Money down the drain...

It was somebody's fault, and that somebody is not you. The venue should be held responsible. Good luck with all that.

 

it worked when you lent it to him.he should either replace it or have it fixed. i would also check the fuse.

 

If I was your buddy, I would pay for it.

Not really the venue's fault. I have seen some crazy-a** voltage register on our power conditioners at many places.

I would say that this was an expensive lesson - either for you or your buddy. ALWAYS use a power conditioner, or at the very least a good surge protector.

 

I agree with this wholeheartedly, but the chances of getting a new amp or repairs more than a few dollars are probably slim to none in this situation. I think alot of us were in your shoes at one time or another (lending out gear and it gets damaged). Its like getting blood from a stone.

 

I agree with Matt...your friend should be held partially responsible!!

The venue won't cover anything as they will probably blame the band. Especially if the gear was plugged into a powerboard (even if it was supplied by the venue), which is a common occurance as pubs in Melbourne.

 

Your buddy owes you an amp, end of story. If you were using it, you would be responsible for replacing it. If he borrowed it, he is responsible for what happens to it. They should have had a line tester, voltage regulator, surge protector, etc. If they made the decision to forego those precautions while using someone else's equipment, well, that was their decision, not yours. You were good enough to help out a pal, he needs to be good enough to make up for your loss of a rig. Small claims can settle this if gentlemen can't.

 

Even it it's hitting up the guitar center used site and getting a 150 dollar Peavey or something (Which is better than the Behringer anyway) he needs to pony up.


Edit: Nevermind, you are in Australia, you probably paid 800 bucks for that Behringer head

 

This is why I would be very reluctant my gear to anyone, period.

Secondly, when someone borrows your gear, they are accepting responsibility for it, they are basically saying 'I promise to get it back to you in the same condition as when I took it off your hands'.

You've got a **** friend if he's trying to wash his hands of this. He owes you something back, whether partially or the whole rig. If I were him, I wouldn't just come back to you and say 'wasn't my fault, tough luck buddy'.

 

Well, even though "it was nobody's fault", it still happened when your mate was using it, and not because of some issue with the amp.

I'd be inclined to think you should have your amp fixed/replaced at the expense of your mate. Then maybe there's somebody he might seek regress from.

Did it take the speaker box with it?

From how you describe it, it sounds as if somebody connected the equipment between 2 phases in a 3-phase jack rather than between a phase and neutral. That would give it around 400 volts rather than the 240 you should have.

 

agreed, your buddy should do the right thing and replace your amp.

 

It is absolutely your friends responsibility, and Ive been in your exact shoes, but I know from experience that its not easy to get money from someone who doesnt have it. You can sue him sure, but that doesnt mean you are going to see any money anytime soon (he would most likely pay it back in small installments, if at all, and it would be a year before you had enough money for another amp anyway) Then again, he could have rich parents and then you tell him that their kid messed up your vintage 69 Ampeg and 8x10 that was also housing your original Picasso. =)

 

+100000000000000

 

Similar thing happened to me when I was in high school. A friend borrowed a synth for a gig. It was stolen, and he said..."It wasn't my fault". He is still a friend (since 3rd grade - we are both now 37), but I still think about how douche-y that was sometimes.

I hope your buddy does the right thing...even if that means promising to do SOMETHING.

 

YAY! Two stand-up guys...

 

My Rule #1: Never lend out my gear to musicians. EVER. I don't care who it is...unless they want to give me something to hold onto that is worth more than what they borrow it...so in case something happens to it I can sell it with no problem and re-buy.

 

Your friend owes you an amp plain and simple. You weren't a rental company that he paid to rent an amp from, in which a rental company would most likely have insurance of some kind to help offset such hazards. When I borrow something from a friend I hold myself accountable to bring what I borrowed back in the same condition I borrowed it. If something were to happen I'd pay for repairs or replacement. It's the ethical thing to do.

You sound like a nice person and keep that going in your life, however it's not up to you to help your buddy pay for what he should be owning up to; unless you choose to do it as an act of grace out of your own heart. I hope it all works out for you.

 

I'd be feeding somebody to the kangaroos.

 

You mean the dingoes.. as in 'the dingo ate my baby!!'.

Kangaroos are herbivores.

Perhaps even the Tasmanian Devils, although they are more carrion feeders.

Watch out for the drop bears though.