My friend pawned my bass.

Fire-Starter · #1 04-09-2008, 05:55 AM

This is the main reason I will NEVER lend out my equipment. I have plenty more, but I am just having a hard time with this one.

Long story short, I let a friend of mine use my axstar, I just got in touch with him after about 2 years! he kind of up and disapeared. He found out I was looking for him through another friend and he did call me. He told me about an drug problem he was/had been struggling with and how his life had been a mess, but now he is ok. (THIS IS WHERE I START TO GET A KNOT IN MY STOMACH, MORE ON THAT)

I was happy for him and I dont pass judgment on him or anyone who has to deal with that. So after he told me his life is together and married and has a child now, I gave him congrats for kicking the habit.

Oh, now back to the KNOT IN MY STOMACH from above...So I ask him if he still had my bass I LOANED to him to practice until he was able to get one? His reply was..

"ummm well....

I had to let it go... I was really struggling with the drug thing and took it to a pawn shopp, I thought I could get it back but things did not work out for me, and I lost it to them I really feel bad about it"

TB'ers I told him I was happy for him and all, and left it at that. I could tell he had been through hell, and he sounded like he felt bad, but I have to say, the more I think about it, the more it just bugs me that someone would do that, I mean, IT WAS NOT YOUR BASS TO PAWN! But I am to blame, since I told myself a long time ago that there are certain things I will not lend out, well I did and got burned.

Oh well.

I do hope he remain off of what-ever it was and my best wishes for him and his familey....Sigh......

Jonyak · #2 04-09-2008, 06:04 AM

hmm, I'd make him buy me a new one. I don't care if he was addicted to drugs. part of getting off of them is taking responsibility for the things you did while on them.

f'nar f'nar · #3 04-09-2008, 06:16 AM

Kill him.

guitfiddle0409 · #4 04-09-2008, 06:19 AM

He should come up with the cash for whatever the current value of that particular bass is. That would be the decent thing to do. Of course, if he's "in recovery" he might feel entitled to just let it go and stick it to you like that. Hopefully the bass wasn't worth that much and now you have a really great excuse for blowing him off in the future. From what you've written about him so far he seems like more trouble than he's worth.

LowDown Hal · #5 04-09-2008, 06:22 AM

that's no friend !!

playinpearls · #6 04-09-2008, 06:28 AM

a common thing among druggies and alcoholics...

I had a acoustic when i was 15 that i left over my dads house with one of his tennents....he was a pot head, and had it pawned within 2 weeks...

I also had a roomate in Nashville that was an alcoholic, and he went through the owners cds and sold everything that he thought the owner wouldn't notice including some box sets that were collectors items....hopefully he enjoyed that bottle of canadian mist...

i would have said that if the time was close enough or you knew where it was you can go to the shop and tell them it was stolen, file a police report and then its not your problem anymore....but two years....fat chance.

heroincredible · #7 04-09-2008, 06:36 AM

I generally hate lending out my things to people. I'll usually lend something to someone once and depending on how thats handled I will either let them borrow stuff again or not at all.

Some examples: singer borrows a couple of CD's and I didn't see them again for 2 years

Friend borrows a book of mine. I usually try and keep my books in good condition so they look nice on the bookshelf. The book comes back in abysmal condition. Half the front cover is ripped off, dog earred pages, coffee stains. Ugh. I have never lent her anything again.

DWBass · #8 04-09-2008, 06:42 AM

That sucks. I had it happen to me when I was a kid and learned my lesson then. Back in the mid 70's I loaned a mint/vintage Traynor 2x15 cabinet to a 'friend' and never saw it again. He said he gave it to my brother, my brother says it never happened! Went back and forth for months. Finally said 'F' it and never spoke to the cat again!

I NEVER loan ANYTHING out.........ever!

Dan1099 · #9 04-09-2008, 06:43 AM

Threaten him with more drugs if he doesn't pay up.

MJ5150 · #10 04-09-2008, 06:43 AM

I would have asked him to reimburse me for the bass. That does not seem mean or harsh to me.

-Mike

FL Knifemaker · #11 04-09-2008, 06:48 AM

If someone pawned my Axstar, being a drug addict would be the least of their problems. I'd cure the drug problem by making him not able to walk to the corner

i_got_a_mohawk · #12 04-09-2008, 06:53 AM

Im not a fan of giving people a loan of things either, its just annoying when they get stroppy about it.

Sorry about your loss, im with the guys who think you should get him to buy you another one.

Basshole · #13 04-09-2008, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fire-Starter

This is the main reason I will NEVER lend out my equipment. I have plenty more, but I am just having a hard time with this one.

Long story short, I let a friend of mine use my axstar, I just got in touch with him after about 2 years! he kind of up and disapeared.

A chance to replace your loss?

Ibanez, Fender and Washburn FS

FL Knifemaker · #14 04-09-2008, 06:57 AM

If this guy has the disfunctional moral compass as to sell someone elses bass to buy drugs, the chances of him raising the funds and replacing it are slim to NONE.

Go for the pound of flesh

I loan basses out to 3 people. All 3 have more than enough money to replace them and I sometimes borrow their basses or equipment. Borrowing/loaning isn't itself a bad thing.

CrashClint · #15 04-09-2008, 07:00 AM

I applaud your Character! There are a lot of things you could have done, called the police or just really lit into him or brought this to his new family, but you chose the higher road. At one time he must have been a pretty good friend if you trusted him to borrow your bass. If he made no effort to say he would try to reimburse you for the bass, it is probably because he is not financially able.

If the bass means a lot to you financially, I would find out when, where and how much he pawned it for and see if it is still at the pawn shop. They may let you get it back for the original pawn amount to avoid getting the police involved for receiving stolen property.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fire-Starter

TB'ers I told him I was happy for him and all, and left it at that. I could tell he had been through hell, and he sounded like he felt bad, but I have to say, the more I think about it, the more it just bugs me that someone would do that, I mean, IT WAS NOT YOUR BASS TO PAWN! But I am to blame, since I told myself a long time ago that there are certain things I will not lend out, well I did and got burned.

Oh well.

I do hope he remain off of what-ever it was and my best wishes for him and his familey....Sigh......

heroincredible · #16 04-09-2008, 07:02 AM

Who knows, maybe this guy, out of the goodness of his heart will buy him a replacement bass? Hmmm, typing that out implies I still have some hope in humanity. Yay.

CrashClint · #17 04-09-2008, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FL Knifemaker

I loan basses out to 3 people. All 3 have more than enough money to replace them and I sometimes borrow their basses or equipment. Borrowing/loaning isn't itself a bad thing.

I have an old Jazz, P bass and a small GK amp and cabinet that I lend out to friends. If something were to happen to one these basses or the amp, it wouldn't break my heart.

My Roscoe basses on the other hand, never leave my sight and my friends know not to ask.

casualmadness · #18 04-09-2008, 07:24 AM

I once loaned an old beater bass that I had been doing some frankenstein work on for a while to a "friend." The bass new, was only a few hundred bucks. After a couple years, I got curious and decided to sand down the body, deepen the and define the cutaways, pluck the frets out...etc. etc. etc. I actually did pretty good work and the bass still played and sounded great. But my "friend" wanted to borrow it to learn to play and I agreed. I never saw it or him again. I wrote it off as a lesson to not loan anything to anyone for any reason. And that's my attitude now.
It could have been worse for me; my older brother, loaned his pickup truck to my "friends" older brother. He never saw that truck again. And like an idiot, he wrote that off.

IanStephenson · #19 04-09-2008, 07:34 AM

I lost a nice power amp, fx unit and rack in similar circumstances.

The band was using it for rehersal, and I left it with the singer's girlfriend. I knew he was on an off drugs, but she was totally reliable/clean - god knows why she put up with him. The band ended up takng an extended break, and I wasn't using the kit, so left it, knowing it was safe with her.

When I called to pick it up, I found out they'd split up, and she'd let him take all my stuff with him. She swore he was clean and getting his life together, but I was pretty mad - she should have known better (she worked for a drug charity!). I did track him down... on a street corner, with a load of bums, totally wasted at 10 in the morning. He swore he still had my stuff, but it was being stored at a friends house, and he would call me in a few days to bring it back...

He's probably dead now.

Ian

Marcury · #20 04-09-2008, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonyak

hmm, I'd make him buy me a new one. I don't care if he was addicted to drugs. part of getting off of them is taking responsibility for the things you did while on them.

+1,000. You did neither him nor yourself any favors.