where do all the basses go?

[LukeFRC]

right help me out for 50 years basses have been made as mass produced consumer items. (if not mass produced then relativly simple to make compared to a double bass before i get flamed by the folk who spent 2k on some hand made plank)

therefore each of the major companies make X many hundred basses every year.
basses tend not to break or wear out. the design has not changed much over the last 50 years. Therefore any bass made in the last 50 years should be a potential viable instrument now.

The market for basses and/or people playing bass isnt growing that much (i would guess, its not like 300 new folk start playing every day)

so why are we not snowed under with old basses. where do they go? what happens to them all?

[mcgraham]

I have often wondered that myself. I'm pretty sure there are various numbers of hoarders (a few American names spring to mind!) that just keep collecting/accumulating basses that range from cheap to uber expensive. Plus, as the years go by, the ones made years ago become more collectable and worth keeping. Just look at the older Squier's, they go for quite a bit more than their modern day counterparts.

Mark

[Machines]

I'd put money on loads of 'rare' vintage instruments either being in lofts, or having been chucked out having been broken or not wanted anymore.

[Kiwi]

I would like to know as well, this is a concern I've had for the last 3 years.

[spike]

This is something I've wondered about too. I would have thought alot of basses at the lower end of the range just get broken and thrown away. Two related questions, does anyone know how many bass players there are in the UK and how many basses are sold in a year?

[GreeneKing]

I suspect a lot are hidden away in a loft or garage somewhere, their original owner having died, moved on, changed direction in life.

I bet if you set up a business locating these instruments (not just basses but all instruments) and did mass leaflet drops around some likely areas you'd liberate some valuable stuff, and of course a load of crap.

[tombboy]

They get given to Michael Anthony about an hour into a gig and then are vaporised!!!

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='104601' date='Dec 15 2007, 09:23 AM']I suspect a lot are hidden away in a loft or garage somewhere, their original owner having died, moved on, changed direction in life.

I bet if you set up a business locating these instruments (not just basses but all instruments) and did mass leaflet drops around some likely areas you'd liberate some valuable stuff, and of course a load of crap.[/quote]

[beerdragon]

I thought there was a couple of people on Basschat who had about 30% of all the basses ever made.

[metalmaniac]

Heaven is a car boot sale somewhere

[chris_b]

I've got 3 basses. I had 4 but sold one. A long time ago my first bass, a Framus Star Bass, broke up so badly it couldn't be repaired so it went to the dump! That probably happens to a lot of cheap basses. The Precision and Wal have both moved into "retired, possible assets for the pension" status.

[stingrayfan]

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='104587' date='Dec 15 2007, 02:47 AM']where do they go? what happens to them all?[/quote]
They end up in the same places as all the biros.

[mxm]

...dare I suggest that many of us bassists have at least 10 or so instruments in our collections at any given time...multiply that one by how many of us there are....and you've got a lot of those missing basses accounted for ??!!!!

[G-bitch]

I'll give you an example.

My dad is not bass player, he just plays bass (he's a pianist/organist who helps out in the church group on bass). For various reasons he had 3 basses until quite recently. His main bass is my first bass which I gave to him knowing it wasn't worth selling. One is a hondo POS which lives in the loft and was played by one of his old clients who died young so he doesn't want to chuck it. There was also a jap jazz copy which lived in the loft but got given away to a friends kid who wanted to start playing bass.

I dare say that the old loft/wardrobe theory is quite accurate. The really sh*t ones proabably get ceremoniously burnt!

[Ou7shined]

I currently have 3 including a fretless and acoustic. I've had a few basses (mostly planks) over the years. I've bought some but never sold any, one was stolen (Gibby Ripper) and the rest I just can't for the life of me account for (?). There's an FBI warehouse somewhere full of crated up old basses and teaspoons. ^_^

[Jono Bolton]

I've got 2 MIM Fender basses just now. In the years I've been playing I managed to pretty much destroy on of the original Peavey Foundation basses which I then sold on to a "mate" for about £50, which then went on a Washburn XB, a real cheap one, but it was sparkly blue and had just 1 p-bass style pickup and 2 knobs. That was traded in for the Jazz when i got it about 3 years ago. I know that "mate" has had at least 3 other cheapo basses that have been repainted (badly) orhe's attempted to mod and ballsed it up and ended up in a skip. I think its kids like that that can account for a good few budget basses

[Jono Bolton]

I've also got a friend that used to work at his dads junk yard and used to pull out all kinds of weird guitars/synths/drum pieces and take them home to fix them and use them again. There must be loads of old gear taking up a big section of the UKs dumps.

[lee4]

Perhaps there is a bass version of a retirement home somewhere?The Sunburst Home for Senior Instruments?Do they get a tour bus pass?

[4001bass]

[quote name='G-bitch' post='104654' date='Dec 15 2007, 02:11 PM']The really sh*t ones proabably get ceremoniously burnt![/quote]

Exactly what I did with my Kay precision copy... Right after I'd knocked a few lumps out of it doing a "Townsend".

It was a fitting end to a very poor copy and the most fun I ever had with it.

[Davetbass]

[quote name='4001bass' post='104735' date='Dec 15 2007, 07:11 PM']Exactly what I did with my Kay precision copy... Right after I'd knocked a few lumps out of it doing a "Townsend".

It was a fitting end to a very poor copy and the most fun I ever had with it.[/quote]

I did the same thing to my first bass, a kay sg copy. It was defretted, sprayed purple then launched from the top of a scaffold.... When I see them for sale on ebay listed as vintage I encourage the seller to do the same! It`s the only way to be sure they dont fall into the wrong hands!!

[ARGH]

[quote name='Davetbass' post='104743' date='Dec 15 2007, 07:41 PM']I did the same thing to my first bass, a kay sg copy. It was defretted, sprayed purple then launched from the top of a scaffold.... When I see them for sale on ebay listed as vintage I encourage the seller to do the same! It`s the only way to be sure they dont fall into the wrong hands!![/quote]

yeah....
And the thing is, I know thats true....


So where do all the Washburn Status's go Dave?

[fleamail]

I have a friend in Germany who collects vintage instruments. He has more than 100 Fender vintage basses from the era 55-79. He never touches them, he barely know how to play bass. He just keep them safe in a temperature and humidity controlled room. He collects instruments and amps in the same way someone collects stamps or cars. I guess there must thousands of collectors around the world, there you have it...

[Davetbass]

[quote name='ARGH' post='104745' date='Dec 15 2007, 07:51 PM']yeah....
And the thing is, I know thats true....


So where do all the Washburn Status's go Dave?[/quote]

Believe it not mate....theres a guy on ebay that buys practically all that appear. Only the bargains though...he never goes over £250. He must have a lockup full of them somewhere.

[Sugden]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='104638' date='Dec 15 2007, 12:57 PM']They end up in the same places as all the biros.[/quote]

Well if thats true thats some weird world some where which means your very likely to be able to get a good job as a chauffeur.

If thats the case for basses I'd love to visit.

[SJA]

I smashed the '91 squier P I started on-
after checking out a new squier I was so pissed off by how bad mine was and how much frustration it had caused....

[s_u_y_*]

Didn't your mother tell you guys? Obviously the good ones end up in Bass Guitar Heaven like these lot, and play Spinal Tap's Big Bottom forevermore.




As for the bad ones...

Edited December 16, 2007 by s_u_y_*