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Double Bass Do you name your bass(es)? Why/why not? DB FORUM THREAD

#21
dolanmolan said:
The upright I play most often was named by someone else. One day they just started calling it Megan and I thought that was such an absurd name for the bass that I couldn't stop thinking about it. Eventually I started calling it by that name! Now it's stuck. My upright's name is Megan!
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Count your blessings. "Megan" is Irish; so is Dervogilla.""
 
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#25
Ed S said:
I don't want to comment on weirdness or not - just asking WHY you name them. What emotion or whatever does it evoke or satisfy in you?
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From a historical perspective it's not unusual. For example, Vikings and medieval knights commonly named their swords. I honestly don't know why I name them. Some of these instruments stay with us for a large part of our lifetimes so naming them doesn't seem that unusual to me. I did name it partially as a tribute to one of my main influences of DB playing, Oscar Pettiford. He was the first jazz bassist I studied intently.

In asking this question myself, I found this article to be an interesting read.

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#27
No names for my guitars, banjo, electric bass or mandolin, they are good instruments but don't seem to have any "personality", if that makes any sense.
On the other hand, I call my Engelhardt ES9 Swingmaster "Marilyn"(if you're old enough you will know who I mean) because she is blonde, curvy and has a sweet voice and I can interact with her in a way I can't with my other instruments. All DB players will know what I'm talking about, she has "personality" and can be very moody and temperamental at times and at other times(rarely) we work together as a magical team and it is pure love.
At gigs people will say how lovely "Marilyn" looks and sounds(they know her by name) and rarely say much about me or my playing, I'm playing second fiddle again(sorry), the story of my life. I sometimes think my very mediocre playing is overlooked and the sheer visual presentation of the bass makes it seem like I'm better than I actually am, a bonus I guess.:thumbsup:
 
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#32
GretschWretch said:
Unless you can bond with an instrument you won't name it.
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This is probably key. Normally I see inanimate objects as inanimate objects and I don't really form a deep enough emotional bond with them that I feel the need to anthropomorphize them with a name.

Perhaps it's ironic, but I have noticed that I seem to get more attached to my vehicles after they get old, and I have to start working on them...thus making more of personal investment. I would assume the personal investment would only occur if it's me with wrench in hand.

I have never felt this sort of attachement to a bass; even my first bass which I spent a fortune modding. I seem to perceive basses about the same as a crescent wrench; I.E. both are tools.

Of course my first car was a piece of junk when I got it, and I ran it into all sort of stuff so it needed a fair amount of attention. Plus it was with me as I was coming of age, so it was like a trusted friend that protected me from harm on several occasions. That's sort of where the name Nell came from. The Nell my car was named for was the AI of a fictional spaceship that was very protective of her pilot and really took a pounding for him.

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#34
I rarely play guitar, and play bass a LOT, but for whatever reason my guitars have names and my basses don't (yet, anyway).

One is a Gretsch resonator guitar that I call "cookie." I bought it years ago to take busking, and the very first day I had it, dropped it square on the pavement from the unzipped gig bag on my back (distracted by my dog + tourists when packing up). Despite a truly terrible noise it somehow suffered only a small chip when a nice Martin or something would have exploded. I've seen the thing fall face first, er, fretboard first, straight over on hard surfaces way too many times. It never skips a beat, I don't even bother checking for damage anymore. So I figure it's a tough cookie..

The other is a hollowbody electric that I call "easy" because the action is so low, thing plays itself.
 
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#37
Wasnex said:
Perhaps it's ironic, but I have noticed that I seem to get more attached to my vehicles after they get old, and I have to start working on them...thus making more of personal investment. I would assume the personal investment would only occur if it's me with wrench in hand.
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Can relate.
Of all the motorbikes I've owned, the only one I bonded emotionally with was a cantankerous old biddy, whose electrics needed a good overhaul. Spent more time than I really should have on the side of the road with a screwdriver and a crescent spanner.
 
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