Bassic Love

Yesterday, I celebrated my one year anniversary with my upright bass. I’d spent Valentine’s Day helping out at the Grasshopper Shop and when I came home there was a bass in my bedroom. Now, my bedroom could accurately be described as a hobbit hole. It’s long and narrow, it’s actually a smaller than my half of my dorm room at college. My room barely fits the requisite bedroom furniture (bed, bureau, mirror, desk) so the addition of an upright bass was…well it was crowded. And a wonderful surprise.

I’d been lusting after upright basses for about six months, never dreaming that I could actually afford to own one. I’d been devising a plan to maybe rent to own over the course of several years. But then, on Valentine’s Day 2014, my parents went into K2 Music and found an upright bass with bag, bow, and stand for $500. It was barely playable. The action was way too high, the sound post was in the wrong place, the tail piece had been incorrectly attached, but none of that mattered because it was mine. I had a bass of my very own.

We took my brand new bass to a luthier to get her set up properly and now she plays beautifully. I’m always being asked what kind of bass she is, because she’s got a good sound. The truth is, I have no idea. She’s a cheap, plywood bass, likely made in China, but she’s got no maker’s mark, no serial number, no indication of who made her.

I named my bass Susan after Death’s granddaughter in the Terry Pratchett books. (Once more proving my solid position in the ranks of nerd-dom.) Susan and I have had quite the adventures over the past year, getting to know one another, traveling to festivals, playing farmers markets, and generally just having a blast.

So, while I may not feel one way or another about Valentine’s Day, February 14th will forever in my mind be “Hug Your Bass Day”.

Thank you for reading and happy belated hug your bass day!