Lending Equipment

[Im a sock]

How does everyone feel about lending your equipment to other bands during shows?

Here's why I ask.

I'm totally against lending my equipment to anybody. I have many reasons, but 7 years ago I let somebody use my bass AND amp. He cranked it so loud I could tell something was going to blow. And to top it off he had my 12 foot cable extended all the way so it was taut. The singer stepped on the cable, and down came my double stack + head. Because he was still playing when this happened, I ended up with a blown 15", and two blown 10" speakers. Ever since then I've been more than reluctant to let anyone use my stuff. Especially since my equipment is much better (and expensive) than it was 7 years ago...

Last weekend my band played a show with 4 other bands. One of the bands we were playing with was on tour, and another plays out alot in my area. I was hanging around backstage and the bass player from the band who was on tour asked me if he could use my cabinet. I didn't want to, but they were going to be going on within the next 5 minutes, so I gave it to him, giving him specific instructions not to mess it up, citing the above story. Ok, so it went fine... nothing happened to my cab.

THEN the next band came on (the one that plays out all the time around here). Lo and behold, the bass player from this band plugs into my cab and soundchecks. I walk up to him from backstage and ask if he has his own cabinet, he says no and asks me if I need to use the one he's using for when my band came on. I tell him the cab is mine and ask him why he thinks it's ok to use it. He told me... ready for this?.... he told me that the bassist from the previous band told him it was ok.

I mean... what the hell? If you're going to play shows, you should have your own equipment, IMO. I didn't spend thousands on my equipment for others to use. I can understand lending a cab or something due to an emergency or stage accident, but come on!

Whew, what a rant.

Thoughts?

[DWBass]

2 words......Hell No!! Nobody, and I mean nobody, takes care of my equipment the same way that I do! I'm very meticulous in that area! I have equipment still in mint condition from 20 years ago! To be honest though, in my 30 years of playing, I've never been in the situation where I had to share my equipment. I have used backline gear and bar/club supplied gear but never 'borrowed' anyones rig!

[Toasted]

Originally Posted by Im a sock

IMO. I didn't spend thousands on my equipment for others to use.

Exactly.

[nicoli]

If it's a small stage with multiple bands then I don't have a problem with it in order to help the show run smoothly. My rack has a sufficient number of blinky lights to intimidate most people who borrow it to the point they won't do anything stupid. Sometimes I'll tell them they're not allowed to touch any of the settings, although this isn't usually necessary.

[The Golden Boy]

I usually don't have a problem with letting people use my gear, providing that I'm familiar with the dude and his band, and they have to ask.

Completely Tangentally- Regarding out of town bands and gear... Several years ago I was playing a festival where they cordon off downtown and set up a bunch of stages. The stage I was playing at was in the parking lot of the building I lived in (and had a practice studio in). We spent the day watching the shows from the roof and from our studio window and partying with the bands that were playing in back as well as the guy who booked bands for the bar downstairs. Towards the end of the evening the manager guy was explaining that one of the out of town bands needed a place to stay and was trying to have our guitarist and myself to let these guys crash in our studio (that was shared between 3 bands). The guys in the band seemed cool and everything, but the manager guy was not letting up about them stay at our pad. Sorry, and out of town band that I'd met that day was not going to stay in a studio FULL of gear. They did have a cool name though- REO Speed Dealer.

[CQBASS]

Unless it happens to be another bass player that I know well, it's not going to happen. You know, there are bands that you end up with a bunch of times over the years. Those guys are OK. I was playing a gig in Ohio about ten years ago. The opening band used my rig and ripped the power cord out of the wall. This broke the grounding off. They then proceeded to plug it back in, spill a pitcher of water all over the carpet behind my rig, and not tell me any of it. Needless to say, when my set started and I stepped up to sing while playing I got a big suprise in the form of a blue arc into my face. NEVER AGAIN.

[brianrost]

Seems to me this has been discussed ad infinitum in other threads.

[bryan bailey]

I only let people I know, and who are respective towards instruments use my gear.

[Eric Moesle]

If the dude's that rude, tell him its "OK to use it, $50 rental fee, payable in advance. If not, bring your own, man. Bring your own."