Head and your cables in a backpack or get a craigslist combo to leave there. Guitar players love to borrow cables forever.
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Is my amp being used when I'm not there?
- Thread starter heavyfunkmachin
- Start date
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Spoken like someone who either has gear they don't like, or more money than they know what to do with.
there is a simple and fun fix for this. 1. purchase car battery 2. purchase a broken head. 3. hide car battery inside cab 4. wire the hot from the battery to one side of the input jack, the ground to another using heavy gauge wire.
when the offender put the cable in and completes a circuit they will get one hell of a jolt. lol
when the offender put the cable in and completes a circuit they will get one hell of a jolt. lol
Would taking just the speaker cable home be enough of a deterrent or message?
Also, you could replace the speaker cable with a broken patch cord when you leave.
If they have to troubleshoot it, it might just turn them away.
Also, you could replace the speaker cable with a broken patch cord when you leave.
If they have to troubleshoot it, it might just turn them away.
They sell IEC power cord lockouts. Like this:
http://www.spill911.com/power-cord-plug-lockout.html?gclid=CLG74tjiusICFUVk7Aodo28AOw
EDIT: oops David Jayne beat me to it.
http://www.spill911.com/power-cord-plug-lockout.html?gclid=CLG74tjiusICFUVk7Aodo28AOw
EDIT: oops David Jayne beat me to it.
Wrong and wrong again. I have one bass and its a Squier, I just don't put my gear above everything else. I was raised to share. I'm not a pro musician. I don't need the best of everything. I'm a family man. Music is fun for me. I take great care of what I do have even though I don't spend every penny I have on it. If I could afford expensive gear and was worried about sharing, I'd pay the extra for a private room.
IMHO taking the head home defies the porpoise of having a rehearsal space, plus is a huge hassle for me: subway to work, subway to rehearsal and subway home… 2-3 days a week.
Tried the crazy EQ solution, but they might be being careful. Unless something smarter comes up, I might have to take the fuller’s unilock route… despite making me look like an arse….
have you considered asking?
Seems like you are getting yourself worked up/paranoid/down a rabbit hole...I would simply ask - they are peer bands with shared friends - at least ask and gauge if trip wires and booby traps and all these crafty plans are really required..OR bring that relatively small, lightweight (this is why D Class was developed and so popular..) portable head with you when you leave..OR utilize one of these locks..but this tricking them into revealing if they are tricking you/they might be too crafty for an EQ trap etc sounds like 'rival girls in an office setting/hamster running too fast on the wheel' waste of energy mindset - imho, ime, ymmv
LOL! I'm sorry but I think it's funny to even ask this question. Of course they're using it! It's there!
My sycophant tells me *yes.*
I especially like when other bands leave their gear out and in the way of my band's equipment so we just use their drums, amps and P.A.
That being said if your gear is put away well, there's a higher chance of being able to tell if it's being messed with or if it's tucked away it might just too much of a pain for the other guys to use it.
I especially like when other bands leave their gear out and in the way of my band's equipment so we just use their drums, amps and P.A.
That being said if your gear is put away well, there's a higher chance of being able to tell if it's being messed with or if it's tucked away it might just too much of a pain for the other guys to use it.
Thank you for all the replies! It's weird to find so many people suggesting using "2nd grade" gear... I believe life's to short to play with crappy gear while keeping "the good stuff" locked at home. If I got nice gear is to enjoy it's tone as much as possible. And taking my head with me, however light or small it might be, is not an option due to time and transport constrains.
Regarding the shared space, it is shared among a limited amount of people, we all pay monthly rent and are IDed so theft is not such a big issue (Or it wasn't until I started reading some answers... you people got me scared!!), and to be fair everybody leaves their gear there, ready to plug and play. I've talked to them and explain my situation and everybody agreed not to use my gear, after several requests to use it. So asking is pointless, they will allways assure me they are not using it.
It was after realizing how tempting the only bass amp in the room must feel for the other 2 bands instead of going trough a crappy PA without subwoofer that I started wondering if they were just using it regardless and "covering" up the evidence so I do not find out. They don't have bass amp 'cause they are guitars players doing bass parts for specific songs or temporal bass players with their gear somewhere else.
That's why my original intention was to have some kind of "test" to see if the gear was in fact being used. The FX loop solution it's not such a good method since my head has a FX mix knob and it would be as easy as to set it to 100% dry to play the amp, and the crazy EQ route was taken but they might just as easilly be careful so they can keep on using it without me noticing. So far the best solution seems to be the fullers uni-lock... but they are hard to track down and the company still has not replied to my email... I might have to get the Power plug lockout, if I find one with international shipping.
Regarding the shared space, it is shared among a limited amount of people, we all pay monthly rent and are IDed so theft is not such a big issue (Or it wasn't until I started reading some answers... you people got me scared!!), and to be fair everybody leaves their gear there, ready to plug and play. I've talked to them and explain my situation and everybody agreed not to use my gear, after several requests to use it. So asking is pointless, they will allways assure me they are not using it.
It was after realizing how tempting the only bass amp in the room must feel for the other 2 bands instead of going trough a crappy PA without subwoofer that I started wondering if they were just using it regardless and "covering" up the evidence so I do not find out. They don't have bass amp 'cause they are guitars players doing bass parts for specific songs or temporal bass players with their gear somewhere else.
That's why my original intention was to have some kind of "test" to see if the gear was in fact being used. The FX loop solution it's not such a good method since my head has a FX mix knob and it would be as easy as to set it to 100% dry to play the amp, and the crazy EQ route was taken but they might just as easilly be careful so they can keep on using it without me noticing. So far the best solution seems to be the fullers uni-lock... but they are hard to track down and the company still has not replied to my email... I might have to get the Power plug lockout, if I find one with international shipping.
Reading this thread has me thankful I have an amp designed to fit in a 2space rack case. I just ordered one comes with a key. 
But I'm not in a shared practice space, though we often let other musicians into the house to play. Most of those people who would pick up a bass are respectful enough to use the fender combo amp sitting in the house though. I just ordered it to keep honest people honest. I also plan on insuring my gear. $150 a year for up to $5000 in coverage seems like a good deal.
But I'm not in a shared practice space, though we often let other musicians into the house to play. Most of those people who would pick up a bass are respectful enough to use the fender combo amp sitting in the house though. I just ordered it to keep honest people honest. I also plan on insuring my gear. $150 a year for up to $5000 in coverage seems like a good deal.
I wouldnt say my rig to leave at the practice spot is lesser quality. I bought it to be a light rig for shows. I dont want to carry my swr 6x10 to shows. It actually cost more than my 6x10 but id still rather see the 2x10s get messed up because the speakers are easier to find than the pas ones in my 6x10...
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
I guess 'share' in your eyes means let people you don't know use and mess with your stuff when you're not around. I assume you don't lock your home either. Gotta share...
Sharing is one thing - and very thoughtful on your part. But there's a difference between sharing and someone using your things without asking first, IMO.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Be as glib as you want, but notice you're the only one in this thread who's suggesting he just stop worrying about it and let whatever happen.
Many of us have been in shared rooms and lived the problems. Life may be too short to worry about people using your stuff uninvited, but it's also too short to pay for repairs on your amp or cab or basses, or have to replace them when they're stolen or damaged irreparably. As people around here know, I often 'share' my amp setup in live situations. I also am the first person to put my bass in their hands when someone wants to experience it. That doesn't mean I'm going to tempt fate by letting strangers mess with stuff unattended. Come back to your rig once after someone has maxed all the bass EQ and the gain and master volume and your speaker is fried and you may have a different opinion.
