Happy Birthday, Baby
Posted November 15, 2006Remember when I said I would be better about updating my website? Yeah, me, neither.
Regardless, today is a very special day and I'd like to mark that occasion. Eight years ago, on November 15, 1998, my parents bought me my first musical instrument, an electric bass. Baby, as I came to call her, was purchased from Sergio Castro, an Oxnard city employee who at the time worked a couple doors down from my dad's office. Baby was Sergio's first bass, too.
Baby, and how I feel when playing her.
Baby's birthday is officially April somethingteenth, 1977. I believe she hails from some Fender factory in the Midwest. When I met her in 1998, she was 21 and I was 14, but it was love at first sight. I still remember the first time I saw her, in fact. Sergio had invited me to watch his band, Sound Effect, practice and to check out the bass he had for sale. After their practice, he pulled out from behind a row of chairs and equipment a long bass case, faded yellow with age. Opening the case revealed a bright orange shag, cushioning what would become my standby instrument. Sergio noodled on Baby for a minute and then handed her to me to hold.
I remember how heavy she felt! This is a quality that I now demand in basses I play, since I'm long used to Baby's weight. Today's lightweight basses feel whippy to me, as though I'll break the neck mid-set. But in the '70s, basses were built with some mass to them. Though I knew nothing about basses when I first held Baby, she felt right as could be. I could almost hear Obi-Wan: "You've taken your first step into a larger world."
I played Baby excessively, as I'm sure our neighbors and my family will tell you. I played her at all times of day, at various volumes. I played her instead of reading. I played her instead of eating. I played her instead of doing homework. I played her until my picks broke and my fingers bled, then I cleaned the smears from her body and kept playing.
I played her until my shoulders ached from holding her up. I bought a strap with extra padding (also pictured) for use with her specifically.
I played her until strings broke, then I bought new strings and kept playing. I later discovered that my sweat's ph balance is more acidic than normal, and was corroding strings at a frightening rate. Now I use special strings on my instruments.
I played Baby until I ran out of bass lines to play. I bought guitar music and played guitar lines on her. Several effect pedals complemented this.
When I took her home eight years ago, I couldn't predict the extent to which music would affect my life. Now music is never far from me. I have since owned other basses and guitars, but Baby will always be the symbol of the commencement of my musical education.
Thanks, Mom and Dad.
