Selling something you may one day regret

[BenTunnicliffe]

For me I guess it depends how we define regret.

I owned an '83 USA PBass with maple neck and blonde body that I would take back in an absolute heartbeat but I know the circumstances under which I sold it (and quite literally every other bit of kit I owned) meant that it was the right thing to do at the time. I actually know the person I sold it to so I could potentially buy it back some day but deep down I know what I actually want is any slightly aged blonde PBass that plays well so it won't be the end of the world if it doesn't make its way back to me!

 

That said, I am not someone who has the hankering nor the income to buy things that aren't about to be used in the ensuing couple of days on stage/in the studio so I can't imagine ever owning something I didn't need. I suppose if you enjoy owning options or the thrill of building a collection then perhaps hold on to that quite unique bass you've got there?

[Mastodon2]

I recently pretty much quit bass guitar and returned to electric guitar (my true home), though I kept some bass gear for recording or jamming purposes. I'm in a fortunate position of not needing to sell gear to purchase more in terms of finances or space, but I do feel a degree of guilt in owning something that I don't use.

 

When I decided recently to get a new guitar rig, I looked at my bass collection and decided to sell a lot of it. I didn't need to, but it seemed a shame to not let them be used. Of course, I miss them but I don't regret selling them at all.

 

I'd only hold onto an instrument in the most extreme cases of sentimentality. I still own my Ibanez K-7, the first really nice guitar I bought myself, back when I was 17 or so - back when you could get a Presitge level, made in Japan Ibanez signature model in a sale for £850. That will be sent to a tech at some point for a total clean, fret job, new pickups etc. 

 

Before I quit guitar and sold all my gear a few years back I had some really cool guitars; Fender Jim Root Tele, Richie Kotzen Strat, an early Strandberg OS7 etc, but I knew selling them at the time was the right thing to do. I guess I always knew I was only taking a temporary break from guitar, but I never doubted for a second my decision to sell them and move on.

[Owno]

I sold my first bass, a beloved 73 Fender Jazz, to pay for uni tuition abroad. I don’t regret selling it as the sale made it possible for me to finish my MA without worrying too much about money. There are plenty of good basses in this world.

Edited June 25, 2022 by Owno

[CookPassBabtridge]

If you need the money/space for a new bass that you’ll play more often, then sell and don’t look back. I spent years hanging on to instruments that I never played and purged my collection earlier this year - hasn’t bothered me nearly as much as I thought it would. In fact it afforded me the resources to spec a dream custom bass that should be with me in a few months 😬

 

We’re all different but having one or two very nice basses that I play frequently, rather than having lots of decent ones that only get played every so often works well for me. 

[ebenezer]

I regret selling my Wal 5 string mark 2.....not because i liked it that much, mainly for the price they fetch now.....When i bought the bass, i payed £1400 new and later sold it for £800 .

[bassbiscuits]

If there’s no financial need to sell it but you want to free up some money, go ahead and sell. 

 

Unless it’s something very sentimental or rare, you can always get another.

 

Chances are you won’t miss it if you’re not using it, and the money would pay for something more fun. 

 

There’s maybe two or three basses that have come and gone in 35 years of playing that I occasionally think I’d have liked to keep. But I don’t miss having them and I haven’t gone looking for a replacement either.