No regrets at all

[Bucktunes]

A few months ago we all took turns kicking ourselves for some great piece of gear we let get away for one reason or another. How about the opposite - Have you ever been relieved to be rid of some POS that you thought would never sell? Or maybe some white elephant that you were happy to just get a few bucks out of before it descended into total worthlessness?

 

Back in the late `80s I had a Korg SQD-1 sequencer. it was capable enough at the time as a hardware sequencer, but it used 2.8" "Quick Discs" for storage - I think they went obsolete about a week after I bought the unit! So when I got my first workstation and didn't need the SQD any more, I thought sure it was a worthless paperweight. Fortunately I came across some young theater performer who wanted a sketchpad sequencer to control his Kawai K1. He didn't mind the obsolete disc format, because he planned to upload the sequences to his Mac. Why he didn't just get a software sequencer for it was a mystery to me, but I didn't ask. I was just happy to get my $100 out of it and run!

[stoken6]

I dumped an old Carlsbro keyboard "amp" recently. A huge heavy thing with a 15in woofer, a blown tweeter, dirty contacts on the inputs and a buzz from one of the preamps.

 

There was a "special offer" on rubbish (garbage collection) one month! Seriously: they said they would collect electricals for recycling for free, rather than me having to take them to the recycling centre.

 

I'm glad to get the space back in my basement for other music gear. And since I have other amps and I use my in-ears on gigs, it wasn't getting any (literally any) use.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[allan_evett]

I've had a few "Glad it's gone" experiences, as well. The one that comes immediately to mind is the Fatar VMK-88 that lasted about a week at my house. One of those quick relationships that looked great at first, but turned out to be a wreck. It was quickly returned to Sweetwater (or was it Music Center, Inc. ?).

 

The VMK-88 was intriguing, on paper at least. Meeting it in the plastic was a different matter altogether. While I got the hang of setting up controllers and saving scenes pretty quickly, the VMK had an annoying habit of switching what I had inputed and translating it to something else; plus scenes I had set up tended to disappear upon power-up the next day, or next programming session. Initially I was going to exchange it for a replacement unit, but other things started to bug me. The deal breaker was its build: I was afraid that it just might melt in my car on a hot day.

 

I replaced the VMK-88 with an M-Audio Keystation-88; must've been on the rebound, big mistake. I kicked that one to the curb in about a month. While the functionality was much improved, the action drove me bat-guano. I've played other M-Audio weighted 88's since; just can't get the magic to happen.

[Daniel Heslop]

I have a few from back in the day.

I had one of those Kustom organs covered in padded vinyl (white in my case). i twas cool in the sense of being a full sized double manual drawbar organ that looked like something from NASA, but mine was not working more often than it worked, and while no Hammond, it still weighed a ton.

 

My all time happiest to get rid of keyboard was a Roland W-30 sampling workstation. I had two of them actually because it took so long to load songs and I was playing in a duo at the time. The second W-30 had a high pitched whistle from the LCD panel. I actually had the LCD replaced but it still had this whistle. It drove me nuts and put me in an instant bad mood every time I played it. Once the duo ended I sold it with a big smile. I ended up trading the other one in for a kawai upright electric piano which I still have and love. http://http//www.hallofelectricpianos.co.uk/images/kawai608.jpg

(actually my second one of these...I traded in the first one for something....maybe a W-30 lol! and instantly regretted it!)

I also sold a rhodes I was happy to say good bye to. I love a nice rhodes but this one had the worst action I ever dealt with.

[Keysguy]

Just sold two almost mint condition Crate KX220's amps. I have to say they were great but heavy and taking up room in my mini garage studio. Got them for my Blues Band where I played XK3 with bass pedals and DP. They had a mixer section and Stereo link and when you put the two together look out. Almost never used two, one would fill a room.

I had a bit of sellers remorse but can't see myself using them anytime soon so glad they went to a good home.

[HammondDave]

I must say that I never owned a turkey. Always enjoyed the instruments I purchased. My least favorite was a Rhodes 73 I used when I was a teenager, but I did gig with it for about a year (when I was strong enough to lift the damn thing!).

God knows there were many instruments I regret selling, but we are all in that bag. My first organ was a Farfisa Mini Compact that I grew out of very fast. But that was a stepping stone instrument. A Hammond M100 soon followed.

 

On another related topic, I certainly did regret not buying some instruments in my past...

 

1. A Mint Mellotron Mark II that eventually sold to Brian Kehew for about $10,000.

2. A Mellotron M400 a friend was selling in the 80's for $50

3. And ARP 2600 a friend was selling in the 70's for $200

4. A Clavinet D6 that was on sale for $500

5. A nice Mini Moog model D for $600

 

Oh wait! On second thought, I did sell a KC500 after I gigged with it for about two years. That I was happy to part with.

 

[TommyS]

I wasn't sad to see my Korg M1 go. Never warmed up to it.

[Rusty Mike]

Never regretted dumping my DX-7. Of all the instruments I've owned, that's the one I never wanted to have back, even for a little while.

 

I also sold a Leslie 825 that I owned for a few months. Hated that thing. I was playing a Rhodes though it, which sounded absolutely horrible without an upper rotor. It was too bulky, never loud enough and use to just cut out when you tried to drive it too hard.

 

Did I say I hated it? No regrets there at all.

 

[Daniel Heslop]

Oh that reminds me, I had a DX9 I hated with a passion. Was happy to see it go!

[Bucktunes]

My least favorite was a Rhodes 73 I used when I was a teenager, but I did gig with it for about a year (when I was strong enough to lift the damn thing!)

My first Rhodes had a mushy action that was barely playable - By the end of a gig it felt like I was pushing the keys through mud, and my thumbnails were always smashed from beating on it. Maybe that's why I'm one of the few here who has no regrets about replacing it with a DX7...

 

I did sell a KC500 after I gigged with it for about two years. That I was happy to part with.

Because you sold it, or because you "parted" it with a chainsaw?

[HammondDave]

My least favorite was a Rhodes 73 I used when I was a teenager, but I did gig with it for about a year (when I was strong enough to lift the damn thing!)

My first Rhodes had a mushy action that was barely playable - By the end of a gig it felt like I was pushing the keys through mud, and my thumbnails were always smashed from beating on it. Maybe that's why I'm one of the few here who has no regrets about replacing it with a DX7...

 

I did sell a KC500 after I gigged with it for about two years. That I was happy to part with.

Because you sold it, or because you "parted" it with a chainsaw?

 

I actually found someone stupid enough to buy it. What a shitty sounding amp. I can't believe I put up with that for so many years. I think I put up with it because it had casters.

[MorayM]

I actually sold my dust-coated KC-150 a few weeks back. I did plenty of gigs with it, and even paid money to have it repaired when I fried the power amp. The follies of youth! The world feels a bit lighter now it's no longer sitting in the corner, waiting to pull me in with its convenient array of inputs, only to smack me back with its atrociously awful sound.

[Leh173]

This thread is making me think I should turf my DX7 and my amp with its convenient array of inputs and atrociously awful sound which shall remain, in the interests of public safety, unnamed in this post.

 

I sold an Akai MPK61. Great features. Awful stuff action. Miss factor: 0

[Tusker]

Barbetta Sona 41 - Two tens, beautiful tone (not uncolored), slight susceptibility to hum, but usually very well behaved. Loved it...

 

... but not nearly as much as the NYC jazz pianist who drove the 90 miles, was delighted at the prospect of something that could do left hand bass a little better than his Sona 31. He had access to a repair shop who could work on it, should it need the work. He is still in love with the thing.

 

Me, I was happy to move to a powered speaker by a larger company, where access to maintenance is a non-issue. Everybody wins.

[Ken Beaumont]

M-Audio ProKeys 88 worst, board I have ever owned by far!

 

[Joe Muscara]

M-Audio 61ES. The only thing I miss about it is the same thing I missed while I owned it, what a useful controller it should have been.

[MorayM]

M-Audio ProKeys 88 worst, board I have ever owned by far!

 

I only keep mine because nobody wants it!

[mate stubb]

RMI Electra Piano.

 

Heavy. Awful sounding. Heavy. No touch sensitivity. Heavy. Did I mention heavy?

 

Baldwin Electro-Pro.

 

Heavy. Awful playing. Heavy. Little touch sensitivity. Heavy. Made the RMI seem light.

[tsaub]

When Kawai introduced the electric grands that were very popular on the big stages, they also made a less expensive upright version. It looked just as cool as grands, but never, and I mean never, stayed in tune. One string per note. I carried a hammer with me all the time to constantly retune. Good thing the lid had a quick release latch. Haha. After owning that thing for a year or so, I donated it to a church and took the tax credit. Since it wasn't going to be moving around there, it might stay in tune better. Never did find out. Just glad to see it go.

[Michelle ggurl]

Roland U-20, Roland Cube 60 amp (although I had that for decades and played the hell out of it), Voce Micro B. By the time I offloaded this stuff technology and sound just got so much better!

 

And yet I was still able to sell it. Price was right, I guess.

[GovernorSilver]

M-Audio ProKeys 88 worst, board I have ever owned by far!

 

That reminds me, I need to get rid of mine. I don't feel right selling it, so I'll probably donate it

[Ken Beaumont]

I actually tried to donate my ProKeys 88 but the DAV wouldn't take it. So I sold it at a local pawn shop for $50. It sat there in the pawn shop for almost a year before someone bought it.

[GovernorSilver]

I actually tried to donate my ProKeys 88 but the DAV wouldn't take it. So I sold it at a local pawn shop for $50. It sat there in the pawn shop for almost a year before someone bought it.

 

I'm going to try Girls Rock DC. If that doesn't work out, then one of the neighborhood thrift shops.

[Kenny.]

I was considering buying an M Audio controller... what's so bad about them?

[Daniel Heslop]

When Kawai introduced the electric grands that were very popular on the big stages, they also made a less expensive upright version. It looked just as cool as grands, but never, and I mean never, stayed in tune. One string per note. I carried a hammer with me all the time to constantly retune. Good thing the lid had a quick release latch. Haha. After owning that thing for a year or so, I donated it to a church and took the tax credit. Since it wasn't going to be moving around there, it might stay in tune better. Never did find out. Just glad to see it go.

I LOVE mine. It holds it's tuning really well, but in fairness I don't gig with it. I actually used one for teaching a few years back and most of my students hated it, but I guess I'm just weird (like there was a question on that!) but it is one of my all time favourite instruments.

[Joe Muscara]

I was considering buying an M Audio controller... what's so bad about them?

The feel. Every one I've tried had this "sticky" feel at the start of the travel that's just weird. On the one I had, I also really had to pound it to get to 128.

 

Granted, this was a few years ago, and reports of the newer models seem more mixed so one might suit you.

[JeffLearman]

I sure was happy to see my beloved CP70 go (to a church). My wife missed it more than I did; she preferred real strings to digital, but I prefer something that sounds a lot more like a piano. And stays in tune. And doesn't weigh a ton. (That said, while it took more trips, it was easier to move than the Rhodes; each piece was an easier carry, even the one heavier than the Rhodes, due to its shape. It wasn't so fun forcing that through the hole in the roof up into the attic for weekly practice, though. God I couldn't live like that again! And thank goodness for big strong bandmates.)

 

I didn't realize Kawaii also made electric grands and uprights.

 

Other than that, hmmm. Not really. Well, I sure wouldn't use the Prophet 2002 12-bit rack-mount sampler any more, but I enjoyed having it and learned a lot from it. Time-consuming lil bugger it was.

 

I don't really miss my JX10 or Juno 60 other than a couple sounds each, but if I had infinite room in a studio I wouldn't mind them sitting there waiting for their moments in the sunshine.

 

In 1985 when I left the country for 6 months, I put my Rhodes on consignment for $350. It was still there when I got back, and I'm delighted about that. I guess I have the DX7 to thank for it!

[CEB]

RMI Electra Piano.

 

Heavy. Awful sounding. Heavy. No touch sensitivity. Heavy. Did I mention heavy?

 

Baldwin Electro-Pro.

 

Heavy. Awful playing. Heavy. Little touch sensitivity. Heavy. Made the RMI seem light.

 

Ditto.

 

Also Rhodes 73 ... played it in school Jazz bands. Wasn't mine, school owned but I never wanted to own one after playing the piece of doo-doo. I hear there are ones that play nice but I never played one that did. Rather play Motif Rhodes patches.

[GovernorSilver]

I was considering buying an M Audio controller... what's so bad about them?

 

There's nothing wrong with my ProKeys 88 as far as features go - it works fine. I don't feel right accepting money for it though, for other reasons.

[Michael Wright]

I bought a DX 7 a a few years ago, just because I always wanted one. When they had first come out, the band I was in was leaning on me to cover the sounds that were all over the radio. I did not get one at the time. When I did buy one used, I ran through the patches, and then left in on the rack. I hemmed and hawed about selling it and finally listed it on Kijij. A nice young fellow came along and was quite enamoured with it. I do not regret letting him have it cheap and tossing in cords and midi cable. He was just so in love with it whereas I was not.