Is there such a thing as gear etiquette?

Youngspanion · #1 01-20-2009, 07:42 PM

If you leave your gear in one of your band members basement in between weekly rehearsals, would you expect others to come in and use it? Wouldn't that be really rude and un-musician like?

FenderP · #2 01-20-2009, 07:43 PM

Unless I had an arrangement or OKed it, don't touch or use my stuff. At a very minimum, they should ask you.

Kael · #3 01-20-2009, 07:48 PM

While I would consider it rude, I also wouldn't ever leave anything that I was worried about getting fouled up anywhere. I frequently rehearse in the next town over and bought a cheapo combo amp (swr basic black) for that purpose. If it gets jacked up, that sucks but no biggie.

bassteban · #4 01-20-2009, 07:49 PM

Leaving stuff lying around, accessible to others=asking for trouble. IME.

ChiefLongDong · #5 01-20-2009, 07:53 PM

You can't put honest people in bad situations and always expect them to make the right choice. If I'm a bassist, and the drummer leaves his drums at my house, you damn right I'm banging on those things as soon as he leaves... It's what people do...

rosstanium · #6 01-20-2009, 07:56 PM

it would be in bad taste for someone to use another's gear without asking. but people are...people. communication is good, but having some disposable gear that you don't mind getting ruined at a rehearsal space is better

sebastian · #7 01-20-2009, 07:57 PM

You should lay the ground rules over your gear. If they violate remove it.

Jazzdogg · #8 01-20-2009, 08:20 PM

Patient: "Doctor, it hurts every time I do <THIS>."

Doctor: "Don't do that any more!"

Clammy · #9 01-20-2009, 09:00 PM

I consider touching my gear without asking an offense worthy of a beating. To me, it's one of the lowest forms of disrespect, and it seriously pisses me off.

The thing is that if someone ASKS to borrow or use a piece of gear, I will usually say ok; but use it without asking, and I will come down HARD!

Cheers!

hbarcat · #10 01-20-2009, 09:38 PM

When the band practiced in my basement they left everything behind during the week and I made sure that nothing was easily playable by any curious person who might come over for a visit. The power cords were all pulled out of the amps, the drums were covered and the throne removed. I don't want there to any reason for a band member to say "Hey this thing is broken, what happened to it when I was gone?"

I now leave my bass rig and the PA stuff at the drummer's rehearsal space and I have an arrangement with him that ONE other person can use it, and that is someone in his other band whom we both trust. These are middle aged adults I'm talking about who are experienced musicians and I've played with them enough to know that they treat my stuff with respect.

I would never leave my gear in someone's house that had a lot of "traffic" through it, though. I learned my lesson 20 years ago when I would always leave my amp and cab in a rented rehearsal space and the guitarist brought his friends in with him to screw around and get drunk with when I wasn't there. One of them toasted my Ampeg V4 head. That hurt.

jsingles · #11 01-20-2009, 09:46 PM

I practice a half hour from my home at my drummers house, and i leave my 810/1001rb-II there. Theres just no way I could lug it back and forth every time we practice....

I trust my band mates, and I do not mind if they use it because I know they are responsible musicians who understand respect for other people's gear.

BUT

I have already told my drummer that I do NOT share my gear with other people I don't know, for example if joe hardcore kid wants to borrow my 810 at a show, and asks my drummer or guitar player if I would mind, they know to say YES he does mind, YOU MAY NOT. My drummer agreed that we do NOT let other people use our gear, so I trust that I can leave it with him.

Just explain this to your bandmates, and let them know how you feel about your gear.

LilMissStrange · #12 01-20-2009, 09:58 PM

What I expect people to use it? Of course I would. Its what people do. Unless you wrap an electric fence around your gear, you can bet people will use it. If you don't want people to use it, tell your buddies to set it off to the side, maybe cover it w/ a sheet and let them know that NOBODY can touch it while you're not there. If you dont mind just make sure they know they are responsible for any damages.

progrockbass · #13 01-20-2009, 10:03 PM

One of the many reasons I use a small but powerful Mesa combo and double gigbag. One hand for the amp, one for the pedal board box (has all the cable, effects etc in it) gigbag over the shoulder- done. I hate people touching my gear especially if I don't know em or they don't ask. I don't ever need to hear "dude, I was playing your bass and...."

mutedeity · #14 01-21-2009, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Youngspanion

If you leave your gear in one of your band members basement in between weekly rehearsals, would you expect others to come in and use it? Wouldn't that be really rude and un-musician like?

Unless I said it was ok and I was being paid for the privileged of using my gear it would not only be rude it would be completely unacceptable. The person using it could expect an invoice from me.

Then again that's me and my gear isn't a toy for kids to play with.

micahbell · #15 01-21-2009, 03:56 AM

Generally if somebody asks if they can play with my gear as I'm there to supervise I say yes.
If I leave my gear at a buddys house, he then acts like me - somebody asks, if he trusts them he says yes, if he doesn't then he says no.
I would never leave gear with somebody I don't fully trust to understand that.
Musicians by nature like to fiddle with gear. This is a fact.*
If somebody asks, I have no problem. If they just grab and play then it's taken away. If I trust them or not it doesn't matter. Generally if they don't have enough respect to ask before they pick up gear they don't have enough respect to treat it well.

*okay, not really a fact but it's true to my experience.

meRTKendrew · #16 01-21-2009, 04:03 AM

when i was on a plane on the way home on sunday, our house sitter txt me saying one of our friends wanted to use my bass for a church gig that started in TWO HOURS. of course, being on a plane i didnt get it until we landed.. anyway, by that time hed already taken my bass and was using it...... NOT happy.....

to be honest, id have let him use it, but the fact that he left it to the day to ask and took it anyway just doesnt sit right..

Phalex · #17 01-21-2009, 07:30 AM

If I leave my stuff behind, I expect someone to mess with it. Don't act all surprised when someone touches the stuff you didn't care enough about to take home with you.

Lighten up Francis!

Skarekrough · #18 01-21-2009, 07:31 AM

It's a respect thing....

T-Bird · #19 01-21-2009, 07:40 AM

Hi.

Without asking, unacceptable but quite common unfortunately.

When asked beforehand, I might agree to lend my gear, but the beer on top of the tube amp for example makes it the last time for that individual too.

Invest on the 1/4 locking plug that prevents the use.

Regards
Sam

Toshiro · #20 01-21-2009, 07:50 AM

I've never been burned by someone using the rig I left at one of my band's rehearsal spaces, but to hedge my bets, I have a practice rig that I'll leave instead of my gig rig.

The practice rig is an old beat up Hartke head and a no-name 2x12 bass cab. Total investment is less that $200. The Markbass and Ampeg stuff only comes out when there's a gig.