Selling something you may one day regret

[thedontcarebear]

Now I regret selling loads of guitars and basses back in the day, and wish I had tonnes of them still, but back then I needed to - and don't so much now.

 

However, I have 4 jazz basses, another on the way (being built by Sandberg).  One is worth a decent amount, and I barely ever touch it - should I sell it to raise some cash, which I'm not desperate for, but could always do with?  But it's my only American Jazz, and is starting to age nicely - and will go up in value.

 

Anyone got any examples of regret to stop me doing it?!

[la bam]

I changed my thinking a few years ago, from a dye in the wool 'dont sell at any cost' to a 'sell when needed', and once you sell and sell regular I think you get a better perspective on things, and appreciate them whilst you had them and then appreciate the new ones you have.

 

Even this week i have a dilemma, where my van has been written off, and I have a 1 month old mint jeff berlin bass that I love....but it's not the end of the world if I have to sell, as much as I'd like to keep it.

[Lozz196]

No specific experience in that but if it’s likely to go up in value unless you either need the space or cash keep it, chances are you’ll get a better increase than you would if the money was invested.

[chris_b]

I sold a Wal about 20 years ago, and another about 8 years ago. I shouldn't have done that. I kick myself when I see the prices they are fetching these days!!

 

My only real regret, I sold a Mike Lull Jazz bass. I was running a one-in one-out policy at the time and now wish I'd kept it.

 

Everything else was nice to own and play but was replaced by something better, so no tears.

[fretmeister]

I sold and re-bought a Status fretless once. It was very nice but when I got it again the reasons why I sold it didn't take long to appear again.

 

Once they are gone, they are gone.

[White Cloud]

No regrets. It's all just stuff after all...

[Doctor J]

Sell it and be done with it. Stuff is just stuff.

[OliverBlackman]

I have an idea….. So that you don’t have any regret, you can send it to me and I will keep it until you want it back. For free! Then you can collect it. Saves the faff of selling and sadness from sellers remorse. 😝

[Reggaebass]

If you don’t need the money and your not sure, don’t sell it, just keep it until you are ready , I’ve only regretted selling one and that wasn’t for the money, it was because I was running out of space 

[Ed_S]

I've just done some very rough calculations and I reckon I've sold about 40 basses on in the last 20 years, and I regret selling about 4 of them. If I'm honest with myself, though, only one of them would actually be any use to me now, so that's.. what.. about a 2.5% legitimately-bad-decision rate? Leads me to believe I get rid of things for decent reasons, which is good because another 4 are currently on the block pending a decision.

 

If you already regret selling loads then maybe you just need to get a decent padlock and have a word with Big Yellow 🙂 

 

 

[thedontcarebear]

17 minutes ago, Ed_S said:

I've just done some very rough calculations and I reckon I've sold about 40 basses on in the last 20 years, and I regret selling about 4 of them. If I'm honest with myself, though, only one of them would actually be any use to me now, so that's.. what.. about a 2.5% legitimately-bad-decision rate? Leads me to believe I get rid of things for decent reasons, which is good because another 4 are currently on the block pending a decision.

 

If you already regret selling loads then maybe you just need to get a decent padlock and have a word with Big Yellow 🙂 

 

 

I probably am not too bad if looking at it on a ratio, I’ve probably sold 100 and can think of maybe 6 that I really wish I hadn’t sold.  And some I wish I had bought come to think of it.

[miles'tone]

I have had regrets but I'm well over it. There are millions of good basses out there. It all about how you play what you have really.

[Reggaebass]

I had 14 but I really only played about 4 of them so I slimmed it down, but I’m back up to 12 😁

[TheLowDown]

Ask yourself if the bass in question was your one and only bass, would you be happy with only having that? If so, don't sell it.

 

Once I've sold something I rarely regret or ever give it a passing thought. 

Edited June 23, 2022 by TheLowDown

[Guest]

I don’t wish this to come out the wrong way but after a long working career earning not very much, in the last few years I’ve more than trebled my salary. I’ve now settled on 4 basses. The cheapest was £1.5K and the most expensive £2.5K and I’m genuinely happy with all of them (save a replacement pickup in the Sadowsky that actually is humcancelling, grrr). I did this year go through 8 other basses to find these, however, but all in they’ve cost me under £8K with trade ins. It sounds like a lot of money but my motorbike cost £13K and I probably get more use day to day out of my basses.

I don’t have room for any more basses and no financial need to sell any of them for perhaps the first time in my life. I have something that does a P bass tone, Jazz bass tone, a Stingray tone and a 6 string Dingwall for (awful) Anthony Jackson impersonations. I could possibly add a fretless but I’ve always been crap at it and when I did have one I rarely used it. I have no problem adjusting to different string spacings and scale lengths. I’m genuinely happy for the first time in a very very long time. Maybe I’m a snob but I never found a budget bass I really liked, for me part of the joy of owning a bass is in appreciating high quality fit and finish. 
 

Doesn’t stop me randomly lusting after a MM DarkRay 5 (I have no need for distortion), a Fender Victor Bailey 5 (I love Koa as a top), a G&L L2500 or a Modulus Quantum. But in reality I wouldn’t buy them

 

I could never own just one bass. I’d get bored because one bass just cannot do all the sounds I want to hear, nor will it have 4, 5, or 6 strings depending on my mood

 

[LukeFRC]

I think there’s a difference between missing something (say a Wal) because you miss it and regret having it around, and missing something cos the value has shot up 

[edpirie]

Completely agree with LukeFRC. I sold a Wal ages ago for about £1,200 and it wasn’t right for me so no regrets. But I sold a beaten up black ‘74 Jazz a few years back that had so much character and I’ve been on the lookout  for it ever since.

[Guest]

And to be more on topic - I thought I was posting on the can you only have one bass thread (fat fingers) - I have don’t think I’ve ever sold a bass, regretted it, bought it back (or bought one like it) and kept it long - even if the reason for selling the original bass was because I needed the money. 

[40hz]

I've never really truly regretted any bass I've sold, long term.

 

I've come to terms with and made peace with the fact that, as a bass player, my needs and tastes are constantly evolving, so I'll always be changing up what I'm playing for that particular moment in time. For example, right now, I'm doing an immense amount of function work, in 4 bands. So a 5 string is a must - meaning my beloved Modulus Flea bass, doesn't get played. So if I sold it now, as much as I love it, I wouldn't 'miss it'.

 

What I guess I'm labouring to say is, always keep in mind, they're just tools. Bits of wood and metal. You as the player are the real item of value!

[theyellowcar]

The only bass I’ve sold and re-bought a “version” of was a USA MM SUB. Traded the first one in against a Fender P/J that I’ve since sold.  I bought the second SUB in the OG lockdown - I plan to keep it, but if circumstances demanded it would probably be the first, maybe second to go.  

[crazycloud]

The one I sort of regret going is my Ibanez RS824. Complicated story, but I really liked that bass. As I hardly touch a 4 these days, I'm not sure it would get much love now anyway. 

[bartelby]

The only things I regret selling are a Korg MS-10, a Roland TR-707 and a an analogue drum synth and some Simmons pads

[gafbass02]

Not a bass. But, I do have one huge regret, it’s been really upsetting me this week as it goes. 
For the last decade or so I was a singer/guitarist in a band and we did hundreds of gigs and had a brilliant time.  When covid nearly finished me, it really scrambled my brain and left me with all sorts of neurological and psychological damage. As part of which, a very confused and disheartened me sold my beloved Fender modern player marauder guitar to an old work colleague. The model is now discontinued, so even if I could afford it, I can’t replace it anyway. He hasn’t responded to my interest in getting it back. And, even though I know it’s just a ‘thing’, it’s left me genuinely bereft. I loved it because it felt like the guitar version of my jazz bass and represented some of the best and most hopeful times I’ve had. It was just ‘mine’ and now it’s gone and I don’t really know why I sold it, I was so befuddled. 
gutted. 
 

Edited June 24, 2022 by gafbass02

[thedontcarebear]

12 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

I think there’s a difference between missing something (say a Wal) because you miss it and regret having it around, and missing something cos the value has shot up 

 

I was just looking at things I let go, and apparently I sold you a Red Valenti!

[itu]

Although my collection over the years has been quite thin, it has taught me quite a lot about what I like. String spacing and scale length are the most obvious, weight comes next. My Modulus 5 SPi had very good sound but tight spacing, and I sold it. I think many of the instruments have had could be under my bed - and I should climb there now - but if they were not played, why not let go? I do have few for different bands and styles, but I think I can manage practically every style. Even sold my double bass but I have a good quality EUB. Jazz and classical is doable with it.

 

Yes, I like, or rather love instruments, but the music is the main goal. Nowadays the music is even more important, and this has given me some peace from instrument hunting a.k.a. GAS.