OK, here's an interesting story... I don't think I would usually be the type of person to name my instrument, but I had to.  
 
A couple weeks ago I had a dream - it said Bird on the back of my bass in big letters. In the dream, I didn't want to name it that because it seemed too obvious, but I woke up and named it that. Hopefully I will be chanelling the spirit of Bird through my bass.

So I'm not the only one who dreams about basses, every night!?  Dozens of them...doesn't get any better than that.

Well, this is a little embarrasing, but I have a BC Rich Eagle bass that I bought new in 1978, long before I could afford an Alembic.  I don't play it much these days, as its a 4 string and I play mostly 5 strings these days, and it's not an Alembic.  I've had that bass for so long and I know it so well that I call it The Wife.  
Probably, there's a joke somewhere in the fact that I left the wife for a newer, sleeker, better and pretty Alembic, but let's not go there!
 

Brother Steve,
 
hum ...maybe Brother Mike's (oxjr) wife is involved???
 
Paul the bad one

Paul;
 
Better keep that quiet or I will be sleeping on your sofa

I have an Essence 5, 95 model, w/ side led's. Originally, it was known as the bass with runway lights. After a while, the name changed to Melba Kek. I really don't know where it came from, but it stuck.

I have an Essence 5 w/side led's. Originally it was known as the bass with runway lights. After a while the name changed to Melba Kek. I don't know where the name came from, but it stuck.

The Relic!The Relic  
 
(Message edited by serialnumber12 on March 26, 2005)
 
(Message edited by serialnumber12 on March 28, 2005)

THE RELIC'(OLD #12)
 
(Message edited by serialnumber12 on March 26, 2005)

My Alembic has a formal name (Aether) and nickname (Leeloo). Both are references to the Fifth Element.

I tried this for a while, but it only worked for certain ones. Same for some of the other musical instruments in my sizable collection.

With the Alembics, the Custom fretless is the only one I bought new, and the name is kinda' obvious, and based on a build feature. The Persuader 5-string that inspired it was my first Alembic though. I've had that bass for 12 years next week, and never settled on a name, until one evening Mica referred to it saying something like; "oh yeah, that was the kernel..." and it was. But what I heard out loud was 'Colonel'. Now it, and my Custom fretless are the only two... beginning and end, alpha and omega. The Colonel bass though... I like that. Kinda' goes with The Chain bass. 

As much as I loved every minute and every note ever played on that old Series bass I got from Moderator Dave, it was always "Dave's old bass" in my mind. I took care of it that way and usually referred to it either that way or simply by the serial number 621. When it came time to move it on, I sent those stories along with it. The new caretaker is a very quiet Club Member... they know all about it. 

You would think as many years and as many miles as there are between me and my main upright bass I'd have a name for it. Nope. It's just my gig-bass. There was a time 30 years ago after the divorce peeps got their pound of flesh, I had that bass, a Crate Acoustic amp, a 12-foot 1/4" cable, and a couple sets of stage clothes. Not one other piece of musical gear to my name. Hell, I was lucky to have that. I still have the amp, (somewhere...) the cable and a bar towel I stole from some beer joint are in my case, at least one of the shirts, and the bass. And it still doesn't have a name. It's been around longer than me, and kinda' runs my life in the background, at least a major part of the decision-making process. 

I have an old Gibson mandolin though, plain Sheraton brown finish A-model from 1919. I got it from this old retired North Carolina State Trooper I only ever used to see at this fiddler's convention many years ago. He knew I had a thing for cool old instruments and my whole family was from the same little nook in Western North Carolina he was, and we were distantly related, so he'd always come find me. Sure enough, this hot afternoon he came ambling into camp with a crusty old case under his arm and announced he'd been looking all over for me, that he had just what I needed. It was that A-model. I didn't need it, but I sure wanted it, so he left me his mailing address and told me just either send him a check or send him the mandolin back... he know'd I'z good fer it. I went home and sold a couple items and mailed him a check. To this day, that mandolin is "Uncle Charlie". He died a couple years later. That one isn't for sale, ever. 

So the name thing only works out sometimes for me. 

My two doublenecks came with names created by their original owners.  Years later one person tried to give it a new name and created a bit of kerfuffle in a couple threads and was back to the original name once it returned to the USA. I named my Classico 6-String because it's the only 6-string they made.  It's the Orphan because that's how I found it abandoned (no electronics) on the shipping dock at Alembic.  It's been on a stand in the living room now for 28 years.  I guess the one-off instruments should have unique names. IF that Series 1.5 ever leaves the mothership, it will get a name as it's been discussed these past 7 years. 

Wow.    I really love that old Gibson Mandolin story.

I have had a LOT of basses, and a LOT of Alembics over the years.     The only one that was ever named was the oldest one I have.    My kid gave it the name when he was younger.   It's a bass that I have had for 42 years now.   It is serial number 72-16.    He used to call it "The Old Man".    It stuck.

Forgive me If I posted this story earlier in this thread.

Michael

Moved.