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Double Bass do you loan your bass out ?

WillieB

WillieB

Battling Bass Guitar Bulimia since 1975
Apr 26, 2010
1,987
860
Columbus Ohio
#1
sorry if this is in the wrong topic area. I searched and didn't find an answer.


Would you loan out a bass to a player you don't know ?

Situation is this. A player (banjo) I know has a bass player coming in from out of town to do a gig. the banjo player asked
if he could borrow one of my basses.

Not sure what to do ... my first impression was to say no since I don't know the guy. Plus the gig is an hour outside of town.

am I a bad bass brother ?

I have a 46 Kay so .... its all ply but ....

note .... the gig's in a bar .... and the crazy cats like to party.

now ... does that change your answer ?

thanks for any input

Bill
 
#5
I'm an electric player, but I say no no no no no. Personally, I don't lend my stuff out to hardly anyone. It's not a selfish thing, it's a responsibility thing- if something crazy were to happen, especially things that can't be helped or avoided, I want the responsibility to fall onto me, and not the person I had loaned it out to.
 
#9
I've let a friend borrow an electric once. They took very good care of it until they lost it. My only other bass is a rickenbacker so absolutely not unless it's a bandmate. And I'm sure that goes more so for a double. Hear those things aren't very cheap.

Edit: but also. If its a good trust worthy friend who can vouch for the guy. And it's only one night. And maybe if you went just to make sure.
 
#10
Oddly enough, I think that doublebassists are more more likely to loan or at least let someone else play their instrument than electric bassists. First, no one wants 10 doublebasses filling a jam session and when I've hosted sessions, I'd rather a respectful player sit in on mine than make me lay mine down in a bar and hope it doesn't get kicked over while he plays his.

Second, there's the issue of travel. It's not uncommon for us to rent or borrow under certain out of town circumstances.

Still, in my case, it would depend. No shame in saying "no, I'm sorry, I've got a lot tied up in my instrument, it's my livelihood and it makes me uncomfortable. You might check with ..."

Depends on the player, the person who asked, the circumstances, but I might. Someone from San Fransisco who I only know through here offered me their bass for a gig that I was cooking up there once. Gig fell through, but karma attached.
 
#11
Never!!!

I was once asked to lend my bass to a guy that i actually knew a little. I knew the guy liked to drink and he was a bit of an air brain. So i said no. and I felt kind of bad.
he ended up borrowing a bass from another guy.
So as the story goes, after the gig, he was leaving through the kitchen, put the bass down, went outside for a cigarette with some friends. came back, the bass was gone! It was a Pedulla electric bass. About $3000 20 years ago. very expensive for an electric bass.
So, no I don't lend any of my basses. To anyone! sorry...
 
#16
WillieB said:
sorry if this is in the wrong topic area. I searched and didn't find an answer.


Would you loan out a bass to a player you don't know ?

Situation is this. A player (banjo) I know has a bass player coming in from out of town to do a gig. the banjo player asked
if he could borrow one of my basses.

Not sure what to do ... my first impression was to say no since I don't know the guy. Plus the gig is an hour outside of town.

am I a bad bass brother ?

I have a 46 Kay so .... its all ply but ....

note .... the gig's in a bar .... and the crazy cats like to party.

now ... does that change your answer ?

thanks for any input

Bill
Click to expand...

The fact that they want to borrow but not rent your bass, tells you a lot. I say, just say no, especially if they're not trying to offer you money.

I had someone I know(who jerked me over on a gig) call me a couple of weeks ago about "borrowing" my bass for a gig...I didn't even call him back.
 
#19
WillieB said:
sorry if this is in the wrong topic area. I searched and didn't find an answer.


Would you loan out a bass to a player you don't know ?

Situation is this. A player (banjo) I know has a bass player coming in from out of town to do a gig. the banjo player asked
if he could borrow one of my basses.

Not sure what to do ... my first impression was to say no since I don't know the guy. Plus the gig is an hour outside of town.

am I a bad bass brother ?

I have a 46 Kay so .... its all ply but ....

note .... the gig's in a bar .... and the crazy cats like to party.

now ... does that change your answer ?

thanks for any input

Bill
Click to expand...

Nope, if I'm coming in from out of town (or anywhere else) to do a gig, and I'm a bass player, I'll bring my own bass.
 

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