Do you name your guitars?

[Jinder]

I’ve never been one for naming inanimate objects, but in the last few years I’ve found myself naming various guitars if I think they’re going to be a keeper.

 

It all started when I bought my 1990 Hummingbird-the tan case came with a little hangtag on the handle that simply said “Andy”. Presumably a leftover from a luthier or similar to identify the owner, it seemed rather like the little tag on Paddington Bear when he was found at the station (yes, I have young kids!!).

 

So, the Hummingbird became Andy. My SJ200 is named Amie (mainly because my partner is called Amy, many years ago I released a song titled Aimee and my middle daughter’s middle name is Ami, so I wanted to use up the last spelling of it left to complete my circle of Amie/Amy/Aimee/Amis!), my J180 is called Gerry (after Gerry Rafferty, one of my favourite writers, who wrote many of his songs with a ‘60s J180) and my new ‘41 Reissue SJ100 is called Roy, after my friend and wonderful artist Roy Bailey, who passed away last week.

 

I’ve yet to name my AJ, Hummingbird 12 string or ‘67 J45, not because I doubt their keeperhood, just because no name has come forth for any of them yet...answers on a postcard!

 

Does anyone else name their guitars?

[scriv58]

No names, and most definitely no gender assignment either- all my stuff is an “it”

 

Edit: my reason being that humans are prone to disappointment and treachery, and I do not experience these traits in my instruments

[scriv58]

Don’t plan on writing any love songs to a guitar either- embarrassing when later a decision is made to put it on the auction block

[QuestionMark]

My 1965 LG1 is little Gibson.

My 1973 SJD is big Gibson.

My Epiphone EL00 is little Epi

My 1955 Epiphone FT79 is Texan

But, from there all of the rest of my instruments’ names are whatever their model name is. ie. My 2006 J45 is J45. My 1994 Gibson Gospel Reissue is Gospel. My 1936 Epiphone Zenith is Zenith, the 1965 Epiphone FT30 Caballero is Caballero, etc. etc. Except, some are called by their brand name rather than their model name as their model names are obscure. ie. My 50’s Silvertone archtop is just the Silvertone, the Kay is the Kay, etc.

 

Interested to hear how others name or refer to their instruments...

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

[AngelDeVille]

Ed and Martha.

 

 

Ed and Stan.

 

[FemmeParallell]

Oh yes! 90% of my guitars have names, and i feel weird when one still doesnt get a name haha, but eventually the guitar character or something gives a hint to what should i name her hehe

I named my J185 after my departed mother, since the guitar is beautify, elegant, moves me, and for me it has a voice of her own (named her Valentina)

[FemmeParallell]

And on a funny side haha 2 guitars i've sold the owner has kept the name i had for them haha, its so cool

[zombywoof]

Only one and the name was bestowed by others and not me. The rest answer to "hey you."

[bobouz]

Nope.

 

Back in the '70s we named our '65 VW Beetle convertible & '66 VW Van.

 

That's about it!

[gearbasher]

Nancy

Cindy

Amy

Billie

Aggie

Shirley

Julie

Janet

Christine III*

 

*Christine I and II were sold (they were all Guild D55s)

 

All were named after people I've known.

[blindboygrunt]

🤦‍♂️

[E-minor7]

Not really, never did - when it happens, it's more like a coincidence.

Don't see them with a gender either. Apart from some kind of ragged king, an ace, a majesty, a squire, an odd old fellow and so forth. .

 

But my beloved franken-CW fx is called the 66'er.

 

1966 / approx 80 / 2012 ~

 

Not that I'm non-romantic. Perhaps more because my playing for many years was too weak, weird and troublesome to start the romance.

[Dave F]

Quite a few came prenamed-

Chet, Les, Elvis,Marty, Kris, Dwight, Jackson, Eric, Nick, and Roy.

The only one I named is an custom L00, 'Old No.9'

 

[livemusic]

No, I haven't.

[MorrisrownSal]

They don't stick around long enough to have names! I guess they are called "the D18" or whatever the model is.

Actually the Bird is six months now. The J50 six years except for one in the middle. The D15 9 years. The D18 and J45 each about 1 year.

The J45 Mahogany and AJ too new. But the Mahogany is sticking around for sure. Heck it's a whirlwind and I don't even know what I got anymore.

 

I did name the J50 once... Juliet... because it fit the song I wrote.

[kidblast]

names? nope, never have, probably (@ 61.5 yrs) never will

 

 

I do get a bang out of some of the names people use.. for some reason, Ed and Martha sort of cracked me up.

[zombywoof]

Nope.

 

Back in the '70s we named our '65 VW Beetle convertible & '66 VW Van.

 

That's about it!

 

 

We name our male dogs after a President from the state we picked them up in. So in Kansas it was Ike. Here in Ohio it is Mac which is short for McKinley.

 

Never named my VWs but I had a license plate on my last VW Bus that read "Das Bus"

[Dave F]

We name our male dogs after a President from the state we picked them up in. So in Kansas it was Ike. Here in Ohio it is Mac which is short for McKinley.

 

Never named my VWs but I had a license plate on my last VW Bus that read "Das Bus"

We got our dog in Osgood IN so we named him Ozzy

[Mr. Paul]

The only "thing" I've ever named is my old Landcruiser. Bob Denver (Gilligan) died the day I bought it so I named it Little Buddy.

 

[PrairieSchooner]

The first acoustic guitar I ever had (Harmony Sovereign sold under the Airline name) was named Hugo by my girlfriend (later my wife). Don't know why, and nothing since then.

[Hall]

Only one, my old Dot Neck 335, Miss Bush; after my young redhead third grade teacher who use to lean over my desk real close like and chew me out for having handwriting that looked like chicken scratch. My introduction to the finer things in life.

[DaveKell]

I remember many many years ago responding to a newspaper classified ad (remember those?) about a Fender electric guitar for sale. I set a time to go by the guy's house to look at it. As he handed it to me he said "here's Frieda Fender". I acted like I took no notice of the remark. On the other side of the room were two acoustics I asked about. One was a Gibson and the other an Ovation. I was particularly drawn to the Ovation for some reason. Just then, his mother came into the room to check on him. He told her "he came to look at Frieda Fender, but then asked about Gracie Gibson but really seems to like Alice Ovation". Uh hey dude, didn't ya mean Olivia Ovation? AFter hearing how ridiculous it all sounded I've never once come close to naming a guitar!

[gearbasher]

 

I don't name cars either.

 

I don't know if this is considered a name. When I bought my '60 Volvo, it was painted like a Cleveland Browns' football helmet and it had "GO BROWNS" painted on the sides. When I restored it, I painted it blue. But, my friends, my family and I still call it "The Brownsmobile"

[JWG4927]

Good on ya. I don't either. I find it silly, but....

 

I don't name cars either. I named my kids though.

 

So silly https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_(guitar)

 

Silly humans

 

Glamdring

[PrairieSchooner]

I don't know if this is considered a name. When I bought my '60 Volvo, it was painted like a Cleveland Browns' football helmet and it had "GO BROWNS" painted on the sides. When I restored it, I painted it blue. But, my friends, my family and I still call it "The Brownsmobile"

 

Now cars, that's a different deal. My first car, '53 Chevy coop, was Mortimer Car (Mort for short). I had a '53 Chevy pick-up that was Old Red for obvious reasons. And I had a '51 Chevy panel truck that someone had brush-painted blue before I got it; it earned the nickname The Blue Banana.