Guitar player lost his guitar.

[Wileee]

Has this ever happened to any of you guys?

My son and I put a band together(me on bass, him on drums) with two younger guitar players; one phenomenal lead player, one mediocre rithym player and a singer. We were progressing along fairly well doing classic rock covers and some 80s and 90s rock stuff, but the rithym guitar player was constantly having issues with his guitar staying in tune. He would throw a tantrum during songs while playing--"This #!@**&^!!?! damn guitar!!" and just throw it on the floor in disgust. I finally offered to take it to the guitar shop I deal with for a proper set-up for him. He readily agreed and off I went the next day. The next rehearsal we have, he shows up and is totally stoked at how well his guitar plays....but seems to be short the $40.00 for the set-up fee and new strings. I just tell him to catch up with me at the next rehearsal. (We practice at my home studio). He shows up the next time we meet with no money again, not even part of it. So I suggest I place a jar on the amp where he can throw a dollar in everytime we practice. He laughs and says,"yeah, right". He keeps his 4x12 cab and tube head at my house as well as his guitar.

This goes on for several months without ever having a single dollar put in the jar until one day he announces he is leaving our group to play with a thrash metal band that is signed and needs to take his rig to their new practice place. Previous to this, the lead guitar player has told me that he does this sort of thing with everybody; either borrowing money or creating money owed somehow and just blowing it off. I step up to him nose to nose and tell him he either pays me the $40.00 or he leaves something of equal value as collateral until he can. He opts to leave his Hamer 6 string guitar behind.

After exactly a year and numerous attempts to contact him through Facebook, etc. I reluctantly took his guitar back to the guitar shop where I had it set up and put it up for sale for $100.00. I dropped it off during my lunch break and it sold that afternoon.

To this day, I feel sort of disgusted about the whole scenario, but I live by a credo that has carried me through my life for 55 years now: If someone screws you, you let them them do it.

I found out later that I was the only person who had ever held this guy accountable for the money he owed them.

Any of you folks ever had a similiar experience?

[mwesth]

You did the right thing, so don't feel bad about it! I guess he borrowed the Hamer 6-string, so he doesn't feel bad either (-; What a doucebag!

[dmonroe]

Nope. But, I think you handled it far better than I would have just because you waited so long. I also find myself being generous in trying to help people that need it whether it be financial or in some other way. Rarely does it turn out well for me but I do it because that's just who I am. I try to be a good person and keep doing so. Hopefully one day some of it will come back in a good way for me, if not, oh well.

Of course, this is also why I can count the number of people I call friends on one hand with fingers left over. A friend that screws me once doesn't get another opportunity.

Hats off to you!

[Bevo]

I have been there and done the same thing.

People look at us who want to help as suckers and wan't to take advantage. Its nice and good to help but you have to stick to your morals and values.
I would not feel bad about it, sucks he lost his guitar but maybe its a lesson learned.

[thumpbass1]

You were right to hold him accountable. After all, you never told him that
you paying for the set up work on his guitar was a gift. He knew the deal
when he agreed for you to proceed and he tried to bum his way out of it.

It's also indicative of you that you have developed a good sense of morals and
ethics as a person, by stating that the whole experience gave you disgust.

I think we all have to deal with mooches and leeches in our life at times. Like you,
I prefer to no longer be a victim of such persons. I'll gladly help a person in real need
to the best that I can help them, and I've forgiven debts owed to me at times too.
But when it comes to dealing with folks bumming off others as a lifestyle, just because
they are lazy and cheap and selfish, I'll cut that sort of nonsense off quick.

[Ifriff]

I had a similar thing happen once. Our unreliable guitar player would hardly even show up for rehearsal (at my house). One night he shows up real late. I ask whats up? He needs fifty bucks. By the way he's with these shady charactets i never met before. I tell him i dont really have it. He says " if i dont pay you back by sunday i'll pay back double." What a fool i am. What made me believe that? Months went by. I tell him I'm keeping his amp till he pays me. He never paid. So then i was stuck with his crappy peavy bandit.( that amp really sucks. It was one from the mid eighties). I later found out he still never paid the guy he got the amp from.

These kind of people are called destroyers. I've learned to sniff them out immediately. They do nothing but slow you down. I cant help these kind of people. They're here to soak you up then move on when nothing is left. Parasites. Vampires. You should of let that guy go when you saw his rediculous behavior. But at least you got your money back. I tried to use that peavy bandit. It really sucks. Had it for years. I actually just threw it in the trash.

[thunderstation]

Originally Posted by Wileee

Has this ever happened to any of you guys?

My son and I put a band together(me on bass, him on drums) with two younger guitar players; one phenomenal lead player, one mediocre rithym player and a singer. We were progressing along fairly well doing classic rock covers and some 80s and 90s rock stuff, but the rithym guitar player was constantly having issues with his guitar staying in tune. He would throw a tantrum during songs while playing--"This #!@**&^!!?! damn guitar!!" and just throw it on the floor in disgust. I finally offered to take it to the guitar shop I deal with for a proper set-up for him. He readily agreed and off I went the next day. The next rehearsal we have, he shows up and is totally stoked at how well his guitar plays....but seems to be short the $40.00 for the set-up fee and new strings. I just tell him to catch up with me at the next rehearsal. (We practice at my home studio). He shows up the next time we meet with no money again, not even part of it. So I suggest I place a jar on the amp where he can throw a dollar in everytime we practice. He laughs and says,"yeah, right". He keeps his 4x12 cab and tube head at my house as well as his guitar.

This goes on for several months without ever having a single dollar put in the jar until one day he announces he is leaving our group to play with a thrash metal band that is signed and needs to take his rig to their new practice place. Previous to this, the lead guitar player has told me that he does this sort of thing with everybody; either borrowing money or creating money owed somehow and just blowing it off. I step up to him nose to nose and tell him he either pays me the $40.00 or he leaves something of equal value as collateral until he can. He opts to leave his Hamer 6 string guitar behind.

After exactly a year and numerous attempts to contact him through Facebook, etc. I reluctantly took his guitar back to the guitar shop where I had it set up and put it up for sale for $100.00. I dropped it off during my lunch break and it sold that afternoon.

To this day, I feel sort of disgusted about the whole scenario, but I live by a credo that has carried me through my life for 55 years now: If someone screws you, you let them them do it.

I found out later that I was the only person who had ever held this guy accountable for the money he owed them.

Any of you folks ever had a similiar experience?

check out Mott the Hooples - "All the Way to Memphis"
the song about how ariel bender lost his guitar

[Steve]

Personally, I just hate it when I have to finish the job of teaching someone how to be an adult.

Someone's parents should have covered all that, "Meet you commitments. It matters." stuff around 10 or 12 years old.

[JohnMCA72]

Originally Posted by thunderstation

check out Mott the Hooples - "All the Way to Memphis"
the song about how ariel bender lost his guitar

It was "All The Way From Memphis", & it was Mick Ralphs' guitar.

[bassteban]

Good on ya- gtr guy=D-bag(THAT one, not all- maybe most, though..).

[Toastfuzz]

I found that coming across these clowns just goes with the territory. My band and another local metal band were sort of "brothers" when we first started, always playing together opening for each other. Their bassist and our one guitarist both didn't have jobs or cars, so depended on everyone else to transport equipment and get rides. Then one show, the bassist gets his cab left behind at a gig and it disappears. He uses my cab for a couple months, no problem....then he leaves his head in someone's trunk, he can't pick it up himself for months, and the guy who had it ends up pawning it. So a few gigs, he used my rig. One gig, he breaks his E string, n I let him use my bass for the rest of it. They had a show that next saturday without us....he texts me 4 times that day, asking me for a ride, a rig, and a bass. Haven't seen the guy in a few months.

[steveksux]

Nothing wrong with helping people. Except for people who make a living out of needing help and never stand up on their own two feet, or pay anyone back for the help they've gotten.

They come to expect others to bail them out all the time. They even do stupid stuff to put themselves in a helpless position and expect people to feel sorry for them being in that situation and as a result help them out. My thought is you shouldn't have put your dumb ass in that situation in the first place. Dig yourself out, you dug yourself into that hold.

Family can be the worst offenders. They prey on your feeling of obligation to help family.

Randy

[eSmith]

Toast, I'd have been falling over laughing at that. Maybe would have suggested I just take this gig since he's not ready and stopping by to pick him up is the only part of it all that is really out of your way, tell him (and the band) your willing to fill in until he gets his gear together.......

Who dresses him in the morning and who owns the clothes on his back?

-eSmith.