That’s latitude and longitude to the buried money.
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Carving initials into bass
- Thread starter Chicken Wing
- Start date
i know a guy whose Martin guitar has someone else's initials carved right into the head stock. Not recommended. Though it did help him get a better deal on it.
While I was off at college, the neighborhood watch folks had a police officer come by and make a presentation on crime prevention. One thing they talked about was etching your driver's license number on valuable objects.
My parents' upright piano now has a driver's license number etched in the back (thank goodness, the back). How many piano thefts occur, do you think? Is it real common that a burglar will jimmy a window open, crawl through it, and then decide to carry off a piano?
While I was off at college, the neighborhood watch folks had a police officer come by and make a presentation on crime prevention. One thing they talked about was etching your driver's license number on valuable objects.
My parents' upright piano now has a driver's license number etched in the back (thank goodness, the back). How many piano thefts occur, do you think? Is it real common that a burglar will jimmy a window open, crawl through it, and then decide to carry off a piano?
There was a phase in the 60s & 70s when local police departments were encouraging people to engrave their belongings with their information. Many departments even had engravers that they would loan to people, and you could buy engravers pretty much anywhere, because it was a thing then.
I can't remember if my dad bought one or if he got his from the local cops, but he definitely had one, and got engrave-happy. I have fuzzy memories of him engraving everything in sight. Years later, I discovered that one of the things he engraved was a 1945 Colt .45 1911. Something that would probably have more intrinsic value had he not inscribed his drivers license number on the side of it.
That's what I like about these threads. The stories that come out of the woodwork.
This was how I thought of it when I read your title. How Cool would it be to pull a neck off an old bass and see some initials. I'd love it.
But tb doesn't like anything that could be different
With some sandpaper and a bit of elbow grease, that'll buff right out. I wonder if whoever has that bass ever did remove the carving?
Might have done this when I was 12 years old. Thankfully, I didn't start playing bass until age 26. Never carved my initials into a tree, either. But I did carve my initials into an ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend's '56 Chevy. Relax, I'm kidding. I'm a vintage Chevy guy. That would be unforgivable. But now y'all have me thinking. Maybe I could get Mrs. 'blue to get a tattoo that sports my official TB initials. See below. 
M. M.
M. M.
TB doesn't like anything that might diminish resale value.
I've definitely done that with basses, but never with a cat.... but I guess you're the expert. Time to go drink a bunch of shots and "accidentally" slam my cat into a table.
OH, AN RFID CHIP!
Might have done this when I was 12 years old. Thankfully, I didn't start playing bass until age 26. Never carved my initials into a tree, either. But I did carve my initials into an ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend's '56 Chevy. Relax, I'm kidding. I'm a vintage Chevy guy. That would be unforgivable. But now y'all have me thinking. Maybe I could get Mrs. 'blue to get a tattoo that sports my official TB initials. See below.
M. M.
Have a care, Grasshopper. Time is not on your side when it comes to tattoos. That galleon you had tattooed on your chest in your twenties will be sinking by the time you reach my age. Roses which a young woman may have tattooed on her pneumatic blisses will be long stem roses once she reaches retirement age.
Anyone have a story on this? Might hurt resale value depending on value of one’s initialsbut I think it adds an interesting if not value reducing touch to a vintage instrument.
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This guy does some interesting carvings.
Hmmm... hundreds of guitars and basses - haven't run into initials yet! I saw a social insurance number on a big 16-track Studer once!
It does bring to mind a certain guitarist I played with in a band circa 1980... who found a 1959 strat he really liked. Sunburst, in very good shape. I don't remember exactly what he paid for it but it was moderately expensive for the day. It was a righty, and he was a lefty and played it 'upside down' (restrung for lefty). He couldn't of had it a week when he decided to visit his old high-school shop teacher, who let him into the school shop and helped him BANDSAW a deep new cutaway into the body. It was a very clean cut, and gave him full upper fret access. He left it bare wood, but it was well-done and really didn't look bad. But still... that was the first fender I ever saw with the "clay dots", even then it was considered 'vintage collectible'.
It does bring to mind a certain guitarist I played with in a band circa 1980... who found a 1959 strat he really liked. Sunburst, in very good shape. I don't remember exactly what he paid for it but it was moderately expensive for the day. It was a righty, and he was a lefty and played it 'upside down' (restrung for lefty). He couldn't of had it a week when he decided to visit his old high-school shop teacher, who let him into the school shop and helped him BANDSAW a deep new cutaway into the body. It was a very clean cut, and gave him full upper fret access. He left it bare wood, but it was well-done and really didn't look bad. But still... that was the first fender I ever saw with the "clay dots", even then it was considered 'vintage collectible'.
