When you’re a bass player long enough, you start to hoard things. It never starts out as a hoard, of course, but eventually turns into one.
Certain things are worth keeping while others should be just chucked in the trash. If you’re hoarding any of the items below, chuck ’em.
1. Picks you never use
Over the years you’ve probably bought a bunch of picks. Little ones, big ones, smooth picks, rough picks, “flappy” picks, etc. Most of these are non-collectible and are in a big bag of other picks. You used them once, never used them again, yet still hang on to them all.
Get rid of them. Or make a bead curtain from all those picks. Your choice.
2. That “emergency string” you don’t even like
You’ve got that one “emergency string” just in case one on your primary instrument busts. Except it doesn’t match what’s on your bass at all, and you would hate to use it if you had to. Throw it out. If you’re going to have spare strings, have the kind you actually would want to use.
3. Bad cables
For some reason, bass players (as well as guitar players) don’t like to throw cables out. You probably have a pile of them, all of which are either in semi-working or completely non-functional state that do nothing but take up space.
“It’s just the tip of the cable, and I’ll eventually replace it.”
You said that a year ago and it’s still not done. Toss it out.
4. Crappy amplifier head(s) that wouldn’t be that good even if they did work
It’s one thing to fix and repair a good amplifier head, but it’s totally another to hang on to one that even if functional would sound like an amplified kazoo.
Yeah, I know, you were going to fix the thing and sell it on eBay or Craigslist. But you haven’t done that, nor will you ever do it because it’s just not worth your time.
“Cannibalize” the head for parts, toss the rest, and do it with a clear conscience.
5. Bass parts potpourri
“One can never have too many parts.”
False. You totally can.
Example: Buying a Squier bass guitar to mod and keeping the original pickups that came with it after you’ve installed new ones in there. There is no reason to keep those old pickups. You’re not going to use them and they have zero collector’s value. Sell them. And if they don’t sell, toss ’em.
Other examples are keeping a “bass parts potpourri” which can include a stock of crappy potentiometers, crappy wiring, crappy tuning machines and so on that you will never use.
Some of you have several drawers full (if not crates full) of crappy parts that simply will not be used. Ever.
General rule of thumb when it comes to bass parts: If it’s sub-par crappy stuff and it’s been sitting for more than a year, sell it or toss it. For project builds, you would have started to use it within a year’s time, but if you didn’t, let go of it.
And again, I want to reiterate that I’m talking about the crappy stuff. For the good stuff (like tubes for amp heads), sure, you hang on to those. But for bargain-bin “just in case” crappy stuff, if it’s not used in a year, toss that nonsense in the trash.
Do you have a hoard of bass parts?
Confess your sin(s) by posting a comment or two below. 🙂
Oh man, obviously, you’ve seen my work bench.
I saved all the parts I replaced on my Bunker bass years ago. Now I’m thinking about restoring it to original condition.
I;m sitting here looking at some old strings on my desk that I hate and would hate to HAVE to use. Just ordered some new ones, gonna use the ones on my bass now as backups. As a matter of fact, I have some in my bass cases also. I probably have nearly every string I’ve ever taken off my basses, except for the few broken G strings… I don’t know why.
guilty of all except #4
If your crafty, and posess a few fabbing skills, a box of old flotsam and jetsam can save you $$ and trips to the super hardware store.
Something else I think almost any bassist hoards: screws that “might come in handy later”.
Ok yes I’ve got the dead cables… and some old dead machine heads.
It’s hard to throw away Duncan Bartolini boxes. I keep them next to my bowl of picks!
Guilty of the strings and bad cables — but I recently went the next step and threw them away, before even before reading this!
Guilty except 3 and 4. I have an old franking machine case full of parts. My friend called it “The box where things go to DIE!”
#1 – none at all for bass (for elec/acous guitar that’s another thang)
#2 – nope – but I do need to get some spares
#3 – nope – fix’m myself
#4 – nope – it dies I pitch it
#5 – nope – ah . err . emmm . maybe a few things 😉
agree, 100%. btw, do you guys buy second hand cables, stucked bass amp heads, picks an crappy parts? 🙂
I don’t think any of that would qualify as “Best” Bass Gear. 😉
I have a gk200rb i bought in 1986 that smoked about 10 yrs ago. I see evryday in my garage. But hey, i might need it.
hahaha im looking around my house, all of these apply.. picks scattered everywhere, bad cables hanging outa every drawer, crappy amp that a rat chewed through on my tv stand ( hoping ill fix it) and bass parts, bodies and necks all over guitar stands lol
Nope. None of it. Garbage gets sold or thrown in the trash. If it won’t hold up at high volume or high speed, screw it. And #1- who in the hell plays with a pick?
The only thing on that list I hoard is amp heads, yes, I’ll take ’em all! But the other items, not at all.
You seem to have forgot BASSES!
I refinish and restore basses. I remove all chrome and gold hardware (yukky). I have drawers full of machine head parts, bridges, knobs, white nuts, jack plates, pots, preamps, wiring, frets, switches, ferules, jacks, jack plates, you name it. I got 5 p bass bodies that are routed for all kindsa nonsence, but I may need the scrap donchyaknow. I have a drawer all used string sets and beat cables including speak ons and power cables. I have 3 heads that are ss and under 200w that ill never use. I have a case of casters (im rollin). I have 30 or so random bass speakers … all work / all suck except the eminence. I have 8 coffee cans full of screws but no black pickup screws or black neckplate screws. I have a shoebox full of random caps. I use straplocks so I have tons of buttons .. but no felt. About 20 cans half full of color and clear lacquer. 5 half sheets of pickguard material. Coffee can of dull router bits. An empty 2 space head case. And oh yeah, 4 shot dremel tools.
Guilty.
Im gonna post on ebay next week. I gotta clean the shop first.
I have never put a guitar pick on a bass string.
thanks for the chuckle. yes i do hoard cables etc. and also guilty of the parts pot pourri. my spare strings are the set i just replaced and throw away any older ones. always keep at least one full set though.
I have three large shoe boxes full of parts from cheap bass guitars that I found and thought “hmm, maybe I could use some of those parts for something.”
1. Dozens – and i still can’t play with a pick
2. No – complete sets of ’emergency’ strings – usually bought in error, used once and kept ‘just in case’.
3. Getting better – only a couple ‘awaiting repair’ now!
4. Not guilty – just two heads, both Markbass, both perfect!
5. Where do I start? Crappy pots covered in solder, non-matching knobs, lots of little bits of wire, nuts, washers, jack sockets, jacks, scratchplates…. my partner says that, the problem is, I only need a spare pot to start building/rebuilding a bass from scratch.
Very funny post because its all so, so true!!
IEEC (IBM) typer power cables – how is it that I have about 20 times more of these than pieces of gear that actually require them?
Also, Fender P and J-Bass ashtray-type chrome plated pickup covers: I must have sold a lot of Fender basses over the years without including these with the instruments, as I seem to have a whole drawer full of them (some are actually pre-CBS).
Lastly, onboard bass preamps and active circuits – I have a drawer full of those also, some of which I know are not functional. The last time I tried to install one (Demeter BEQ-P) it shorted out and almost started a fire.
So, so true – guilty on all counts – except 4. Crappy amps go on ebay or in a skip!
After a career as a repair tech, I WISH all I had were bass parts lying around……
None of the above apply to me. I hoard bass strings – most times there is a sale at Guitar Center I but them. I have accumulated 80 sets !
Whoops – better not let the wife see this!
Aside from the fact that I don’t own any picks, I do confess guilty to all of the rest… Hey, you just never know when your gonna need it!
I don’t ever .. EVER … throw out anything that still works, even if I don’t like it. If I cannot sell it, then at the absolute minimum I will put it in Ebay for ~free~ plus the shipping. There’s always someone that is in need and has less money than I do … ALWAYS.
You Folks have been talking to my wife or she emailed you with this list!!!
I have the same picks 30 years later but, I do use them all, one at a time :o)
So I do have a bucket full of stuff 85% I’d say is junk! For my old strings, I’ve actually started a nice centerpiece with them! I just cut the ends off, with or without the colored thread! Looks nice in a vase!
Are you sitting naked in beanbag chair eating Cheetos…….???
Other than the picks, which I rarely if ever use, I do not hoard, nor do I have, any of these items …. and I have been playing bass for 47 years! Now, if you want to talk about “spare tubes” (of all sizes and shapes, from preamp tubes to power tubes) …. those I have!!!
Not guilty of any but #5 , if you see me with playin with a pick please put me out of my misery
#1- I don’t play with a pick
#2- If the strings go bad/dead, they go in the trash…I haven’t broken a string while playing in 20 years, no need for an “emergency string”; however, if a replaced set is still good, I may keep it or give it away
#3- Never had a problem with cables, always bought quality
#4- Same response for #3, always bought or had quality, even when playing in the beginning
#5- Guilty of this; I have several bass preamps left over from upgrades, quality parts but they need to go
Umm…. No. I don’t hoard that stuff. Am I a bad bassist? I hoard basses (5 electrics and two uprights) Does that count?
Guilty As Charged – Not THAT BAD – But Still ……
Finally All my old cables gone! The old pedals and gadgets just bring back old memories so I stored them all in a foot locker until I die! Its my legacy ! 🙂 My parting gifts for future bass hoarders like me !!
Picks do not know to use them, Electronics pre amps ,pickups, Guilty as charged, Parts like pick guards knobs, tuner machines, Guilty as hell, Strings I have a large rubber tote bigger than any suitcase FULL. nOW THE GOOD PART Bass`s my wife says way too many but really only 11, That’s not too many ?
you’ve been in my apartment!
Guilty of all except #4.
I used to do Tech and sales at a shop… and I was the guy that brought the soldering iron on road trips for any band I play in… I’ve accumulated ALL that stuff save for the amp head (those things can kill you) because I still have old customers and friends call me up to fix this little thing… I’ll admit it. I do it… but you’ve convicted me… the next time I’m looking for a bridge saddle screw in my drawer and pass over pre wired pots from some bass I’ve forgotten… I’ll try and remember to toss it!
Basses Am JB Ibenz 5 string. amps tnt 600 rig pv 1500 maxx pre amp 410 txv crate bx160
battries strings cords added to post Crate ba220 Ampeg BA210 which i do not care for.
I have a set of original p&j pickups from a 1979 Kramer DMZ 5000FL if anyone wants to buy them…
Yep I’m guilty of all the above!! HAHA!! I have a big room full of this CRAP!!! It’s time to clean house!! HAHAHA!! Yeah right!!
At one my living room was filled with music gear. 4 or 5 amps , about 10 basses . Gave most of them away.
More bass guitars, man! You can never have enough.
Don’t do any of that.
I think Marie Kondo would love to go to our jam rooms and workshops and clear stuff out!
I understand very well about Picks you never use, That “emergency string” you don’t even like, Bad cables & Bass parts potpourri. What I can’t understand is Crappy amplifier head(s) that wouldn’t be that good even if they did work. Why? I have three heads and mine are all kept in tip top shape. As for the question Do you have a hoard of bass parts? No I have vere few parts laying around I tend to buy as I need.
Wish I kept my 84 MM Sabre original PU’s – I discovered from an article years later why they were weak sounding and that they could be resuscitated.