Lost $50 in cables last year - just got em all back!

[jmattbassplaya]

This is kind of a funny/sad story that I thought I'd share.

I did an inventory check at the end of last year and I discovered that I lost over $50 of gear from letting my bandmates borrow stuff on gigs/rehearsals. I was pretty mad and have since learned my lesson to NEVER lend stuff to people. Sure it makes me seem like an ass at times because I always have spares of almost everything you can think of, but it's just not worth it once the total gets that high.

Anyways, my band was packing up the PA we borrowed from a mutual friend of ours and I discovered one of my cables in the PA bag! I knew it was mine because I tape my cables with colored tape in a certain pattern so that I always know which ones are mine. My keys guy was certain it was the PA guys cable, but I knew it wasn't. I also found a second cable of mine in the bag, too.

What I figured happened was that the last time we played a gig with that guy's PA I let my band borrow my cables, and I guess in the confusion of it all someone in my band ended up packing up the stuff with the rest of the PA stuff. I even remember asking them where my cables went after the gig was over and my keys guy just shrugged it off with a careless, "I don't know."

To add more to the story, my keys guy was also about to pack another one of my cables that was laying on top of my cable bag in the PA bag, and once again he was swearing it belonged to the other guy.

Lessons learned:
- always mark your gear in some unique fashion
- never let ANYONE borrow your gear under ANY circumstances
- never let your keys player near anything that's yours

 

[Munjibunga]

All of my XLR cables have a half-inch-wide strip of shrink tubing around each plug. Then I put my initials in Sharpie on the strips. There's no mistaking whose cables they are. Further, they're color-coded. Blue is 15-foot, red is 25-foot, and yellow is either 10-foot or 50-foot.

 

[neo 7]

Kind of a double standard, isn't it? Never let anyone borrow your gear under any circumstances, yet your band borrowed a PA.

 

[kzr750r1]

Same goes for tools. I have a vague memory of loaning my files for nut setup and now can't find them. Of course only discover them MIA when I need them.

 

[Davejs]

I had two old pipe wrenches that my dad had given me. Well one vanished and nobody knew anything about where it went. Over a year later I see a guy with it, hey thats the wrench I've been looking for. No this is not yours I've had this wrench for the longest time over a yaer at least. Why does it have MY INITIALS ENGRAVED IN IT AND I HAVE THE TWIN? Got it back then and there.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Kind of a double standard, isn't it? Never let anyone borrow your gear under any circumstances, yet your band borrowed a PA.

I don't think so because I'm taking this on as a personal rule that I'm going to follow. If another member wishes to lend or borrow gear then that's their prerogative, but I feel like I came out of this situation lucky. I might not be so lucky next time.

But either way, I'm just happy to of gotten my gear back

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I also vibro engrave my name on my patch cords (metals ends). My mic cables have coloured tape on either end too, but that's more just to keep track of which mic is plugged into what PA channel.

 

[Stranger Danger]

$50 isnt worth being an ass to my bandmates IMHO.

 

[ksandvik]

I mark my cables so *I don't take others' cables* by mistake.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

$50 isnt worth being an ass to my bandmates IMHO.

I wouldn't say I'm being an ass by saying, "Sorry, I'm not lending gear anymore." Sure it's only $50, but that's money lost because my keys guy was being careless with the gear I lent him. And what's only $50 today might end up being $100 after a few more months, or a few hundred after a year.

Nah, I'd rather be a butt-munch and not be out any money than be the Boy Scout of the group and be out a hundred because of my generosity. I mean, if I can show up with every piece of gear I need to get the job done then he can too.

 

[DWBass]

$50 isn't worth being an ass to my bandmates IMHO.

I disagree! If you borrow something from me, you are responsible for getting it back to me!

 

[millsbass5]

I dip the ends of my tools,cables (mask off the connector,of course),etc.,in this stuff. works great.

Link Removed

 

[BogeyBass]

I had two old pipe wrenches that my dad had given me. Well one vanished and nobody knew anything about where it went. Over a year later I see a guy with it, hey thats the wrench I've been looking for. No this is not yours I've had this wrench for the longest time over a yaer at least. Why does it have MY INITIALS ENGRAVED IN IT AND I HAVE THE TWIN? Got it back then and there.

Hey thats perfect! just carry around a pipe wrench.

Anyone touches my cables,
my cousin Vinny will fix your pipes for yah....know what im saying?
hey forget about it

 

[Munjibunga]

$50 isnt worth being an ass to my bandmates IMHO.

Strange. I consider keeping things that you borrow to be asstistic.

 

[Factor88]

Someday, somewhere, no matter how well-maintained you keep your gear and no matter how many spares of fuses, strings, batteries, cables, etc. you keep on hand YOU are going to find yourself in the situation that in in order to pull off a gig you have to borrow something from either a friend or even someone you don't know very well. When that day comes (and it will) hopefully the dude that has what you need doesn't share your feelings.................

 

[thunesBARROW]

Sounds a bit petty to me.

 

[Frankjohnson]

IMHO - $50 once is not the end of the world. That said - $50 several times adds up. If you are paying for $$ - its like playing for less Money than everyone else in the band. If they can't be held accountable, then take it off the top of the gig - and tell them why. It should get their attention.

 

[GreggBummer]

All of my XLR cables have a half-inch-wide strip of shrink tubing around each plug. Then I put my initials in Sharpie on the strips. There's no mistaking whose cables they are. Further, they're color-coded. Blue is 15-foot, red is 25-foot, and yellow is either 10-foot or 50-foot.

THIS is a GREAT idea.


I've been marking my cables with red electrical tape for years. Not so much to keep them from getting stolen. If someone wants it, they will take it- and remove the tape. However, late at night after a gig/rehearsal all the cables look the same. My bandmates won't rip me off. But we are all guilty of grabbing the wrong cables or confusing whose mic is whose.

I'm going to start shrink tubing my cables. Great idea.

 

[kevingr]

I disagree! If you borrow something from me, you are responsible for getting it back to me!

Edit: misread your post

 

[Waffles and Scotch]

Someday, somewhere, no matter how well-maintained you keep your gear and no matter how many spares of fuses, strings, batteries, cables, etc. you keep on hand YOU are going to find yourself in the situation that in in order to pull off a gig you have to borrow something from either a friend or even someone you don't know very well. When that day comes (and it will) hopefully the dude that has what you need doesn't share your feelings.................

Exactly what I was thinking.