Double Bass Would you let anyone sign your upright?

[Ed S]

Stupid question - (but not the stupidest thing that crossed my mind while driving 975 miles today!)

Would you let anyone sign your bass?

Later this year, I'm attending a camp w/ a bass teacher who is - IMO - just about the best current player in my preferred style. I might bring both of my basses, but will more likely just bring my ply Engle. Great sounding/playing bass IMO, but will never sell for much above as many miles as I racked up today.

I wondered if I might get a kick out of asking him to sharpie a sig somewhere - maybe on the back... Can't imagine a discreet sig greatly enhancing/detracting from it's value.

I have a buddy whose mando bears the sigs of Sam Bush/Ronnie McCoury/Ricky Skaggs. Which is kinda cool.

Whaddaya think?

 

[Bar Star]

I wouldn’t let anyone sign mine (where’s the poll?!?).

Have fun at camp!

 

[bassmanbrent]

Would you let anyone sign your bass?

Nope. Not my thing.

 

[Wambemando]

If it was a poly MIM Fender body or something, I'd say "sure".
Otherwise, regardless of your current imaginings, I would hazard a guess that your future-self may disagree with this idea.
(Speaking from multi-faceted experience.)

 

[VictorW126]

 

[lowphatbass]

I took the liberty of “signing” my own bass back when I was 18. I engraved down below the finish and filled-in with ink to make it permanent…this was years before Mr. Steinberger had his own brand/logo. Despite the similarities it’s clear that a “modern 4/4 bass” with a 44” string length ain’t an easy sell regardless so….I suppose my thought at the time of never selling the bass was fairly accurate.

 

[Kenan]

That's all well and good if it's what you're into, but I think the Sharpie falls a little bit short. It should be etched in there with something sharp.

However, looking at other famously signed instruments, as owned by Willie Nelson or Lee Sklar, it looks like they were using Sharpie or more often just a heavy handed ball point pen.

 

[garrett2]

I would let Bach sign it.

 

[Brent Nussey]

Why not? It's not a Maggini or anything. Here's Eddie Gomez' signature on a bass in western Japan at a club called "Groovy." You may find if you have it somewhere you'll see it, that you'll be inspired to try to live up to their standard.

 

[Ed S]

Yeah - seems even sillier this a.m., in the absence of a whittling haze!

Just really psyched about meeting/learning from/spending time w/ Paul Kowert.

 

[neddyrow]

Nope.

I do still have the original label on my bass since I picked it up from the Upton barn though.

 

[RattleSnack]

Sure, why not, if it is a musician I respect and look up to.

 

[fu22ba55]

If Ray Brown or Scott LaFaro came back from the dead, I'd let them sign my plywood Engelhardt beater, but my Czech gamba is older than both of them, so not that one.

 

[buldog5151bass]

If you ever decide to sell it, you will likely be sorry, no matter who signed it.

 

[Hummergeist]

I wouldn’t let anyone sign mine (where’s the poll?!?).

Have fun at camp!

Nope and agree, let's have a poll for this one!

 

[Hummergeist]

...though - I play NS Design uprights, I guess I could imagine Ned signing them...maybe...

 

[damonsmith]

I would and I did. Reggie Workmann used my bass and I had him carve his initials into it.

 

[BobDeRosa]

I think you'd be better off taking a selfie of you and him, printing it out, and having him sign it. There's no way your bass's value will be affected and someday you might be able to sell the pic.

 

[Don Hergert]

Personally nope, but I wouldn't count somebody down if they did.

Personally I wouldn't enjoy explaining whose signature it is and why they signed it. Nobody except us knows who these double bass players are.

 

[Ed S]

I think the "resale value" idea is kinda irrelevant. Like I said, this thing is worth not much more/less than $1k - and a discreet sig or 2 isn't gonna move that needle much. Wouldn't change the nature of the beast - a low cost but good sounding, playable ply.

And I don't know how to do polls. If someone knows how to and wishes to add one, I'm fine with that.