I like the idea of my bass having a name, but somehow a name has never chosen a bass that I own.
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Double Bass Do you name your bass(es)? Why/why not? DB FORUM THREAD
- Thread starter Ed S
- Start date
I’ve never had a name per se for my basses; I’ve always referred to my Kay as “The Big Bass” and my Thunderbird bass guitar as “The Bird.” That’s about as close to naming my instruments as I’ve ever come.
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?
And DANG - what brought all these slabheads over to the classy side?
My bass is called Meghan. It satisfies no emotional need, other than the need to be amused (all about the Bass?) and maybe to connect more closely with the thing that enables my musical expression. It is definitely more than a tool. YMMV
Wil de Sola named his basses after German Shepherd rescue dogs. Bought from him my 3/4 Gunter Kramer/ de Sola bass (1992) has Sadie written on the back inside. The larger bass is too big for me and up for sale. It is French, possibly a Jacquet, and was recently restored by Matthew Tucker (Bresque Basses) in Sydney.
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MollyKay
Supporting Member
Well...I never had children so my basses became my children and they all got names...all 73 of them.
The girl names were the maestro shaped basses because they had tips.
The boy names where the gamba shape...no tips.
I once owned a 1934 King Mortone that had hugh tips...her name was Dolly.
My current favorite basses are my 1937 Kay M-4 named Nellie Kane (Tim O’Brien song) and my 1937 AS named Junior (Junior Huskey).
Life is too short to not have a sense of humor about the mundane
The girl names were the maestro shaped basses because they had tips.
The boy names where the gamba shape...no tips.
I once owned a 1934 King Mortone that had hugh tips...her name was Dolly.
My current favorite basses are my 1937 Kay M-4 named Nellie Kane (Tim O’Brien song) and my 1937 AS named Junior (Junior Huskey).
Life is too short to not have a sense of humor about the mundane
Actually It seems appropriate these old guard foundlings are bestowed names by their Godmother.
Well...I never had children so my basses became my children and they all got names...all 73 of them.
The girl names were the maestro shaped basses because they had tips.
The boy names where the gamba shape...no tips.
I once owned a 1934 King Mortone that had hugh tips...her name was Dolly.
My current favorite basses are my 1937 Kay M-4 named Nellie Kane (Tim O’Brien song) and my 1937 AS named Junior (Junior Huskey).
Life is too short to not have a sense of humor about the mundane
You don't by any chance live in a shoe, do you?
I honestly don't know why you people name your basses and neither does Ilsa, the Czech Hoefner in my profile picture.
Resurrecting an old thread, simply because I think it is better than creating a new one for the same thing:
Yes, I name my basses (and the two guitars I own):
Carvin LB-70 - "Lucy" - it is blue, and I always think of Lucy from Peanuts.
Fender American Standard Precision Bass - "Bernadette" - Because it looks like Jamerson's bass.
Fender MIM Deluxe Active Jazz - "Betty" - Because it is black. LOL
Fender American Professional II Jazz V - "Precious" - My main squeeze these days, and she's precious to me.
Gretsch G2220 - "Ruby" - Named for the color.
Donner DST-400 - "Donna" - Donner...Donna...
Taylor Solid Body Classic Guitar - "Taylor" (totally unimaginative on that one)
I have a Leo Jaymz RB bass kit that I am going to be starting soon that will end up being called "Rikki" for fairly obvious reasons.
Not sure what possessed me to name them...it just kind of happened. <shrug>
Yes, I name my basses (and the two guitars I own):
Carvin LB-70 - "Lucy" - it is blue, and I always think of Lucy from Peanuts.
Fender American Standard Precision Bass - "Bernadette" - Because it looks like Jamerson's bass.
Fender MIM Deluxe Active Jazz - "Betty" - Because it is black. LOL
Fender American Professional II Jazz V - "Precious" - My main squeeze these days, and she's precious to me.
Gretsch G2220 - "Ruby" - Named for the color.
Donner DST-400 - "Donna" - Donner...Donna...
Taylor Solid Body Classic Guitar - "Taylor" (totally unimaginative on that one)
I have a Leo Jaymz RB bass kit that I am going to be starting soon that will end up being called "Rikki" for fairly obvious reasons.
Not sure what possessed me to name them...it just kind of happened. <shrug>
A few weeks ago I found out that my jamming buddies have given my Alcoa the name "Silver Bullet". So there it is.
More archetypes than ‘names’, necessarily… The '62 American Standard I think of as a classic "Betty" - dependable, she's been with me a long time, and I'll never out grow her. "Veronica" is the super sexy La Scala hybrid that feels a bit 'too good' for me...
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Excellent naming choices. FYI, I’m more a a Veronica guy personally.
Could be worse. You could have gone with "Moose" and "Jughead."
I didn't mean to, but it just happened. When I bought my orchestral instrument, the previous owner called it Tom after the maker, Thomas Kennedy. I kept that name. My chamber instrument was given to me by a colleague whose name was Mike, so Mike it was. My Kay was bought from someone whose father played the instrument for many years (bought it new in 1937!). His name was Ernie and his name was stitched onto the case, so it's Ernie.
Tom:
Mike:
Ernie:
Tom:
Mike:
Ernie:
