Who's chewing the fat?
Just sayin' 
Might not apply to OP's gear, maybe to those who have tons of gear laying around, but I keep a good supply of !@#$ hand and power tools on hand for friendly neighbors. Don't care if they come back.
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Lending Gear and Related Ethics
- Thread starter FreshTrooperXBL
- Start date
Who's chewing the fat?
Just sayin' Might not apply to OP's gear, maybe to those who have tons of gear laying around, but I keep a good supply of !@#$ hand and power tools on hand for friendly neighbors. Don't care if they come back.
The main reason I say no is because I ask myself, what kind of musician doesn't have their own gear? I know that I've never once thought to rely on other peoples gear and I never wanted to, I'd rather play through my stuff anyways even if it's not as good. People should always lug their own gear out no matter how far the gig is, and if an amp is broken then they can rent one.
I let another bassist use my amp once about a month ago. I'm friends with the two guitarists but don't really know the bassist. We were headlining so I backlined my amp and apparently the other guy just didn't have an amp. Pretty lame. The guitarist had gotten into contact with me prior to it, so I let him play his squier bass iv through my amp, but I wasn't too happy with him constantly messing with the eq and volume and turning on pedals 3x too loud. So I think that's the last time I loan out gear
I let another bassist use my amp once about a month ago. I'm friends with the two guitarists but don't really know the bassist. We were headlining so I backlined my amp and apparently the other guy just didn't have an amp. Pretty lame. The guitarist had gotten into contact with me prior to it, so I let him play his squier bass iv through my amp, but I wasn't too happy with him constantly messing with the eq and volume and turning on pedals 3x too loud. So I think that's the last time I loan out gear
I don't lend my gear, ( I need it intact), and it will piss me off if I'm asked. A pro would know better than to ask, and anyone who does is not responsible enough to use it.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
You have every right to say no. You have every right to say "if you touch a knob on the amp, I am turning it off" - and then do it if necessary.
Some one who shows up to a gig without an amp (unless part of the agreement was that the venue would be providing the backline) has no reason to b!tch.
Some one who shows up to a gig without an amp (unless part of the agreement was that the venue would be providing the backline) has no reason to b!tch.
I believe the OP got hornswaggled and hamstrung here. You had all the right to pull the plug in the face of such disregard for your property, but for the sake of "the show must go on" you took the high road to keep from blowing the whole deal for everyone in attendance by putting a stop to the music. Admirable, but looks like you won't be back lining anyone's gig in the future....I hope...
I guess I consider lending my gear and letting someone use my gear as two different things. I consider lending to be giving it to someone who then takes it out of my sight. I do that if I know someone really well. As far as using my gear, I always let our opening act use my SVT and fridge. We always have PA support, so the amp and cabinet never get pushed anywhere near capacity.
However, letting multiple bands that I didn't know use it, or being asked at the last minute, that's a different story. I would take it on a case by case basis. My basses? No. Hell no. No exceptions.
However, letting multiple bands that I didn't know use it, or being asked at the last minute, that's a different story. I would take it on a case by case basis. My basses? No. Hell no. No exceptions.
If it's Multi band bill and no one is playing more then 45 to an hour I couldn't care less. Nothing they can do to my amp or cab to abuse it that I haven't done. If a band is coming from out of town anything I can do to help makes the entire night easier.
I lent my SR5 HH to a regularly gigging friend so he could try out a good 5 string. He said he it never left the house for the week or so he had it, yet when I got it back it had several new finish nicks and the pickguard was all scratched around each knob like he was manhandling the controls with long fingernails or something. I was appalled and called him out on it. He said he didn't realize anything had happened but agreed to pay my tech to fix it. Luckily the tech was able to drop fill the finish nicks and buff out the scratches on the pickguard and everything looked okay. But that was the one and only time I have loaned a bass out unsupervised, lesson learned.
My bass? No
I've let people use my amp before but never let them borrow it (take it somewhere I am not). It'd have to be someone I knew pretty well. I've been an opening band before too and I've always asked the bass player what I can mess with and what he wants me to leave alone. I also expected to have to pay if it blew up while I was playing it
I've let people use my amp before but never let them borrow it (take it somewhere I am not). It'd have to be someone I knew pretty well. I've been an opening band before too and I've always asked the bass player what I can mess with and what he wants me to leave alone. I also expected to have to pay if it blew up while I was playing it
It's not cool to show up to gig without equipment and expecting to use other's stuff without pre-arranging permission.
I always set my knobs and take a pick of the settings with my iPhone. That way the opening act can do whatever they want and I can put everything back in a few seconds. Someone offered to let me use their amp once and when I got there they told me I couldn't touch the controls. I'll know enough to ask that question if it every happens again.
you say You care for your gear ... right their is your answer , to never lend it out ! why , sadly because nobody else will give a flying crap about Your gear ...
1.5 hr drive ... yeh , so ... they can bring their own gear also, .. so They can do their best job also !
if you Enable others to behave this way ... there is only one person to blame ...
just my semi humble opinion ... YMMV
1.5 hr drive ... yeh , so ... they can bring their own gear also, .. so They can do their best job also !
if you Enable others to behave this way ... there is only one person to blame ...
just my semi humble opinion ... YMMV
I'm pretty lax with my gear as I kinda see cabs like toothbrushes, they just wear out over time and need to be replaced.
But my advice for anyone who gets asked to use gear in the future, look into renting. Most places that rent gear are very reasonably priced, even for a free gig.
But my advice for anyone who gets asked to use gear in the future, look into renting. Most places that rent gear are very reasonably priced, even for a free gig.
I will lend to qualified applicants, but there are ALWAYS these caveats: You must stay within the volume setting I choose, and I reserve the right to come in and adjust it during your performance. If you can't get with either of these, then bring your own.
It's a simple game, really.
I'd like to add that on the rare occasion I use someone else's gear, I assure whoever it is that I am fully responsible for any failure during my watch. I do this with confidence, because I NEVER dime out anyone's equipment, my own included.
It's a simple game, really.
I'd like to add that on the rare occasion I use someone else's gear, I assure whoever it is that I am fully responsible for any failure during my watch. I do this with confidence, because I NEVER dime out anyone's equipment, my own included.
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I don't allow other musicians to use my gear, bass or rig. Only once that I recall a bass player from another band on the same gig, rushed into our dressing room and asked to use my bass because he said the jack had packed up on his bass. I politely declined. Moments later we could hear him on stage playing his bass as normal. I did notice during our soundcheck he was paying great attention to my bass and I think he just wanted to play it. Failed...!!
I don't want to use anyone else's gear regardless of what it is but I will use a backline provided by the venue if it is clean sounding, otherwise I go DI and use the monitors.
I don't want to use anyone else's gear regardless of what it is but I will use a backline provided by the venue if it is clean sounding, otherwise I go DI and use the monitors.
A little story. Went to play a gig. Played first set. The band leader says there are a couple of bass players here who want to sit in with the band - can they use my bass. I say yes even though I play six string instruments. I make a point of talking to them both explaining what the two extra string do. One guy plays a four so I advised him to just ignore the top and bottom strings and he does OK. the second guy tells me he’s just been exposed to a five string so I tell him to ignore the top string. He does OK too.
Turns out that these two were auditioning for my position. The Five that the second guy was exposed to was the one I kept at the rehearsal spot.
I was told that the band was taking a break for a while so I went over to the unit to collect my practice gear. Everything was packed away, including my gear, so it was obvious the band had played at least one gig using my gear. All in all what a sleazy bunch.
The leader is an egoist and this was his band. I had been getting some really nice comments on my playing from members of the audience. I guess he didn’t like that.
Will I allow someone else to use my gear? Not a chance in hell!!
Turns out that these two were auditioning for my position. The Five that the second guy was exposed to was the one I kept at the rehearsal spot.
I was told that the band was taking a break for a while so I went over to the unit to collect my practice gear. Everything was packed away, including my gear, so it was obvious the band had played at least one gig using my gear. All in all what a sleazy bunch.
The leader is an egoist and this was his band. I had been getting some really nice comments on my playing from members of the audience. I guess he didn’t like that.
Will I allow someone else to use my gear? Not a chance in hell!!
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