Band members on your bass?

[Not yet]

I don't need to drive their car or kiss their wife. See no reason to muck up my #1

Used to, don't anymore after I couldn't scrape off the grease/sweat/bad joojoo with a brillo. And unfortunately this was after bigtime Professionals played it.

Go visit in Chicago and sit in a bunch, couldn't ask others to do what I won't so I leave a Squire P Classic out there (great bass) I paid $200 for. All good

 

[Crowella]

I let my band mates play my basses when I am in the room and by themselves only if they need it for recording. They know to wipe down everything and they let me use theirs under the same circumstances. I always give a once over anyway. This is since becoming a little more "professional" and trying to keep my gear in as good condition as possible.

I did however used to lend my bass to the church for weeks at a time and it was always looked after, even though I know the kids liked to get their hands on it. I was more than happy to see them play it and give it a decent go. Now a few of them play up on stage there at least once a week. If I was still at the church I would probably donate my older bass, tell them to plug that in and go nuts.

I picked up bass from one that was donated at church. If it wasn't for that and the owner happily letting me play it after the service, I wouldn't be playing my own every day.

 

[Alrod]

My friends and family respect me enough not to mess with my equipment. That being said, people do from time to time ask if they can try my equipment out. I always let them.

If someone just grabs something without asking however, I politely tell them to put it down. It is very disrespectful to do that anyway. Yes I was taught to share, but respect would dictate that one should ask first.

 

[Jake Saint]

This is why i will always have a cheap axe, and bring that and my main to events: oh, you wanna play? hang on, lemme plug in the public bass.

 

[CrashCarlisle]

Exactly. Those who say "no one touches my gear except me" sound like spoiled children that never grew up.

Really? I'm supposed to be okay with somebody grabbing my Ric off its stand?

 

[klejst]

Perhaps I am a jerk (in their eyes) or just smart, but I don't let anyone I don't know use my bass or my gear. I have let some of friends a few times, but most times even them I am reluctant to do so. Just too much risk.

 

[hernameisrio]

This. I spent an entire month's rent on my beloved-and right now, only-bass. I'm pretty protective of it. I feel a bond with it that's hard to explain, strange as it sounds. So when I think of someone else playing it, I feel weird about it. I'm the same way with my skateboards. Not that they cost quite as much, but...they're mine! Ya know?

 

[CrashCarlisle]

If somebody scratchs my bass, drops it or damages it in any way......is that person going to repair it? Hell no. This is all risk and no upside for me.

 

[mcnach]

I notice a few quips about 'growing up and sharing', which seems a little simple-minded to me. There's also such a thing as growing up and setting boundaries.

True.
In fact, it seems to me many of the people who seem offended by being refused need a lot of growing to do.

The entitlement attitude of some people is amazing.

Sharing or not, for me, depends on who is asking and the situation. If you take it without asking, I will take it back from you and tell you to piss off.

Open mic... that's a situation where it is not unusual someone without an instrument might want to join in. If I'm hosting one, I'd make sure there is a "public" bass. I would care for it just the same, but it would be a perfectly serviceable cheap bass probably bought used and not necessarily pretty. And I would not be paying for it or repairs. I'd be happy to maintain it, set it up, even buying strings (not every week, not every month..)
But I am not going to provide my own personal instrument for total strangers to have fun for a while.
That would be... silly.

 

[mcnach]

I've seen the thread where people talked about the open stage nights and letting people use their gear.

What about people in your band? Would you let the drummer pick up your bass if the guitar player was playing while you were getting a drink? Our first open stage hosting was just us with a few people that wanted to sing or sit in on drums. The drummer was kind enough to let people play his kit. While one person was playing the drums along with the guitar player from my band, the drummer ran up to me and asked why he wasn't getting sound. I told him I had the mute activated. He then proceded to play my instrument.

I don't have fantastic and expensive stuff, but it's mine. I also greatly dislike touching other people. After he used the bass, it felt weird for a song or two...like it wasn't mine. Do I just let it happen next time, trust the people in my band? It's hard, but I'm not sure on the etiquette in this situation.

In my bands we are relaxed about that and we do share.
But then, I am in bands where everyone is respectful. I have seen some guys in bands I would never let near my guitar. But then I would not be in such a band.

 

[Klonk]

Get a 6 or 7 string and scare the amateurs away.

 

[iriegnome]

I have been with my band for 13 years. I have missed 1 gig. An acoustic show booked during my vacation while I was 2 states away on my son's golden birthday. I not only let my other band members use my amp rig, but my bass and my pedals as well. Also, I spent 4 days going to each of my guitar players house and then to our percussionists house teaching them my parts for most of the common songs we do. However, I do not allow anyone to use my bass ever (other than band guys) and at that, I let the band use my MIA Fender P which I never play due to that one being a 4 string...

 

[Liam Wald]

I've seen the thread where people talked about the open stage nights and letting people use their gear.

What about people in your band? Would you let the drummer pick up your bass if the guitar player was playing while you were getting a drink? Our first open stage hosting was just us with a few people that wanted to sing or sit in on drums. The drummer was kind enough to let people play his kit. While one person was playing the drums along with the guitar player from my band, the drummer ran up to me and asked why he wasn't getting sound. I told him I had the mute activated. He then proceded to play my instrument.

I don't have fantastic and expensive stuff, but it's mine. I also greatly dislike touching other people. After he used the bass, it felt weird for a song or two...like it wasn't mine. Do I just let it happen next time, trust the people in my band? It's hard, but I'm not sure on the etiquette in this situation.

If the drummer got up to go get a drink would you be comfortable sitting down behind his kit and starting to pound away?

 

[tdub0199]

I would not let my drummer play my bass anymore.... the 1st thing he does is tune it all #@$& up and will leave it tuned like that, not even try to tune it back.... Then he proceeds to turn every knob on my amp... I have caught him doing this stuff and it has gotten to the point a couple of times where we got into a heated argument and almost turned into a fight, Usually this happens when he has been drinking alot... He has now been kicked out of the band for his drinking habits... you would actually have to know this guy to get my point.... I have never in my life met someone quite like him....

 

[Flabass]

Not unless they ask. Have some deep scratchs on my Leo Fender signature L2000 (1992) thanks to me letting someone play it at a jam. I didn't notice the chains hanging off her belt until after. So now it's only another bass player that I know that gets to use any of my basses.

 

[Jarrett]

We had a gig last Saturday night and several local musicians happened to be in the crowd. Towards the end of the set, we asked if they would like to come up and play a couple. I gave my bass to another bass player, drums handed off to another drummer, I went to guitar and another singer came up. Our guitar player and singer went into the crowd and got them dancing while we played a few tunes. Got to play my first guitar lead in front of a crowd in a couple of years. It was a blast. So yes, I don't mind handing off, it can be fun.

 

[phillybass101]

A bass is just a piece of wood etc. You are what makes the bass special. So therefore I have no probs with letting other people play my bass or use my gear. It's not like they are asking me for my soul, although at times it seems that's what they're really after.

 

[mcnach]

A bass is just a piece of wood etc. You are what makes the bass special. So therefore I have no probs with letting other people play my bass or use my gear. It's not like they are asking me for my soul, although at times it seems that's what they're really after.

Agreed, with "normal" people.
The problem is you don't know whether they are normal or not until is too late, if you are too trusting.
It may be a piece of wood, but it's a piece of wood I had to work to pay for...

 

[punkjazzben]

...it seems to me many of the people who seem offended by being refused need a lot of growing to do.

The entitlement attitude of some people is amazing.

Sharing or not, for me, depends on who is asking and the situation. If you take it without asking, I will take it back from you and tell you to piss off.

Well said!

I have allowed the guitarist in my band to play my bass for a set when I had just joined and didn't know all of their songs. He has been playing guitar for a decent while and has respect for other people's equipment.

I would never let anyone play my bass if I didn't know them, however, and if I do lend a bass, it's always the cheapest I own. You wanna play? Bring your own and don't expect other people to provide for you because you're not organised.

IME, too many people don't have respect for the property of others.

I've lent a bass out to a good friend while I was out of town. I come back, and he's broken a string, pulled a flatwound off another of my basses and strapped it on, and also cracked the nut in two somehow. I didn't play it much, so right then and there I gave him a "you break it, you buy it" ultimatum. He bought it, and five years on he still hasn't fixed the nut.

I've walked in after a break once to find people in the bar had walked onto the stage, were hitting drums, holding our guitars and basses and air-singing with the mic stand. Not happy. :scowl:

IMO, if you lend our your gear, don't complain when it comes back damaged. Worse, it's often the same reckless people that break other people's stuff who also rarely come through when they're asked to pay for the repairs.

 

[RedElefant]

I almost completely lost it one night due to this happening.

My acoustic duo plays at a venue that we basically call home. We are very friendly with the staff, and they take incredibly good care of us. Towards the end of the night, I take a bathroom break, only to come back and find one of the staff members playing my bass. It took all I had not to completely rip it out of his hands. I let them finish the song (which, incidentally, the guy was murdering......I wonder if he'd ever played any instrument EVER), and said quite sternly, "please don't play my bass again without asking permission".