Lending out equipment. How to you fee about it?

jsa0100 · #1 11-28-2009, 05:24 AM

In my band i and another member own pieces of the PA equipment. I own two qsc amps (USA 1300) and a crossover in rack. The other member owns two speakers and the mixer. When we got together a few days ago i could see that the equipment looked rearranged. I asked the other guy and he said he's brother had a large party so he borrowed the equipment. I told him that first of all he should have asked med (my amps/crossover) and that i also have a police of not lending / renting out equipment. Am i being unreasonable?

harry182 · #2 11-28-2009, 05:31 AM

Where they left at Your mates house?

i would never leave My stuff at a mates house... Chances are 9/10 its going to get used, abused or not looked after the same way it will at your own house.

when i was in a band, our guitarist left his amp at another mates, and it was used as a shelf!

He should have asked you though!

jam.majors · #3 11-28-2009, 05:59 AM

I am totally behind you. Only if I can come with the equipment is it used. That way abuse to the equipment is immediately recognized and taken out of the hide of the abuser.

cnltb · #4 11-28-2009, 06:25 AM

[quote=jsa0100;8302710
Am i being unreasonable?[/QUOTE]

I don't think you are.

T-Bird · #5 11-28-2009, 06:27 AM

Hi.

IMO You're not being unreasonable. Naivé perhaps, but so are we all at some point.

Fortunately for You, nothing was damaged, stolen or lost, was it?

Take this as a cheap lesson about people who can't recognize what's theirs and what is not.

Remind them that You have one free shot for the mixer and the cabs, non negotiable, and from that moment onward, there's either a fee (both ways) or a total "no lending" policy.

In case some can't read between the lines, I've been there with not so good results.
I learned my lesson, and I advice that You'll do the same.

Regards
Sam

Febs · #6 11-28-2009, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsa0100

Am i being unreasonable?

Nope.

SelenaBassGirl · #7 11-28-2009, 06:32 AM

that was rude of him not asking you first. You were not being unreasonable. I too don't like to loan things out either. Past experience of not getting things returned to me makes me scared if I loaned out one of my expensive items (like one of my basses), I'd never get it back. The only one I trust to borrow my things, is my boyfriend. He's borrowed my bass before in the past and returned it..but very select few.
it was not your band mate's equipment to loan out and he was in the wrong.

Headless Llama · #8 11-28-2009, 06:36 AM

I would be mad. I don't like loaning out my tools at work to other people. Even to people that I trust! You never know what is going to happen to something.

gregwatts2008 · #9 11-28-2009, 06:41 AM

Do not lend out anything that you can't afford to replace. If they were to have damaged your gear, YOU would have been left to replace it. If someone lent out your gear without your permission, that person needs to be bitch-slapped!

bassforce · #10 11-28-2009, 06:52 AM

I don't mind lending my gear, I think it its made to be played, not to rot at home.

I have SVT-410HLF and 3pro at home, don't have any gigs recently and I think not letting this gear to play a gig is ...a waste.
But I have to be present at the gig, and the transportation should be provided.
Also I don't want to pay for the ticket of course

- that's my fee.

Of course I think your bandmate is a dic*head and he SHOULD ASK even if he knew, the answer would be "yes"!

jsa0100 · #11 11-28-2009, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by harry182

Where they left at Your mates house?

i would never leave My stuff at a mates house... Chances are 9/10 its going to get used, abused or not looked after the same way it will at your own house.

when i was in a band, our guitarist left his amp at another mates, and it was used as a shelf!

He should have asked you though!

The equipment is in a room on top of an large garage, at one of the members house. So the other member who also is a friend went to collect his equipment, and decided to take my amp setup also. It's not that i don't trust him and his brother, it's just that i am restrictive about this type of equipment.

SwamiRob · #12 11-28-2009, 08:25 AM

Your not being unreasonable not being happy that's he's lent out your stuff without asking. But I think it's reasonable to lend gear out when you know for sure it's gonna be in good hands, you never know when you might need a favour back some time.

Jim Campbell · #13 11-28-2009, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsa0100

In my band i and another member own pieces of the PA equipment. I own two qsc amps (USA 1300) and a crossover in rack. The other member owns two speakers and the mixer. When we got together a few days ago i could see that the equipment looked rearranged. I asked the other guy and he said he's brother had a large party so he borrowed the equipment. I told him that first of all he should have asked med (my amps/crossover) and that i also have a police of not lending / renting out equipment. Am i being unreasonable?

no,and you should nip this in the bud before it happens again.....i'm sure the brother would play the "who me" card if anything got damaged

electracoyote · #14 11-28-2009, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsa0100

In my band i and another member own pieces of the PA equipment. I own two qsc amps (USA 1300) and a crossover in rack. The other member owns two speakers and the mixer. When we got together a few days ago i could see that the equipment looked rearranged. I asked the other guy and he said he's brother had a large party so he borrowed the equipment. I told him that first of all he should have asked med (my amps/crossover) and that i also have a police of not lending / renting out equipment. Am i being unreasonable?

I won't even loan equipment to my bandmates without a thorough understanding of exactly how it's going to be used. My lead singer recently asked if he could borrow a power amp for one of our gigs so we could try a new configuration with the P.A. I grilled him on what speakers/specs he was trying to push. People who don't understand and use gear improperly run the risk of damaging it, it's just that simple. Then you're left holding the bag because no one wants to own up and compensate you. I think it's risky when it's a stranger borrowing your gear through one of your friends or bandmates.

xgator4u · #15 11-28-2009, 10:13 AM

""Unhappy Lending out equipment. How to you fee about it?""
I believe the typo in the title speaks for itself.
I feel strongly against "lending equipment", I can however be persuaded to " RENT" some equipment out for a { FEE }.
My basses, forget it.

Randy Warren · #16 11-28-2009, 10:27 AM

well, I left my new GK 210 combo at my drummers house for practice and said it was fine for his son's band bass player to use at the house, however, they took it to a gig and the top was damaged, no apologies or anything. Didn't leave it a second time though...

MNAirHead · #17 11-28-2009, 10:35 AM

Greyline.. when you allow someone to borrow/use something, their judgement is also lent to.

Tim

Red Rover · #18 11-28-2009, 10:36 AM

I don't even lend out books (or DVDs)... anymore. More often than not they come back damaged or don't come back at all. Damn, I want my Band of Brothers DVDs back!

So, unless I know the person very, very well and they beg (and promise to bring it back right away) I won't lend out equipment.

yamaha · #19 11-28-2009, 10:50 AM

Your thinking is pretty normal IMHO. I would react the same way, if not worse. I own 90% of our PA, and 100% of our lighting kit. They better NEVER be used without my permission.

But, I got a story that might top yours. About 10 years ago, I was friends with a whole bunch of musicians, and many bands, and most had their own PA's with different parts belonging to different members. One signer I knew was the owner of...... a SM58, and that's it. But he used to take the band's full PA out on weekends,.... and rent it !!!!! Come Sunday night, everything was back in place.

ChrisBowsman · #20 11-28-2009, 11:34 AM

I have a few friends who I'm more than happy to lend things to. If I owned a Faberge egg and one of them wanted to borrow it, I'd likely let them w/ no questions asked. However, I've known these guys for over 20 years, and they've proven themselves capable of transporting a dvd from its case to the player and back without destroying it.

In your situation, I'd be pretty upset.