Selling gear because money's tight, your thoughts and stories?

**mr quick** · 10-31-2018, 06:14 PM

Have any of y'all sold any gear because you needed money? Why? Do you regret it?
I'm selling a bunch of pedals right now myself - It's less bitter because I've got the Headrush now (think helix, AX8) to cover all my tone needs, and I have a couple which I'll never let go. Wish I hadn't sold the 1982 CE-2, though, but it's done now, and a man I trust has it, and promised to tell me before anyone else if he'd ever sell it. I know a guy who needed to make rent in the 90s, though, and sold his late sixties ES-335... Ouch!

I'll never sell mine!

To make some fun out of a potentially bitter situation, maybe you all have some fun or interesting stories to tell about this?

**Alder Statesman** · 10-31-2018, 06:25 PM

I sold EVERYTHING around ‘04. Kept a roof over our heads and two cars in the garage. I am glad I survived the era and had the gear that was converted quicky to liquid cash. Sometimes miss my Les Paul 40th Anniversary, but it was better than being homeless.

I am very happy with the rig I put together the past couple years.

**blille** · 10-31-2018, 06:25 PM

I’ve sold things that had gotten value that I don’t regret, like a Ross Compressor.

But I have also sold two pedals to get money quickly only to track down the buyer a couple of years later to rebuy them.

**mr quick** · 10-31-2018, 06:29 PM

^May I ask what pedals you've tracked down?

**blille** · 10-31-2018, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by Marwin Moody

^May I ask what pedals you've tracked down?

Two other old compressors, a Maxon and a Boss, it was for sentimental reasons.

After that experience I am not selling any pedals that I’ve ever bonded with, like my DMM, even if I can use the money.

**mr quick** · 10-31-2018, 07:18 PM

Cool! I'm with ya. I'm not selling the tube screamer that I used on my high school graduation recitatal, even if I never use it.

**Skip Ellis** · 10-31-2018, 10:26 PM

It's a constant in my world. Back in the early 90s, I had completely quit playing due to problems related to PTSD. I slowly came partially out of it but had no money for equipment plus there was very little work in my area (still isn't). I got a call to do a theater production and didn't even own an electric guitar - that's when I built my first Tele because I couldn't afford to buy one. I borrowed a pedal steel and amp and did the gig. I've bought some nice guitars since then but have had to get rid of them multiple times to cover auto or home repairs or other emergencies. Being on a fixed income with a small VA pension is not conducive to acquiring a stable of fine instruments - they are all expendable around here.

**Greentone** · 11-01-2018, 06:28 AM

I miss everything, especially the last big cull. (My Stratocaster, ES175, ES335, Guild D50, Telecaster)

I see my Stratocaster on Reverb for $7K right now. My 175 was up on Reverb for $5K a few months back. (Neither sale by me.)

I do miss them, but the $$ was needed.

**ruger9** · 11-01-2018, 06:51 AM

I've been there too, many times over the years.... I've not truly regretted letting something go, except a few times I did go back later and re-buy the same pedal, just to make sure ... and every time, I discovered I was right the first time, and sold it again.

80% of the time I'm selling, it's to finance new gear, not because I NEED the money.

As long as I keep my #1 (a telecaster, been with me 25 years), and an amp to plug it into (I don't have my #1 amp yet), I'm good.

I never LIKE selling because I need the money, except once: I sold a mint condition Epi Broadway, that I had modded with Classic 57s and a Bigsby, to help finance my wife's engagement ring. But that's ok- the swing band fell through lol.

**pingu** · 11-01-2018, 07:56 AM

Yeah , a few years ago ,
I sold my black 63 335
Needed the dough ,not too traumatic ...
mixed feelings actually

**Gilpy** · 11-01-2018, 02:26 PM

I'm not gigging nearly as often as I used to, and I have some really nice expensive guitars, and I could use some extra cash.

I took a couple of them out the other day to take pictures for a Reverb ad, but I thought I'd play them a little first. Needless to say, I still have the guitars, no ad was placed.

It's about the 4th time I've done this!

**Sam Sherry** · 11-01-2018, 04:33 PM

Been there, done that many times. As a self-employed person I'm always one bad month away from a fire-sale.

I don't feel comfortable owning more than a few at the same time, and building amps cured me of amplifier GAS. And although the guitar-prorn around here is tremendous, I personally feel uncomfortable showing up with a spiffy archtop. ('Jaysus, that clown with the L-4000 cain't hardly play no chords!')

As Jim Hall said, "I just sort of try and separate myself from it; it’s a piece of wood — I can get another guitar. It’s not my dog or my wife.”

**sgosnell** · 11-01-2018, 08:00 PM

I've been very lucky. I've only sold one guitar, and it was bought strictly as an investment, to be resold. I was afraid to play it, for fear of putting a scratch on it. I've been employed most of the time since I was 6 years old, all of the time I wanted to be and lots of times I didn't want to be. Money was always a little short, but never so short that I had to sell anything. I've sold a number of cars after driving them for years, but the money wasn't critical to us. I've sold gear I wasn't using, mostly to finance other gear, not because the wolf was at the door. I tell my wife that I bought the new gear with the money I got from the sale of the previous gear, and she's okay with it. Truth be told, she would be okay with whatever I bought, she's never objected to my buying anything, and is reluctant to buy anything for herself. All in all, it hasn't been too bad so far.

**Jim Soloway** · 11-02-2018, 12:05 PM

I've bought and sold more more stuff than I can possibly remember. Some was sold because I needed money, some because I was bored, and some back in my very dark and distant past because I was simply incapable of owning anything of value. At this point there are no regrets. It's all just "stuff" ... tools for making music. As long as I can do that to my satisfaction I really do have enough. Most of the time I play one guitar and one amp for months at a time so all it takes is one guitar and one amp and i can be happy.

**Stringswinger** · 11-02-2018, 12:33 PM

I had a business failure in the late 80's and rather than declare a bankruptcy, I chose to liquidate most of my stuff to pay my creditors (my word is golden. If I tell you that I am going to do something, count on it). I sold an amazing ES-175 in that sell off and have lamented that ever since, but I did the right thing. My Karma has been good. Since that time I have been doing quite well and no longer have to sell gear to buy gear. I now have 14 guitars including 4 ES-175's (could I be overcompensating for that prior loss?).

But at the end of the day, it really is just stuff. He who dies with the most toys.....still dies.

**morroben** · 11-02-2018, 12:49 PM

I had to sell off nearly everything after a divorce in '06. I had probably 10-12 guitars at the time...none of them very valuable, but I needed every dollar I could scrape at the time. I hated to see any of them go, but my Martin 000-15 was especially painful. It had a backstory and a lot of sentimental value, and beyond all of that it just played and sounded great.

Luckily, about 5 years later, I was able to track the guy down that I sold it to and bought it back. He was cool about it. He charged me $25 more than he had paid me, so he could say he made a profit. He could have doubled the price and I probably would have paid it.

I've also located and repurchased a small amp and a strat that I sold at that time, though I have since let the strat go again...this time by choice and not necessity.

I've replenished my collection since all of that, but there are still a couple of those liquidated guitars that I have saved searches for on Reverb.

**snoskier63** · 11-02-2018, 01:20 PM

I sold a dead mint Ibanez GB12 to help pay for grad school. I regret having to sell and would love to have that guitar back, but it was what I had to do at the time, and that’s that. I also sold a 1956 Guild CE-100 and a Guild GSR Starfire VI to help fund other guitars, and while it killed me to let those go as well I got something very nice in return, so that situation is a bit different. It always sucks to give up something you really like, but sometimes you do what has to be done, and you live to fight (and buy) another day.

**Doctor Jeff** · 11-03-2018, 08:26 AM

I've sold gear to buy other gear. Part of it is practicality--don't want to be a guitar gear hoarder.

I do miss almost all those old guitars--1980 ES175 especially. Also Peavey Classic 30 amp.

Same with cars. I miss all my old cars.

And girlfriends...don't get me started...

**Doctor Jeff** · 11-03-2018, 08:30 AM

As far as divorce, yes I got out with just the shirt on my back so to speak and one guitar. However, it was after the divorce that I started acquiring guitars...got an Epiphone JP with $400 which I barely had. It really helped me get out of the rut. After that, when I could scrape together a little cash, I would get another...and another...

Nothing too extravagant.

I think I will hold onto my current crop for awhile...just bought a traveling guitar this week btw...probably until I have to downsize or go into the nursing home, whichever comes first.

**snoskier63** · 11-03-2018, 09:54 AM

My wife and I have been separated for nearly 1.5 years, so I suppose I should put my archtops in my sons name now to protect that part of his inheritance.