LEAVE MY BASS ALONE!!

[mongo2]

I usually let people play around with my oddball EUBs unless they're drunk or an alpha hotel.

[BryanM]

The guitarist in my band only started playing guitar in the past few years (his forte is his songwriting) so a lot of times when there's a complicated line in one of the songs we write I end up playing guitar since it was the instrument that I started out on many moons ago. He's taken to playing the bass on these songs so that the low end doesn't get neglected and while it was rough at first, he's really got a good groove on the thing (and it's my bass so he's playing fretless and his intonation is solid.) Don't just let someone grab your gear and start playing but don't discount someone just because their instrument has those two extra strings, there might be a lot of potential there for inspiration or trading ideas.

[AtomicPunk]

My guitar player says "Sure, and why don't I let you F*** my girlfriend too.." That pretty much sums up our attitude toward picking up and messing with each other's instruments.

[THUNDERGODX]

Or even-

"Sure-as long as I can drag your Gf to the bus while you do."

I dont allow anyone to touch my basses.

I used to, when my band was hosting a jam, but it was with the understanding that my amp settings were not to be tweaked.
Then just before I left the stage to the guest, I'd cancel the EQ channel on my amp.

The last time I played somone else's bass was on an invitation from one of the band members, and after personally asking the bass player if he was cool with it.
I also made sure he saw me take off my belt before putting his bass on so there would be no danger of rashing it.

[Baron Von Vik]

Once during a show, the next act had their drumset set up next to ours. During our drum solo, I sat down next to our drummer and started mimicking him, miming his movements, but not touching the drums. the other drummer runs up backstage and starts screaming "get the ---- off my THRONE!" I get up and start dancing around and scream "How's that your MAJESTY!" which made OUR drummer crack up and fling a stick which landed on the other set's cymbals. Good times. But sometimes people are too attached to their stuff I think.

For me, it depends on WHO is asking to play, not what they are asking to play. Band members, or musicians I know, or visiting relatives, sure. If a friend brings some older kids over, sometimes they get that look when they see the drumset and instruments on stands, that "I want to make noise with that" look. I'll make sure the tubes are warmed up, give 'em some sticks and picks, and say "Rock out." Then I close the doors and get back to company. They usually come out holding their ears after a half hour anyway.

Drunks at a gig, no. Bartenders who are trying to hurry us off stage, hell freaking no. Sober strangers at a gig, maybe, after I've talked to them and noted a musical bent and no overt douchery.

See what I mean? My basses are not boutique, but they're custom, modded with expensive bits. I really like 'em, but if somebody broke a tuner, the nut, or even a neck I could replace it pretty quick, and maybe like it more after.

Of course, if you crack the body, because of your sheer stupidity you will be getting me a new instrument and I will hold your teeth as collateral.

[Peter S]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Vik

See what I mean? My basses are not boutique, but they're custom, modded with expensive bits. I really like 'em, but if somebody broke a tuner, the nut, or even a neck I could replace it pretty quick, and maybe like it more after.

Of course, if you crack the body, because of your sheer stupidity you will be getting me a new instrument and I will hold your teeth as collateral.

How in the name of the wee man (Jesus) could someone break the neck of a bass or crack the body of a bass unless it was Pete Townsend or some of those guys who wreck their instruments for fun?

I was just just talking about someone plucking my bass. More than that and I doubt there would be time to get them on life support!

[Actium]

Sometimes when I'm late for practice my singer will jam on my bass with the rest of the band. He's wanting to learn rhythm guitar but has yet to get the equipment so he's learning the parts on my bass in the meantime. It does make me feel weird watching another dude with my bass, but I don't mind. He has gotten some unique tones out of it with the audere preamp and the eq sliders on the amp. Things I wouldn't have thought of.

I wouldn't let just anybody play it though. Just people I know and trust already. I look at it this way. If I would let you drive my car then chances are I won't mind you playing my bass.

[jlane72t]

I play fretless, which is an absolute magnet for guitarists who want to "see what it's like". I make sure the amp is nice and loud and hand it over.
95% of the time they get self-conscious and embarrassed about intonation within 10 seconds or so and hand it right back to me.

I don't like people touching my stuff but I've found it's a lot easier to deal with that ten seconds than ten minutes of "c'mon maaan" and offended attitude. It also tends to shut down the "bassists are just guys who couldn't handle guitar" attitude.

[caeman]

Originally Posted by Peter S

I am 59 and started playing when I was 15. But I then had a 25 year break to do sport and anyway had to sell my gear to raise money to raise kids (there's a thankless gesture).

Not just thankless, but very short-term. For what ever you sold off your basses, the money was probably gone in a very short amount of time. The cost to raise children far exceeds any objects we can sell to make up for it. Unless, maybe, you had a bar of gold, or an painting by one of the masters just laying around.

[Baron Von Vik]

Originally Posted by Peter S

How in the name of the wee man (Jesus) could someone break the neck of a bass or crack the body of a bass unless it was Pete Townsend or some of those guys who wreck their instruments for fun?

I was just just talking about someone plucking my bass. More than that and I doubt there would be time to get them on life support!

Many moons ago, my then-lead guitarist got drunk and SAT ON his guitar. Some fancy Ibanez, that he laid on the couch a few minutes earlier. Broke the neck clean in half, and the dumbass threw it away in a rage instead of letting me fix it. Pissed me off, He told me to late to dig it out of the trash.
I watched a guy break a headstock off on a stair railing once, thwack-sproing. It happens... And drop any instrument on concrete, especially off a stage, and I guarantee something horrificly uglified will happen.

So for me, playing my instruments with permission is ok, but being careless and negligent isn't.

[Peter S]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Vik

drop any instrument on concrete, especially off a stage, and I guarantee something horrificly uglified will happen.

This reminds me of the time, many years ago, I was playing on a low stage with a Burns bass which had 2 machine heads on top and 2 on bottom. I bent down and turned around quickly and split the head of a girl dancing beside the stage. Never did have much luck with groupies! This was also a very, and I mean VERY tough joint. The guitar was fine though

[timonvh]

I like the train track analogy.
And I agree with you, in general.
You don't need a shrink.
Timon

[77jazzbass]

Originally Posted by AtomicPunk

My guitar player says "Sure, and why don't I let you F*** my girlfriend too.." That pretty much sums up our attitude toward picking up and messing with each other's instruments.

+++1. the last thing I would want on my bass, (or my girlfriend), is someone else's bodily fluids! touching either one of them could lead to loss of consciousness for you...

[professor_bills]

I'll let members of the band play my bass. Most of them are afraid of it I think. But a stranger, most likely not. I did let the house band at a jam session play my bass for a song when theirs took a dump. That surprised my friends alot because once at a party I almost started a riot when someone started playing my Rick during a break at a party. But hey it was brand new then.

[bassclef216]

I would think if you were close enough to be in band with a group of guys it would be no big deal to play on each other's gear. I know everyone has their own boundaries but if someone I was playing with got their nose that out of joint about fiddling with his instrument, that would be a guy I would not want to spend any time around. Lighten up. playing music is suposed to be FUN.

[throughthefire]

I'll let my band leader play my bass any time he wants...

Of course, he's a phenomenal guitarist, teaches bass and guitar, and is a music professor at the local university.

My son also plays it occasionally. He's a lead guitarist, and whenever he picks up the bass he plays slap for a few minutes then puts it down. I get my own back by playing his guitars and pinching his tuner when he's not looking.

[theonewhoslaps]

The only guy who plays my bass in my band is our guitarist, a red hot chili peppers fanatic like me. It's never for long, he always tries to get me to teach him higher ground and ends up getting frustrated an putting it down. My drummer like to mess with everyones instruments though, and scratched my Spector once. I was so mad I rubbed by dick all over his stuff and **** in his shoe

[seventhsunbass]

Originally Posted by AtomicPunk

My guitar player says "Sure, and why don't I let you F*** my girlfriend too.." That pretty much sums up our attitude toward picking up and messing with each other's instruments.

+1!
Thank the Good Mother I play in a 3 piece and my guitarist is left handed. New Year's Eve, we had a guy break out a harmonica and a green bullet mic (no lie) and just presume he could set in. The guitar player fobbed him off on me and I politely said no thanks. Between sets, we were drawing the door prizes and handing out the freebies and this doofus is standing by the edge of the stage playing in between sentences. Well, you ever notice when you are gigging and you talk a bit louder than you think you are? I turned to my drummer and said, "Do something with this MF'er before I do!" which must have also been picked up by my mic (damn you Shure Super 55). I guess he got the message. After the giveaways, I went for a drink and he was soooo appoligetic. I guess this proves while tact might work most times, blunt force tirades always get the job done.

[audreycashin]

I asked the nicest bass player once if i could play his bass........and he just handed it over.....didn't wash my hands for a week!

[audreycashin]

+1 Mugre....

Originally Posted by audreycashin

I asked the nicest bass player once if i could play his bass........and he just handed it over.....didn't wash my hands for a week!

Originally Posted by Mugre

Life's too short to wind your identity/ego/self worth in a physical object. ANY physical object. Yo Yo Ma is famous for letting quite average cellists play the 1712) Davidov Stradivarius. I'm pretty sure that's worth more than your bass. Every thing I own has dings put in it by some kid.

In all seriousness. I'm 54 and life got a lot easier and funner when I stopped measuring myself by what I owned and or it's condition or worth and just got busy with the experience of using (and sharing it). I never really cared who sat on my drums to "have a go." and I quite readily hand a $3500 cello and a $500 wooden recorder to small children (the same thing as a guitarist, right? ; ) all the time.

Let it be fun.

Mug