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

[DComtois]

You can say no. It's your bass. I only let people I know and trust use my instrument. But if they're a little drunk then I say no.

[Mushroo]

^ I once had the exact opposite experience; the bass player (who I'd never met before, but we knew each other by reputation) jumped off the stage mid-set, ran up to me in the audience, handed me his Warwick, and said, "Please play my bass, I'm too drunk to continue!"

[2milehighspike]

LOL! did you get his job when they fired him?

[Mushroo]

Originally Posted by 2milehighspike

LOL! did you get his job when they fired him?

As a matter of fact I did sub for a few gigs, but I declined a permanent position. (Bassist was not the only band member with unprofessional behavior.)

[Spaldo]

I'm happy to share. But only if it's not my $3500 Spector....

[C.Linton]

I really don't get this attitude that if you indeed say no, then you're a d**k. No matter the circumstance, it's your bass, it's your choice whether or not you loan it out and under what conditions if you do.

[Einherjar]

Generally, I don't mind sharing so long as I know the guy and know he can handle an instrument with care. However I did have an experience that kind of ticked me off.

I've known this guy for about ten years. He's a great friend and we've been jamming together a lot lately. A couple weeks ago, I acquired my first American fender p bass, which I'm loving and playing like hell every day.

Last weekend we had a jam, and I took a smoke break. I'm outside for all of 10 seconds when I hear my p bass shaking the house. I'm all for sharing, but seriously? You can't even ****ing ask before picking up someone's instrument that is worth more than all three of your craptastic guitars combined?

I was so pissed I just didn't even go back down there cause I would've chewed him out hardcore and he would've got sand in his vag and not talked to me for 6 months. Thus our jam ended early. I just don't get it. What's so hard about asking?

[hibachiduck]

Originally Posted by Einherjar

Generally, I don't mind sharing so long as I know the guy and know he can handle an instrument with care. However I did have an experience that kind of ticked me off.

I've known this guy for about ten years. He's a great friend and we've been jamming together a lot lately. A couple weeks ago, I acquired my first American fender p bass, which I'm loving and playing like hell every day.

Last weekend we had a jam, and I took a smoke break. I'm outside for all of 10 seconds when I hear my p bass shaking the house. I'm all for sharing, but seriously? You can't even ****ing ask before picking up someone's instrument that is worth more than all three of your craptastic guitars combined?

I was so pissed I just didn't even go back down there cause I would've chewed him out hardcore and he would've got sand in his vag and not talked to me for 6 months. Thus our jam ended early. I just don't get it. What's so hard about asking?

I've been there with my last band. I almost punched him. Not just because he didn't bother asking before picking up my bass that I paid more for than all of his gear combined, but because he did like so many guitarists do when they pick up a bass thinking "Hey I can do this! It's just an easier version of guitar right?": he cranked the bass all the way up and cut the mids and treble and then when he must've thought "this isn't loud enough" cranked the master volume. There's only so much a 2x10" can handle for crying out loud! The speakers looked like they were about to leap out of the cab and onto my floor.

[DrSpunkwater]

Originally Posted by Einherjar

Generally, I don't mind sharing so long as I know the guy and know he can handle an instrument with care. However I did have an experience that kind of ticked me off.

I've known this guy for about ten years. He's a great friend and we've been jamming together a lot lately. A couple weeks ago, I acquired my first American fender p bass, which I'm loving and playing like hell every day.

Last weekend we had a jam, and I took a smoke break. I'm outside for all of 10 seconds when I hear my p bass shaking the house. I'm all for sharing, but seriously? You can't even ****ing ask before picking up someone's instrument that is worth more than all three of your craptastic guitars combined?

I was so pissed I just didn't even go back down there cause I would've chewed him out hardcore and he would've got sand in his vag and not talked to me for 6 months. Thus our jam ended early. I just don't get it. What's so hard about asking?

So you're pissed because your good friend of 10 years played your P-bass, an instrument that's damn near indestructible, while you were taking a smoke break? Lighten up, dude. My friend plays my bass all the time when I take a bathroom break, and I play a Gibson. It's *not* a big deal.

[Mushroo]

I can understand not wanting drunk strangers at a bar touching your bass, but your own band members is pushing it to an extreme. In fact every band I've ever been in, I've encouraged instrument swapping so we understand each other better. If you've never taught your drummer a few simple bass lines (and vice versa) I highly recommend it.

Strangest example of this was an avant-garde piano player friend once talked me into letting her put my bass (amplified, strings down) inside the piano for some John-Cage-inspired prepared piano improv...

[stingraysvt]

I say bring a bass to that type of gig you're ok with someone jamming on. I have a stingray5 I picked up a long time ago for alot cheaper than I should have been able to. So I use this one as my loaner approved bass.

All the other gear is off limits.

I leant out one of my rigs to a guy with a reasonable request once, and felt like Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory with my pre-flight instructions and do's and don'ts on the rig.

[ramonesnut]

Usually I don't care ( My basses aren't exactly expencive and I like "road wear") .that said I will from now on be alot less generous in the future with my other equipment. My last guitarist ( who would not buy more gear) would " borrow " my stuff and looked at me like I was nuts when I wanted to use it( like it was his and I was asking him to use his stuff). One gig I bring my cord and he steals it ( cause his cheep cord died and he wouldn't buy one) ....I didn't even have a cord to play.....so I took it back and he is all jacked he had to use head distortion. Point is I'm just not gonna let anyone use anything from now on so its a consistent no for everything

[Einherjar]

Originally Posted by DrSpunkwater

So you're pissed because your good friend of 10 years played your P-bass, an instrument that's damn near indestructible, while you were taking a smoke break? Lighten up, dude. My friend plays my bass all the time when I take a bathroom break, and I play a Gibson. It's *not* a big deal.

Yeah, I know. I guess it also irks me because he's been "borrowing" one of my basses for his other band, keeping it at their jam space for the past six months, and keeps telling me he's going to buy it from me yet never has any money. (This scenario has happened before with an amp head I leant him and then their jam space burnt down because the electrical wiring was done by preschooler.)

I just hate it when people assume something is ok without even checking. Like the kind of people that think you're good enough of friends to just walk into your home without even knocking.

[JonElyashiv]

I personally don't like loaning my instrument out to people, especially when it has new strings! It happened to me only a couple days ago that someone asked to borrow it in a jam, and I immediately regretted saying yes. My hands don't sweat very much and I can usually feel if someone played my bass by the sticky neck when it is returned (as gross as that may sound). It was not a pleasant feeling to have it returned to me after, and on top of that, I swear my brand new strings lost some life. I learned my lesson the hard way and I'm not lending my bass out anymore, unless its someone I know/trust well.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by DrSpunkwater

So you're pissed because your good friend of 10 years played your P-bass, an instrument that's damn near indestructible, while you were taking a smoke break? Lighten up, dude. My friend plays my bass all the time when I take a bathroom break, and I play a Gibson. It's *not* a big deal.

I'd let 'em play a Gibson, too, but not one of my good basses.

[chadds]

I've really enjoyed this thread.
It probably didn't belong in Basses.
It had to be comedy.

Unlike other TB threads it was clear of name calling like, D**k and Germaphobe.

Normally some people try to stake out the moral high ground, "I'm better because I share". Not here.

So congratulations to all.

That was such a contentious issue.
It truly falls in the category of "First World Problems".

[Thumpinshelton]

The same can be said of church jams and church events. I play in many local jam sessions at bars and parties and also play at a LOT of church events. When your bass is sitting up there on a stand in a church I swear it is like a bright light shines on my rig and tells all the hacks that walk in the door to come and touch. I remember last year playing an event and after we got everything set up and did a soundcheck a couple of us decided to go down the street to grab a snack. When we pulled up we heard the music coming from outside the church and walked in and complete strangers to us were just killing our grear (in a bad way). They were one of the local choirs for the event. BYOG is what I live by. The sad part is that they thought they were off the chain!

[DrSpunkwater]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

I'd let 'em play a Gibson, too, but not one of my good basses.

I consider my SG bass to be a good bass.

[jmclearnon]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

I'd let 'em play a Gibson, too, but not one of my good basses.

Hahaha nice !

[Bassquest]

If it's a jam, it's open season. so I bring a bass I'm not worried about and plays ok. When we host, I'm going around the room asking any potential players if they wanna get up and play, using my bass.