Someone walked off with $2500 guitar at gig tonight....

steveksux · #1 02-28-2010, 02:13 AM

Yup, our guitarist just got himself a $2500 Les Paul, brought it to the gig. As we're packing up, 3 of us head for the parking structure to get our cars, drummer stays behind taking his kit down.

Meanwhile, drunk group picks up the guitar (in the case) and walks off with it. Made it 60-70 feet away, paused by the exit.

Meanwhile, guitarist returns and asks drummer, "What did you do with my guitar?", thinking drummer playing a trick on him. After numerous denials, he figures drummer really doesn't know anything (jokes just come too easy here...) looks by the exit.. One of the women in the group goes "Hey, is this YOUR guitar???"

So he did get it back.

Just barely it appears...

I've always followed the rule, the equipment is never alone. You take something out to the car, you wait until someone else comes out with something else before you leave the car unattended. Same with the club. Someone stays by the stuff until someone else returns from loading the car before leaving the stuff on stage unattended.

I guess its time to explain that concept to the drummer.

Randy

R. Laevinus · #2 02-28-2010, 02:34 AM

Time for a new drummer, I'd say... even if it's just 'cause this one is now missing a face.

trunkshope6 · #3 02-28-2010, 02:38 AM

oooo that again makes me scared to gig with my stingray

Jools4001 · #4 02-28-2010, 03:02 AM

I always take my basses with me when I go to get the car. It's never seemed too much trouble to carry a couple of gig bags even if the car is parked 5 minutes away, lock them in the boot (trunk) while I go back in for amps and stuff. It's not a guarantee that some lowlife won't break into my car and lift my basses anyway, but it does deter the casual walk off thief.

PJSShearer · #5 02-28-2010, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jools4001

I always take my basses with me when I go to get the car. It's never seemed too much trouble to carry a couple of gig bags even if the car is parked 5 minutes away, lock them in the boot (trunk) while I go back in for amps and stuff. It's not a guarantee that some lowlife won't break into my car and lift my basses anyway, but it does deter the casual walk off thief.

+1

If it's your gear, it's your lookout, so anything hand portable - like my Bass - goes with me to the car and gets locked inside, or doesn't get left where someone can just walk by and pick it up.

In this case the drummer has his own gear to worry about (and he didn't know the guitard hadn't done the sensible thing taken his guitar with him). It looks like the "drunk" was just making the same point that we are ....

On the flip side of this, I recently did a gig at a club near me and at the end of the night, the guitard leant his Strat aginst the wall (next to his spare Strat), switched off his amp and the PA and said I'll come back tomorrow and clear up then.....

warwick.hoy · #6 02-28-2010, 04:37 AM

That's why I have a wife who isn't a drinker and accompanies me to every show. It's all half hers anyway.

Floyd Eye · #7 02-28-2010, 09:06 AM

Man, someone would definitely be getting a beatdown.

tribus · #8 02-28-2010, 09:18 AM

somebody needs to invent a low jack security system for instruments/

albertofrog · #9 02-28-2010, 09:18 AM

Ive always gone for flightcase of leads over my shoulder, bass in one hand, amp head in the other, and load the car. I'll come back for the 4x12. If anyone can run off with that, good look to 'em...

john_martin_sai · #10 02-28-2010, 09:20 AM

Wow,...Detroit really does suck.

steveksux · #11 02-28-2010, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jools4001

I always take my basses with me when I go to get the car. It's never seemed too much trouble to carry a couple of gig bags even if the car is parked 5 minutes away, lock them in the boot (trunk) while I go back in for amps and stuff. It's not a guarantee that some lowlife won't break into my car and lift my basses anyway, but it does deter the casual walk off thief.

I usually do also, but in this case, walking around downtown Detroit at 2am with an expensive guitar to and through the parking garage to your car? That could risk a street robbery too...

Granted, its Greektown, pretty safe area, cops on every streetcorner. But there's a lot of street between the streetcorners, and lots of corners in the parking structure.

So, its a little complicated, not a real easy answer.

Randy

steveksux · #12 02-28-2010, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albertofrog

Ive always gone for flightcase of leads over my shoulder, bass in one hand, amp head in the other, and load the car. I'll come back for the 4x12. If anyone can run off with that, good look to 'em...

Good for loading, but the car was in parking structure a little ways from the venue, I prefer to have hands free on the way to the car to deal with any "contingencies" on the way. Once the cars are pulled up to the venue, then I've got handcart loaded with amps, and guitar slung over my shoulder.

And we (or so I thought) kept an eye on the gear as we're helping each other load out, someone always at the stage, and at the car at all times. Simply wait for the next guy to return before you leave car/stage unattended to move something.

Drummer was obviously not paying attention if he was taking his kit down not 10 feet from where the guitar was lifted.

Randy

kesslari · #13 02-28-2010, 10:10 AM

Take nothing for granted.

"Drummer - please keep an eye on the gear. I help you teardown when we get back with the cars."

ASSuME does the usual thing...

pasta4lnch · #14 02-28-2010, 10:16 AM

First off I have a limit to what I'll bring to a club - especially if it's a bar/cover thing. I don't own a bass over an MIA Fender, but that is my limit. If I had, say, a USA Lakland I don't think I'd be bringing it to places like that.

Second, if I can't make it in one trip my bass, and amp head go in the car first (a cab is a little harder to get out the door w/

)

Fortunately my drummer is as much a gear nut as I am so we have a buddy system - and I play a lot of restaurant bars w/ slightly older crowds 25-45 so it's less of an issue - but I'm not complacent though.

derridiandrift · #15 02-28-2010, 10:28 AM

Watch your gear like every drunken fool in the bar is a thief.

A young gtr player I know had his 1972 Gretsch stolen right from the stage. Bar staff told him that they watched some guy walk up on stage, find the Gretsch case, take the guitar from its stand, put it in its case, then walk through the whole bar and out the front door.

steveksux · #16 02-28-2010, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by derridiandrift

Watch your gear like every drunken fool in the bar is a thief.

And these people were drunken fools, as a matter of fact. Not sure there was actually intent to steal or just playing around. They certainly could have made it out the exit if that was their intent.

Quote:

A young gtr player I know had his 1972 Gretsch stolen right from the stage. Bar staff told him that they watched some guy walk up on stage, find the Gretsch case, take the guitar from its stand, put it in its case, then walk through the whole bar and out the front door.

If you act as if you have every right to do something, people will generally assume you're with the band and not do anything.

And really, if they thought someone was stealing it, will they lift a finger to help someone else, risk injury? Unlikely.

Randy

southshoreconor · #17 02-28-2010, 11:03 AM

my guitarist lost a LP Classic in Italy, on like the 3rd day of our European tour. kinda put a damper on the rest of the tour for everyone.

it happened so quickly, no one could have seen it coming. the bus was parked literally a few feet from the load in door, which led to a hallway. at the end of the hallway was our green room, right before the green room, to the left was the entrance to the stage. right after the show, we were loading up and someone in the (drunken, annoying, local) opening band had been booted from our greenroom. we had just had enough of his ****, gave him a beer for the road and kicked him out. our gear was getting piled up in the hallway to get loaded on to the bus and he stumbled out of our backstage, past our guitar player and out the door where the bus was parked. he must have grabbed the guitar a split second after walking past our guitarist in the hallway, because on his way in, our guitarist did notice that ALL the guitars were there. the club tried to help, but everyone in that band turned their phones off and the police weren't much help. and we were leaving the country the next day anyway. the airport also lost my jazz bass on this tour, but thats a whole 'nother story. worst tour ever.

Stinsok · #18 02-28-2010, 11:08 AM

It can happen in an instant. I have a friend that had a power amp stolen right out of the rack while they were on a break.

jimiwhite · #19 02-28-2010, 11:14 AM

Thank God I live in NY and that never happens in the Big Apple.

mrnasty · #20 02-28-2010, 11:23 AM

I can't recall playing a gig where I didn't worry about my stuff getting pinched. I always look at where the doors are, what the foot traffic patterns are, and where the cases, amp covers and bags with unused cables are stored while we are playing. Often I'll take my cases and such back out to my car rather than leave them in an unattended room (this is especially true when you play in a hotel and your storage room is off of a service corridor that is off limits to the public).

After the gig, the first thing I do is rush to get my bass cases while the rest of the band is in the immediate area, pack them up and lock them in my car. In my 30-plus years of playing all I've had taken has been a guitar strap (but it was a $50 Levy with a Straplock on it).

I may sound paranoid, but every time I go somewhere to play, I assume there is someone there who will grab a piece of equipment, especially a guitar, if even a small window of opportunity opens. Its 100% my responsability to make sure that doesn't happen to my gear.