Can I say "No" to sharing my bass at a jam?

[Bassman62]

Originally Posted by alembicguy

Why

That's what I was thinking.

[slick_tu]

Originally Posted by malthumb

The concepts of lending someone a bass for 15 minutes while you are there watching them use it compared to allowing someone to use your car for 15 minutes is beyond an apples to oranges comparison. Those events are as similar as apples are to cucumbers.

I disagree. Both bass and car are personal things to most of us. Someone can damage your bass even as you watch. Likewise, someone can have an accident while driving your car even though you're in the passenger seat. Either way your peronal property is damaged.

[chadds]

Maybe someone cares about looking like a D/@K.

What I get is respect. I've never, lost a gig, not been hired back, not been re invited to jams, not been called into the studio or invited to hang. Bar owners call and ask when am I bringing a group in.

It's probably because I have the manners not to ask. The famous world touring musicians I know do ask to stay at my house.

[Funkifized]

I don't let people play my basses; if you want to jam/sit in/open mike situation, bring your own. When it comes to my amp, yes you can play thru it but leave the controls the way they are. I also don't like Roger Daltrey imitators with my microphone.

[dukeisdog]

Originally Posted by Funkifized

I don't let people play my basses; if you want to jam/sit in/open mike situation, bring your own. When it comes to my amp, yes you can play thru it but leave the controls the way they are. I also don't like Roger Daltrey imitators with my microphone.

+1

Anyone going to a jam like this should really be going prepared.

[chadds]

Originally Posted by slick_tu

I disagree. Both bass and car are personal things to most of us. Someone can damage your bass even as you watch. Likewise, someone can have an accident while driving your car even though you're in the passenger seat. Either way your peronal property is damaged.

Why is this so hard to understand?

Others depend on me to have transportation for their livelihood and safety. Others depend on me to have working gear for their livelihood, business relationships and fun.

So now I have to have a backup instrument or strings or amp (or car) so that some person who can't be bothered to bring their own can jam. Why can't they sit on their desire, not ask and bring something next time? Short term gratification?

[Mushroo]

A jam is, by definition, an informal environment that's all about sharing and community. If you're not letting other players try your cool bass, then why should the bandleader, for example, give you a 3 chorus solo on Giant Steps? Of course you are not "required" to share, just as you are not "required" to reciprocate when your girlfriend/wife does something nice for you. But doing so makes life oh so nice... what goes around comes around, got to give a little to get a little, etc.

[chadds]

Originally Posted by Mushroo

A jam is, by definition, an informal environment that's all about sharing and community. If you're not letting other players try your cool bass, then why should the bandleader, for example, give you a 3 chorus solo on Giant Steps? Of course you are not "required" to share, just as you are not "required" to reciprocate when your girlfriend/wife does something nice for you. But doing so makes life oh so nice... what goes around comes around, got to give a little to get a little, etc.

If it's a GTG then by nature people are trying each other's stuff.

If it's a jam in a bar, what are you sharing when you don't bring your own stuff to share?

[Mushroo]

Originally Posted by chadds

If it's a jam in a bar, what are you sharing when you don't bring your own stuff to share?

If you think gear is all other musicians have to share with you, then there you go.

[malthumb]

Originally Posted by slick_tu

I disagree. Both bass and car are personal things to most of us. Someone can damage your bass even as you watch. Likewise, someone can have an accident while driving your car even though you're in the passenger seat. Either way your peronal property is damaged.

I get the personal property thing. And that brings us full circle, (I hope) to the OP's question......"Can I say NO to sharing my bass at a jam?...."

The answer to that is OF COURSE YOU CAN SAY NO. iT'S YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY TO DO WITH AS YOU SEE FIT.

Now I have spent more time than any of us should on responding to the the "never ever let anyone else touch your bass" sub-topic. In that instance, different types of personal property get different levels of scrutiny. I'd lend you my garden hose before I'd lend you my bass. And i'd lend you my bass before I'd lend you my car. Most people wouldn't make it past garden hose before i'd start saying no.

[bassbenj]

Originally Posted by pete rallis

it all depends on who is asking...if I don't know them, its a definite NO...if its somebody I know and is truly a good musician, I will say yes. And then watch them like a hawk.

That's my rule too. I let a guy who I didn't know play my Carvin AC50, but he was an excellent musican and the headliner act (bass player and chic singer). Normally I place my expensive basses off limits to strange hands. I've seen too many thing done to basses by people who SAID they could play.

Which is why I bought my SX basses for jams. Even then I tend to be selective judging each player by what I observe. So I often let reasonable players play the SX and it's often quite educational for me so nothing is lost.

[alembicguy]

Originally Posted by Aaron_D

You can say no, but it makes you a di@k.

If your afraid to say no then your a wimp??

[Mushroo]

I've been known to hand my basses to little kids who obviously don't know how to play. (I even let my dad's dog play it once, that was funny.) Bringing a smile to a child's face is totally worth a little bit of snot on the strings if you ask me.

[Joedog]

"Sorry man.....if I'd have known someone wasn't going to bring a bass and needed to borrow one, I'd have brought a different bass. This is my baby and the only one I can't use as a loaner." When I hosted jams, I always brought a cheapo, so I didn't mind, but I'd always insist they move their belt buckle way to the side, and no shirt with buttons (even w/the cheapo). My cheapo was usually a Squier P-5. Surprisingly 75% of folks asking would turn it down (mostly 'cause they could only play a 4 string). No problem to me!

[Cadfael]

I let other people play my bass ... BUT ...
Only people I know and like and at a "home session" where you can always say "stop" ...

I hate people without respect - and I would never let someone play on my basses who has no respect.

As I let the others play my basses, I was allowed to play the all original Telecaster 1968 bass from a friend of mine. I love slim Jazz Bass necks - but this gigantic Telecaster bass was perfect to me, too! After several P57 reissues I never thought I would like the Telecaster neck (even though I am a T bass fan)!

But I wouldn't give my basses "to everyone" ...

[SteveC]

Yes.

No stranger is playing my custom Roscoe's. Of course, if I have my fretless few people ask anyway. Even better if you have a 6 or something else odd.

[bobba66]

If puking up blood is part of the act I will politely decline the request.

[chadds]

Originally Posted by Mushroo

If you think gear is all other musicians have to share with you, then there you go.

Watch it. That was humor.
I'm not concerned with being called a D&)k.
I don't live my life looking to avoid that title.
I don't play with or hang with people who ask to use my bass or who couldn't accept no for an answer.

[2milehighspike]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

A d**k, maybe, but a smart d**k.

LOL! There ya go!Call me what ever you want, if you did'nt bring one ya ain't touching mine , why is that so hard to understand?

[hibachiduck]

I encourage other bassists to use my rig at shows for a few reasons

1) If my band is headlining I'd rather see an efficient breakdown after the opening acts get done with their sets. It's _nice_ to be able have the sound guy take his time sound checking a couple hours before the show and not have to fuss with it again. I've found that levels are more consistent even for the guitars in other bands when they do it this way because usually the sound guy will adjust the guitars quickly in relation to the bass that he actually took his time setting.

2) I have better gear than most bassists in town. I'm not saying that to sound like a conceited jerk or a gear snob, it's just hard to try to justify "My 90's Kustom 200w solid state head is the amp I _really_ wanted when I went to buy an amp." or "My Behringer combo just captures my sound in a way no other amp can". It's nice hearing a buddy of mine play his/her set in front of a crowd and have good tone. I tell them they can tweak whatever knobs they want as long as they don't dime the bass and try to keep the volume where it was when they found it.

3) They don't have to carry heavy gear into the bar and then take said heavy gear out of the bar. This is what I think people appreciate way more than #1 and #2. One particular bassist even hugged me and jumped up and down when I told her she wouldn't have to load any of her gear in. I'm friends with most of the regularly gigging musicians in town, so I usually hit them up in the afternoon before the show to offer it to them so they don't even have to put their stuff in the car.

If someone says they want to use their own stuff I drop it. Personally I hate using other people's rigs, so I definitely understand (unless there's a really tight load-in and load-out schedule). Note that this mainly works because the city I live in isn't that large.

My bass though? No. Nope. I have a very small circle of people who I let play my bass in a non-gig setting, but when people are jumping up and down, slamming the body with their punk-style picking, forcing the knobs on the bass, spilling beer on it, getting their nasty sweat all over it such as what happens at a lot of gigs.....yeah, not standing for it. Now, if something happens to another bassist's instrument that night (jack stops working, string breaks, it explodes) I will let you use my backup bass in my gig bag behind the stage IF you buy me a beer after your set