What made you sell your stuff?

[NancyJohnson]

I'm just curious...what made you decide to sell any of your kit?  So many times you see for sale ads, I'm selling my cherished bass, I've owned this since blah blah blah.

I went years without any serious investment in gear at all.  Mortgage got paid and the floodgates just opened, I one point I think I was at ten Gibson Thunderbirds, a Bongo, DJ5, it got to the point where I couldn't actually remember what I had.  I was in W H Smiths one day and saw an article with Jeff Ament in Bass Player; I saw his Lull and it was like someone just threw a switch...almost immediately I lost interest in Gibsons and my primary focus was on getting the Lull.  Then another.  It saddens me a little that I don't have any Gibsons anymore, but ho hum, what I do have is arguably way better.

[Heathy]

No idea. When I look back over some of the gear I have sold over the past decade  (often to buy other stuff on these pages) I think I may have had some sort of breakdown!

So I blame Basschat.

 

[Mykesbass]

To get better stuff (or get rid of valve stuff which was lovely but impracticle). 

[Steve Browning]

Simple. I needed the money.

[pete.young]

Sell? Sorry, not clear on the concept.

[Chiliwailer]

Sometimes if it was a bass I really liked, then because the money spent is later needed elsewhere and I couldn’t really afford it in the first place. 

Other times, just GAS shenanigans. 

I’d like to think that since last year my buying habits (guitar & bass) and financial situation has changed. Whereas before I kept going full circle, I now see bought as new keepers - aside from a Modulus FB4 I bought for fun recently, which may not last the distance tbh, but I always knew that when I got it. 

[tubbybloke68]

Most definitely basschat 🤣!!!!

i

 

[TheGreek]

Sometimes because the gear didn't live up to expectations, sometimes because I was too precious about my (high end normally) gear.

[Jonse]

For me, especially with pedals, it's finding a new band and becoming infatuated with said band's bass player. 

 

It goes roughly like this: 

'That sounds cool'

'How do they get that sound'

'I have to sound like that'

'I must sell stuff to buy gear to help me sound like that.' 

Ad infinitum. 

Edited September 11, 2020 by Jonse

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 8, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Painy]

Divorce! 🙄

[Marillionred]

My back, and venue stairs. Gone lightweight.

[stewblack]

Many reasons. Often because I have no space for more, and like a crack addict I have to have more. Once to pay for car repairs and car tax fines. Once to buy my daughter a pram. A couple of times because I just wasn't using the stuff and I mistakenly thought I could control my gear hoarding. Occasionally to fund a new purchase. A couple of times because I could no longer lift the stuff nor fit it in my new tiny car. And sometimes I just cannot fathom why. I sold my Orange Terror and my Markbass NY115 cabs, and where is the money from the sales? Where did it go? Nothing tangible to show for it, and let me tell you an Orange Terror into 2 Markbass 15" cabs is a thing of tremendous wonder.

[OliverBlackman]

I went through a phase of just buying and selling in order to find out what I like, especially with 5 strings. I managed to trade my way up to having an Overwater J5 and a Warwick thumb NT fretless 5, but had to sell them for financial reasons and from then on decided to stick with four strings. I’ll go back to a 5 but it has to be the perfect bass as I don’t really need it. 

[Bobthedog]

I have always struggled to sell stuff as an apparent hoarder and now have a heap of pedals and (not) crap to get rid of. Lockdown has curiously changed my attitude to pointless hoarding and am just arguing with myself to get on and clear the decks (and garages, cupboards, floors etc etc). For no reason other than I no longer want stuff around me. This will likely include things such as my Harley and other reasonably valued assets

[Lozz196]

I’ve sold a lot of gear recently as am no longer in a gigging band, so offloaded excess gear that I had. I have reinvested though, a bit of trial & error, some in/some out, have got to more than I still need but not as much as I had before.

[Saul Panzer]

Injury, I couldn't do the work I used to and had to pay bills while I recovered (being able to limp your way to a 20 minute job center appointment equaled being capable of 12 hour manual labor shifts to the government so no financial help there).

Luckily I had a decent collection of regular guitars/saxophones to sell which supplemented the bits of cash in hand I was able to do.

[bassbiscuits]

For me it’s either been stuff that I wasn’t using, stuff that was underwhelming or stuff I had to shift to pay for some other bit of kit. 

[PlasmaZombies]

For me it's either because I haven't got on with a piece of gear, selling to have funds for something new or simply downsizing. I currently have 1 bass and I am very happy with it! 

[Paul S]

3 major forces have moved me to get rid of stuff.

The first big cull was driven by a back injury that got promoted from 'acute' to 'chronic' - out went the heavy gear.

The second was always trying to find nirvana - both tone and bass.  Moved on some seriously nice old stuff in the mistaken belief the new stuff would be better.  It was rarely better, just different.

The last time I had a major clear out was when I had to use a 5 string for the first time for my Bon Jovi tribute band.  I used nothing but 5ers until it became second nature and all the positives of using a 5 string became apparent.  So I thought - no need to keep my 4 string basses any more - I have a bloomin' luvverly 5 string that can do everything I need.  And it did for a while.  Then I joined a blues/rock trio.  I'd kept just one 4 string bass - my 'keeper' Squier JV Precision - and decided to get it out of retirement for the blues band.  Yum.  And that opened up the floodgates for a tidal wave (note to self.  Nice mixed metaphor - must use that again  ) of 4 string GAS that I have embraced enthusiastically.    

 

[AndyTravis]

Sometimes financial ineptitude.

Sometimes for different gear.

Mainly because it’s only stuff...and newer stuff is exciting-er.

But I’m looking at the current crop...I want a new car, so I’m thinking something might go to clear the decks financially and just be happy with my Orange BB.

[la bam]

Sometimes I've been skint so I've had to sell things I never wanted to sell, sometimes I've been doing well and sold stuff to buy better stuff.

Sometimes I've sold loads of stuff to buy one thing.

Sometimes I've sold one thing to buy loads of stuff.

Sometimes as to copy the original bassist if I'm in a tribute.

Boredom.

The thrill of getting new equipment (but without paying for it, as gear I've sold pays for it).

Probably none of it was for a marked improvement in sound or playing!!

[Woodwind]

Whenever I've sold instruments it's when the value of their use is outweighed by how the money tied up in them could be used instead.

 

I'll be selling most of my auxiliary instruments later this year to offset the economic losses I've accrued in 2020

Edited September 11, 2020 by Woodwind

[Delberthot]

• Just for the hell of it 
• I saw something shiny and new
• I haven't had one of those before
• What was I thinking buying that 25th Rickenbacker / Stingray /Precision when I know I don't get on with them
• Why do I have £10,000 of basses when I can get what I need from something that cost £80, a new set of pickups and a proper set up
• I need a 5 string
• 6 string
• 8 string
• 12 string
• now I need a 4 string
• Ooh Shiny

And so on

The revolving door of bass gear began one night in 2007 playing in a Black Sabbath tribute when I realised that my GK 800RB and Trace 1x15" weren't loud enough. They both went along with the Stingray 5 string and defretted Trace T-Bass 5 string and now here I am 150+ basses, 60+ amps and 40+ cabs later

[SimonEdward]

It's been a slow but steady transition, from "happy shopper" type gear to "boutique" or custom upgrades - over a period of about 30 years. It's something THEY don't tell you at the beginning. It's THEM !! It's all THEIR fault - ALL of it................ 😎