn last night and thought a series switch would be cool. You'd recommend it then? 

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11 minutes ago, Maude said:

Not an instrument but when I got a multi effect I sold all my individual pedals with the velcro still on them. I had real trouble letting them go.  😄

 

Seriously though, I was using my Longhorn last night and thought a series switch would be cool. You'd recommend it then? 

Absolutely, the only way I ever used mine, in my opinion more suited for a bit more traditional rock style tone than any other pickup combination the Longhorn is capable of.

Though the Jerry Jones that I owned likely did have higher quality pickups than the ones the Danelectro models are equipped with, at least one would think so, as the Jerry Jones Longhorn basses used to be priced at around 1200$ from new, and that was like over 10 years ago, a good deal above what the Danelectro ones go for, even now.

Edited by Baloney Balderdash
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1 hour ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

As the tittle says, list the instruments you at some point were stupid enough to part with, but later regret selling, and still to this day blames yourself for letting go of, eventual including a short story about the instrument and how it happened.

The first instrument that I was stupid enough to let go of was actually not a bass, but a guitar, a Westbury Standard guitar, that was only produced between '79 and '81, and from stock had a DiMarzio PAF humbucker installed in the neck position and a DiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker installed in the bridge.

Served me well for about 10 years, and I loved it dearly, best damn guitar I have, not only ever owned, but ever have had the pleasure to lay my hands on.

Loved the tone of it, absolutely loved the way it felt and played.

I don't have any pictures of my particular one, but here's one looking exactly alike: 

5cd06a22591be96422baa0b8

Wasn't what I was expecting the first post to be!

It's exactly like mine!

westystd01.thumb.jpg.56121ce7f5b04323814cd9f74070cfc8.jpg

Which is currently looking for a new home, me having got a Yamaha SG1500 which pretty much does the same job.

I regret selling everything a little bit, but I probably feel worse about holding onto instruments I just don't play any more. The Westy's been in its case for about 18 months now, will definitely miss it when it's gone.

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4 hours ago, Bassassin said:

Wasn't what I was expecting the first post to be!

It's exactly like mine!

westystd01.thumb.jpg.56121ce7f5b04323814cd9f74070cfc8.jpg

Which is currently looking for a new home, me having got a Yamaha SG1500 which pretty much does the same job.

I regret selling everything a little bit, but I probably feel worse about holding onto instruments I just don't play any more. The Westy's been in its case for about 18 months now, will definitely miss it when it's gone.

It's an amazing instrument, even if it wasn't even a high end one back when it was still in production (not exactly a cheap budget one either though).

But as said, I have never laid my hand on a better electric guitar, high end or not. 

I would love to buy it from you, but I don't have the money currently unfortunately and kind of have other higher priorities too at the moment.

But the plan is definitely to at some point in the future trying to find a similar used one and buy it.

(also just noticed the one I posted a picture of had one pot knob missing, mine in fact did had all 4 original knobs, just like yours).

Edited by Baloney Balderdash
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A '63 Fender Jazz and '64 brownface Fender Bassman, both purchased used in '67, and a Farfisa Mini. All given away by my mother for f'ing free while I was overseas in the Army.

I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, but I would NEVER have parted ways with any of that gear.

Easy to blame mom for the decades of resulting G.A.S.! 😋

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The ones I'd have back in a minute would be:

Fernandes fretless with EMGs

DSC08797.thumb.jpg.4793c618e571c19773bbd922dd103703.jpgDSC08795.thumb.jpg.b0cc521caf3cb8e1ce0a1fd898a8016a.jpg

 

Colonel Mustard G&L L-2000

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Stingray 5 in Lava Pearl

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Carlo Robelli 12 string

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The Warmoth '56 Precision that I spent ages speccing all of the parts

DSC02077.thumb.jpg.c7483d8b56e97d8415952dea40724ee7.jpgDSC02065.thumb.jpg.e21e0234423bae6aeb1fd4cbb30a3f78.jpg

 

Finally - my BB1025

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Probably my old Hammond C3 and Leslie speaker cab.

I'm not sentimental about gear, it's just tools for the job, and I'm not one for nostalgia but, my lord what a sound!

I live in the tiniest apartment ever so wouldn't have room for it now :(

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I sold this bass back when I was around 18 to a guy in Suffolk. It reappeared many years later when his son sold it on eBay.

i understand it now lives in a studio somewhere in Suffolk.

I’d love to know where...

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16 minutes ago, Stingray5 said:

Why, oh why??? :|

Because it wasn’t a 5 string Stingray?

I had to sell a load of gear to cover legal costs after separating with the missus a few years ago. Everything I had sold previously was by choice but, with these, I needed to raise cash fast and would have preferred to keep them. I particularly miss:

1980 L1000

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Late 90’s battered Stingray, it had been used to smash open a safe but such a nice player

sting_1.jpg

Bacchus Woodline P, I think someone here has it now

p_1.jpg

PRS EB, such a very nice bass

prs_1.jpg

Edited by Doctor J
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This Custom Shop Jazz - even though I do miss having a Jazz, it’s because my wife was genuinely gutted when I sold it - she loved it hanging in our hallway. If I’d have known she’d be that upset, I’d have kept it. She still talks about it. 
Sold it to a top BC’er who lives in Iceland, I’d like to buy it back for her, and begrudgingly play it, just to do the right thing you know...

9C4FA8C9-BB8C-448D-873B-90AAEECB7DFC.png

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1982 Squier JV Precision, bought for £250 inc hard case from the long gone Guitarzan in Middlesbrough in 1982. Went with all intention of buying a Fender Precision, which was priced at £475, I tried to knock him down to £450, but he wasn't having it and he suggested the Squier, I was umming and arrring and he said "I'll chuck the case in for nowt" I said "Ok". Sadly I have no photo's of the actual bass as a lot of our photo's and albums were destroyed due to a serious water leak courtesy of Stockton-On-Tees Borough Councils dodgy pipework. I sold it in 1990 for the same price I paid for it, thought I'd done well, turned out to be my worst musical decision ever. The photo is from the net, but it's identical to the one I had.

JV-Precision1.jpg

Edited by pst62
typo
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A couple of big regrets.  One was a Squier Silver Series Precision.  I lost track of that. 

But the real biggie was an early 70s Yamaha SB-35.  Really rare and unusual bass.  Medium scale, lightweight and cool as flip with tons of mojo including a fag burn on the headstock.  The tone was amazing, it sang beautifully.  I bought a couple of 5 string guitars and decided 'I have moved on to 5 string basses so will sell all my 4 string basses'.  Just a few months later I joined a blues rock trio and this would have been SOOOOOOO good for this band.  I have contacted the guy I sold it to and he has no plans to move it on but has registered my interest.  Hey ho.

 

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I think I've made sensible decisions with basses but I hear you on the Westbury.... A lovely bit of kit. 

Unable to find a suitable guitarist, I decided to put the guitar parts down myself on our in-progress recording. Given a fair bit of choice, with the studio having a few really nice guitars, my old Westbury still ended up doing 95% of the work!

 

 

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New to Bass...

But back in the early 80's i had one of the original MIJ Fender Squire Statocasters, '57 model with maple neck in Salmon Pink... from a music shop in Camden... Was still at school, that was a lot of paper round money...

Was replaced with a Westone SX... that was a nice neck...

Also in the mid '80's had a weird Fender Katana... Thru neck, 24 3/4" scale length, sort of flying V thing - very Gibson but a Fender. Not the cheap one. again Paper round and saturday job...

Both the Squire and Katans are upwards of a £grand... obviously things are only worth what someone is prepared to pay... think i sold em for about £200ish

Later '80's Charvel #2 in Black... Spent about 20 years in its case! Life moves on...

It's now in the hands of my eldest at 15... together we are re discovering my CD collection...

Covid Bollocks is what prompted me to get the Bass.

Couldn't go looking and shopping - cack converters? - so a Ibby GSR200B in walnut-a-like (Think bass guitars look so much better in wood rather than paint, and dont do sunburst!) £160 from BAX delivered... so good price. would of liked the SR300 but would of been another £100ish...

 

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I regret parting with my wal mk2 5 string, not because it was particularly good ! .....it was heavy as hell, and never did quite bond with it.....sold it for £800.....now look at the price DOH

I also regret selling my warwick streamer stage 1 5 string....that was a nice bass! 

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I never regretted selling anything before I - sort of accidentally - sold my ‘boring’ black Fender MIM after I replaced all of the bits and ended up with two P’s.

On a related note, this is how I finally learned that objective improvements do not necessarily lead to a better sounding instrument. If anything, the new neck is too good, if you can believe it.

Sold it for peanuts, too. I’m a terrible businessman. 😂

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