Do you name your basses?

[BreadBin]

1 hour ago, totorbass said:

I suppose you mean my attempt to make a joke in English was not a real success? Forgive me.

I apologise, the joke is not easy to see.

[4000]

My main bass has a name, but it wasn't really named, as such. When I first bought it and first used it at rehearsal, many years ago, I said something to the effect of "finally, everything I play sounds like I always heard in my head, it's like hearing the voice of God". The name stuck and everyone I know has referred to it ever since as The Voice.  

 

I suppose not unlike Bernie and The Beast...

Edited January 30, 2019 by 4000

[AndyTravis]

Long before my married days I used to have different girls in my phone as 1,2,3,4 - it was great, like shag roulette.

But I don’t give basses numbers either.

[Staggering on]

I couldn't resist calling my blonde and curvy bass "Marilyn". It's been fun on gigs and my band mates and a lot of punters always call "her" by name and there are often running jokes about how I handle "her" and treat "her" at home. Not very PC, but fun.😊 

BTW I don't have names for my EB and EUB.

Edited January 30, 2019 by Staggering on

[thodrik]

No, I have never named my basses, unless 'the heavy bloody thing that won't stay in tune' counts, which is the long form name for my Gibson EB3.

[JellyKnees]

God no. Naming inanimate objects? What is that all about...

[EliasMooseblaster]

I did go through a phase of naming them, mostly after characters from anime series or webcomics - any BCers of a certain fandom might understand why I called my 8-string "Vriska," for example. But the joke wore a bit thin, and I stopped bothering. So now the only one which has a name is my longest-serving bass, my kit-built Precision copy. It's named after one of my grandmothers, because it's sturdy and dependable, with a voice that could cut through walls. (Not that the bass in question has an East Midlands accent...)

[mikel]

Both of my basses seem to be called "For fecks sake" as its the phrase I use the most when using them. 

[Guest MoJo]

No, no I don't. It's 'the P-bass' and the 'BB425'

[Barking Spiders]

Yes I do after my previous wife named them when finding them reclining around the living room..

Peavey BXP...'That Bl**dy Guitar'

Cort GB 74, 'Not Another One?'

Cort fretless 'That's New! '

[Steve Browning]

Mine have sort of ended up with names. My 66 is called #1 because it is my favourite and it differentiated it from the 4 other sunburst/rosewood Precisions I had. The 71 isn't named. The 72 is called the Wreck because it looks as though Rory Gallagher must have owned it. The fretless has no name and the two incoming SVLs will be Hannah and Emily. The names will be on the neck plates and that's mainly so that my daughters know which is theirs when they are inherited.

[Passinwind]

22 hours ago, ChrisLovatt said:

Hi all,

Thought this might be an interesting discussion, does anyone else name their instruments?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nope, and I don't assign gender to them either.

[Skinnyman]

13 minutes ago, Passinwind said:

Nope, and I don't assign gender to them either.

Good. They should be free to choose their own...

[Deanol]

1 hour ago, JellyKnees said:

God no. Naming inanimate objects? What is that all about...

Quite right. Forget HMS Ark Royal, The QE2 and HMS Vanguard. We should have Ship 1, Ship 2, The Red Ship and so on.

[paul_c2]

20 hours ago, Ricky 4000 said:

It's even more moronic than naming your dog.

I can assure everybody that saying "would you like a biscuit, dog" gets exactly the same response as "would you like a biscuit, Winston Churchill" or whatever.

I am guessing you've never worked with 2 sheepdogs simultaneously. 

Of course, asking a dog if it wants food is a pretty meaningless test of its name recognition - of course any dog would want food!!!

But obeying commands - yes dogs recognise their own name and respond appropriately, if they're properly trained and intelligent enough to do so (some dogs are not that clever, there is massive variation, and sheepdogs are one of the most intelligent, able to distinguish up to ~200 different commands). 

[tauzero]

12 minutes ago, Deanol said:

Quite right. Forget HMS Ark Royal, The QE2 and HMS Vanguard. We should have Ship 1, Ship 2, The Red Ship and so on.

Bassy McBassFace?

[BreadBin]

57 minutes ago, paul_c2 said:

I am guessing you've never worked with 2 sheepdogs simultaneously. 

Of course, asking a dog if it wants food is a pretty meaningless test of its name recognition - of course any dog would want food!!!

But obeying commands - yes dogs recognise their own name and respond appropriately, if they're properly trained and intelligent enough to do so (some dogs are not that clever, there is massive variation, and sheepdogs are one of the most intelligent, able to distinguish up to ~200 different commands). 

We have a Shetland Sheepdog - he will pretend he wants to go out so he can have a cheeky check of the kitchen floor on the way past. (yes he responds to being asked if he wants to go out)

[JellyKnees]

2 hours ago, Deanol said:

Quite right. Forget HMS Ark Royal, The QE2 and HMS Vanguard. We should have Ship 1, Ship 2, The Red Ship and so on.

We could. I guess ships are named because they tend to be unique designs. Still a bit weird tho if you ask me.

[ribbetingfrog]

My basses are Handbag and Mr. Sparkle.

 

No prizes for guessing which this is

[josie]

7 hours ago, JellyKnees said:

God no. Naming inanimate objects? What is that all about...

I know they're inanimate objects, but I'm down to a stable (I hope) core of four very different electric basses* that all look and feel and sound very different, are right for different styles or situations, and all feel like detachable body parts. I'm in love with them, and to me they have what I would call "personalities". I respond to them differently when I play them. 

I tried to call my first bass (the 5) Chrissie after Chrissie Hynde, who I hugely admire, because it?/she? has the same sort of ballsy but musical sound. But it didn't stick. Then another bass player said admiringly "It looks like a bird!" so I called her The Bird for a while, but that didn't stick either. 

So they don't have human-like names, but if a strong enough connection comes up they could. 

See my .sig 🙂  

* Ibanez BTB1406, GMR Bassforce 5, Jack Casady Epiphone 4 strung EADG, Fender Jazz Aerodyne 4 strung BEAD

[Ricky 4000]

7 hours ago, paul_c2 said:

I am guessing you've never worked with 2 sheepdogs simultaneously. 

Of course, asking a dog if it wants food is a pretty meaningless test of its name recognition - of course any dog would want food!!!

But obeying commands - yes dogs recognise their own name and respond appropriately, if they're properly trained and intelligent enough to do so (some dogs are not that clever, there is massive variation, and sheepdogs are one of the most intelligent, able to distinguish up to ~200 different commands). 

You guessed right!

I know, it was supposed to be humorous rather than scientific. 😉

 But, yes, I know what you mean, my dog is a type of sheepdog (Kelpie). 👍

6 hours ago, BreadBin said:

We have a Shetland Sheepdog - he will pretend he wants to go out so he can have a cheeky check of the kitchen floor on the way past. (yes he responds to being asked if he wants to go out)

Clever buggers... 

If my dog has been fed while one of us was out, at some point she will try to persuade that person that she's had nothing to eat, and she's smart enough to do it when the person who did feed her is out of the way. There's many a time I've had to call up the stairs to check with Mrs 4000. The reply is usually "That dog is a bloody liar!". She has caught us out once or twice though. 😁

[BreadBin]

Yes Loki does the starving act too!

[Deanol]

14 hours ago, tauzero said:

Bassy McBassFace?

If I remember correctly, they ended up naming that ship HMS Sir David Attenborough.

As bass players therefore we should be given the opportunity to use our "national treasures", so I give you HMS Bootsy Collins!

[kendall]

I don't name them.  Mrs Kendall does.  They are affectionately known as The Red One, The Black One and the Expensive one.  My black 7 string guitar is often mistaken for the The Black One, which is in fact a Squire 5 String Bass.  Nevertheless, the black 7 string is still called the Black One.

[Deanol]

25 minutes ago, kendall said:

I don't name them.  Mrs Kendall does.  They are affectionately known as The Red One, The Black One and the Expensive one.  My black 7 string guitar is often mistaken for the The Black One, which is in fact a Squire 5 String Bass.  Nevertheless, the black 7 string is still called the Black One.

I believe sir you have secretly married my wife. Have no worries, you can keep her!