A stranger asked to use my gear...

[joebar]

This flies in the face of science. I suggest you read a bit more about the process of string corrosion. The man in my avatar was playing 20-year-old strings with generations of admirers loving his sound in the records. While this isn't something widely recommended to bass players, there's still a chance you're changing your strings way too often. No need to waste hard-earned cash like that.

well they weren't twenty year old flats like the guy used in your avatar.
welcome to TB; you are off to a good start.

 

[interp]

Having had a very bad experience letting a stranger use my gear (guy fried my Walter Woods and walked out of the bar without a word), my rule for letting strangers play my instrument is "you're welcome to play my bass after giving me a cash security deposit equal to the replacement cost of the instrument/amp."

This rule does not apply my trusted friends.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I would have let him use the bass. I buy hear from Guitar Center as new that has been played by many strangers. I'd rather get another ding in the bass than look like a dick to the band and crowd. Gear can be replaced. Perceptions, not so easily.

Don't be too tough on the Nashville guy. He was called up presumably cold, so in his mind the band knew what was up.

 

[ThuzzleFump]

That's exactly what bothers me though. Are you reading it right? The singer CALLED the guy up to the stage to have him play! And he, being a bass player, went to the bassist, extending his hand for the instrument....

I would forgive him for not saying: "Do you think you might do me a favor and kindly say whether there might be a chance I could have the honor to play your bass?"

Simply saying "please" would make a difference to me.

 

[Joedog]

Another trick is to only carry 5 stringers. Around here, that dissuades the majority of BP's, even many of the very talented ones! I even often offer (if I know you), and get that glazed eyes look when they see 5 strings...LOL.

 

[DavC]

your band mates should have asked first ... !! regardless of your answer

but , it's not like someone is asking to borrow your toothbrush , or 'try out' your wife/daughter .. ??

great time for the cheap backup bass .. you want a really good bass , - bring your own ..

 

[jmattbassplaya]

It really depends.

I will never lend out or let someone else use my rig, but I'm usually pretty chill about letting someone try out one of my basses. I've even allowed people I trust to use one of my basses for recording sessions.

However, I wouldn't let someone hop on stage and just use my gear.

 

[Zvonimir]

welcome to TB; you are off to a good start.

Thanks! All I needed was to ask about SX SMB bass (a Warwick copy) and quickly got into this... It's fun.

 

[electracoyote]

This has been a nightmare to remember for everyone having to see it. And you won't look good if you try to defend her.

lol, surely you're joking with that puffery, right?

Oh no, social pressure! Whatever shall I do?

If I didn't want anyone else playing my beat up $50.00 pawn shop student violin, I'd have no problem telling an arisen Paginini himself "No" and anyone who didn't like it could go get stuffed. If Professor Bigshot wanted to conduct a clinic he should have brought his own instrument or perhaps borrowed from someone more comfortable with the idea instead of hanging his head like a whipped puppy and impugning the owner. That's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard.

I don't care who you are (or who you think you are), assuming you have the god-given right to grab someone else's property at will is pretty arrogant behavior. The social code still puts far more pressure to be gracious on the borrower than the lender. The rule is it's okay to ask, but be prepared to accept the answer without judgment.

 

[Zvonimir]

lol, surely you're joking with that puffery, right?

Oh no, social pressure! Whatever shall I do?

If I didn't want anyone else playing my beat up $50.00 pawn shop student violin, I'd have no problem telling an arisen Paginini himself "No" and anyone who didn't like it could go get stuffed. If Professor Bigshot wanted to conduct a clinic he should have brought his own instrument or perhaps borrowed from someone more comfortable with the idea instead of hanging his head like a whipped puppy and impugning the owner. That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard today.

I don't care who you are (or who you think you are), assuming you have the god-given right to grab someone else's property at will is pretty arrogant behavior. The social code still puts far more pressure to be gracious on the borrower than the lender. The rule is it's okay to ask, but be prepared to accept the answer without judgment.

You've made yourself very clear. I understand your position. I can partly agree with you on the social code and matters of principle. I still don't see anything but paranoia behind that violinist's behavior, regardless how inconsiderate you think the composer was. I expect humans to be better than that.

 

[Remyd]

My retort to that "pro in Nashville" business would have been"oh, yeah? Which corner you work?" NGTFOH

I was once at a recording studio where an internationally recognized composer was present to oversee the recording of his string quartet. I saw him later trying to explain a passage to the second violinist and leaned closer for a second to take the violin to show the kind of bowing he had in mind... The violinist firmly held her instrument and said with a uniquely foolish smile "I'm sorry, but I don't let anyone touch my instrument." This prolific composer of string music, this gray-haired kind man, had to apologize and sit back in his chair, looking down to the floor and biting his lips.

Now, I don't care if this was a f-ing Stradivarius! How she was able to sleep that night is beyond me.

I imagine the answer was soundly. Violinists are legendarily touchy about the no-touchy rule.

 

[dbase]

I don't mind letting someone use my amp .. it can take care of itself.. But for my bass, there only a few people I would trust with my bass. That includes: BassCliff, McG, Nixdad(and son), SoC9, Jimmy4string(Oh wait, he's a singer), Bassammich and Jamvan.

 

[El Güero]

The OP is da man, imo. He nipped it in the bud. He had a lot to lose, and absolutely nothing to gain.

Just say "No" to d-bags.

 

[Will_White]

I'll typically let anybody play my bass, if they're sober. If they seem interested I might even ask them if they want to play my bass. The only thing that they could possibly "damage" is strings and I pay primarily flats, and strings are consumables anyway. They are not to mess with my amp however. I also only own one bass that I didn't build myself (and it's heavily modified) so I have less to lose and a potential customer to gain.

 

[ole Jason]

This flies in the face of science. I suggest you read a bit more about the process of string corrosion. The man in my avatar was playing 20-year-old strings with generations of admirers loving his sound in the records. While this isn't something widely recommended to bass players, there's still a chance you're changing your strings way too often. No need to waste hard-earned cash like that.

We're all bassists here, we know what JJ sounded like. We all don't want to sound like that. I don't want to sound even remotely close to that. Someone with grimey hands can absolutely kill a set of stainless rounds very quickly. If they have sweaty hands your strings can be significantly darker after a few songs.

 

[Zvonimir]

We're all bassists here, we know what JJ sounded like. We all don't want to sound like that. I don't want to sound even remotely close to that. Someone with grimey hands can absolutely kill a set of stainless rounds very quickly. If they have sweaty hands your strings can be significantly darker after a few songs.

Well, yeah. I don't either. But worrying that somebody else playing your bass on one or two songs is going to make your strings go dead is downright superstitious.

How about this rule, to put the matter to rest... If I'm comfortable with you shaking my hand, then I'm comfortable with you touching my bass... Does that sound fair?

 

[MrLenny1]

I don't mind if they can play but I do watch them to see how they
handle it just in case and I use a beater bass.

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

Well, yeah. I don't either. But worrying that somebody else playing your bass on one or two songs is going to make your strings go dead is downright superstitious.

How about this rule, to put the matter to rest... If I'm comfortable with you shaking my hand, then I'm comfortable with you touching my bass... Does that sound fair?[/QUOTE


Early on when I was playing guitar somewhere, a friend of mine showed up. Asked him to play, and let him use one of my spare guitars, not a big deal, oh and the band was fine as he was an additive to the band that night as opposed to replacing anyone. My rig was split between two ampsso no issue.

A set later, grabbed the guitar and and though he had wiped it down, it clearly did not feel right. Took some serious cleaning to get it back to where it needed to be. Clearly my friend is one of those people who's body chemistry is quite different. Everywhere his hands were was a grunge that was left after the perspiration dried.

Regarding instruments in general, not sure about you but some people make their living off of their instruments and they are tools of their trade. Nothing wrong with people not loaning out the "tools of their trade" to perfect strangers.

Try asking that of a carpenter or mechanic sometime. Let me know how that turns out.

 

[ole Jason]

worrying that somebody else playing your bass on one or two songs is going to make your strings go dead is downright superstitious.

No, it is not. I, and several others in this thread, have had it happen. If it hasn't happened to you that's great.

 

[Zvonimir]

You are bringing a convincing argument, Ross. I am willing to change some of my positions to accommodate it. The only question then remaining (at least as far as OP's story) is whether it is right to tell people something along the lines of "Nobody touches my bass except me" or possibly try and make it less embarrassing for all by saying something like "I wish I had another bass I could give you right now. I am super careful with this one and have this paranoid fear it might get damaged. Sorry." It's unlikely this second thing would make him feel like his cat just died. But some don't seem to care how others feel. Their choice. I do.