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Other bands thinking my gear is theirs.

Broadbandcorpse

Broadbandcorpse

Jul 7, 2014
150
199
33
Doncaster
#1
I was wondering if any of you have ran into this and what your response was.

I was playing a gig the other night and I had my backline set up and it was agreed since we were the headlining slot that the other two band's bassists would use my amp, it get's to sound check and my band does a sound check and then the next band gets up to do a line check and that goes through with no hitch, the final band (which opened up the show) get's on and the bassist says to me "come on stage and write down your settings so I can change it to mine" so I said "you're not touching my amp, just plug your pedal board in and line check" and he starts ranting at me and the sound guy puts him in his place so the bassist just storms out.

I have had a couple of bands say to me that they are changing the settings on my amp, it's completely wrong for someone to do that.

Any of you guys had a similar experience?

Update: as people have not read every post I have put in this thread (I'm not having a go) I will explain, my problem is not people changing my settings it's about my past experiences with people touching my gear and breaking it because they are drunk.
 
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#2
I have let people play through my amps on occasion, and they always change the settings. It doesn't bother me, since I can always change the settings back. As long as they don't do any damage to the equipment, it isn't much of a problem. If I don't trust them, they don't play through it. Full stop. If I trust them, they can twiddle with the knobs and I don't mind.
 
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#3
Gaolee said:
I have let people play through my amps on occasion, and they always change the settings. It doesn't bother me, since I can always change the settings back. As long as they don't do any damage to the equipment, it isn't much of a problem. If I don't trust them, they don't play through it. Full stop. If I trust them, they can twiddle with the knobs and I don't mind.
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I can see that other people are cool with it but I don't like people touching my stuff as I have had to replace a couple of amps due to bands being drunk and crashing into stuff (We played with this band whose bassist got drunk before playing and fell into my amp, well let's just say it could not be fixed it was that badly damaged for the bassist falling into it with drink in hand and the headstock of his bass through the speaker of it).
 
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#4
I am normally a pretty laid back guy, I really am. But I once owned an Ampeg rig (8x10 with the SVT4 Pro Head) and allowed the opening band to use my rig. I told him up front to leave it where it was. The sound guy had it kicking butt already. The bass sounded huge that night. Anyway, evidently he couldn't hear himself standing right in front of a CRANKED UP AMPEG so he turns around and turns it up almost 3 notches until everybody in the back of the building including me can hear my 8x10 farting out like crazy. Needless to say I just head right up on stage and head straight to my bass rig and walk by the singer and bass player with the "stare of death" and turn my amp back where it needed to be. They got the point real quick as I gave them another look on the way off stage.
Now, granted most guys won't be like this, but you have to be prepared for the idiot who doesn't care that you take care of your expensive gear. Everybody doesn't care like you do. It is just like when you let somebody borrow something. They may not mean to, but it is not their stuff. They won't treat it as good as if it was their own. Some people will, but the majority wont.
And when it comes to effects pedals, I would almost always say no to a guy running effects pedals unless he had time to check all of his effects volumes. Some people understand about needing to have equal volume but I have seen guys switch a pedal on and blow a speaker immediately due to not having a clue what they are doing.
If they have a bunch of effects I hope one of them is a preamp pedal because they are going to need it!!!! :D:D:D:D
 
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#5
When I was getting started and mostly using other bands' gear when performing I was pretty lucky to be sharing the stage with some generous and trusting folks. Some of the amps were very knobby, and some were simple, most of the guys would glance at my cruddy old one knob and one switch bass, point at their amp and say something like "have at it!". I try to be the same, and the few times that I'm hesitant is usually pretty shaming as those folks are usually more respectful of my stuff than I am!
 
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#6
If you don't want people touching your stuff then you shouldn't offer your amp up at all to be used. Honestly you gotta let a person try to get "his/her" tone so they can play their very best. Being a douche to him would just screw up his/her Mojo. Sorry if I sound harsh...just being honest.
 
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#8
Broadbandcorpse said:
I have had a couple of bands say to me that they are changing the settings on my amp, it's completely wrong for someone to do that.
Click to expand...

If you don't want people messing with your settings then I don't think you should offer up your amp to the other bands. To say they can use your amp, and then say they can't adjust it IMO is wrong on your part. Unless you make it clear from the start (as in the preliminary emails) that anyone who used your amp has to keep your settings.

It's not a big deal to snap a picture of however you have it set up and reset it when your band goes on. Isn't that what we all have cellphones for now :)? With flashlights in them too! Sorry, but I can't take your side with this one.
 
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#9
I guess it's all in the delivery of communication. I don't read minds, but certainly I should figure out a better way than order the bassist who was kind enough to share his amp to write down settings.

For me, I would worry if my bass is hotter than the OP's bass (or vice-versa), I don't want to cause any trouble on that amp especially combined with the various playing techniques and active-bass settings I use. No doubt whatever happens, I'm not going to get the same tone or volume I'm used to.

Perhaps ask advice from the OP on what tone/volume I prefer with the bass I'm using on what I can possibly do with the amp's settings if anything.
 
#10
Broadbandcorpse said:
I can see that other people are cool with it but I don't like people touching my stuff as I have had to replace a couple of amps due to bands being drunk and crashing into stuff (We played with this band whose bassist got drunk before playing and fell into my amp, well let's just say it could not be fixed it was that badly damaged for the bassist falling into it with drink in had and the headstock of his bass through the speaker of it).
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Did the drunken bass player pay for a new one?
 
#11
I forgot one part of my story above. The bass player from the opening band showed up with nothing. He was also using my Warwick bass, not just my Ampeg rig. I am not sure what his reason was now it has been so long ago or if they even gave me one. That is why I was so dead set on him not adjusting anything. Normally, I know exactly where my settings are on my amp and I don't care what people adjust for their tone.
But, if the guy still cranks my rig to the point of my speakers farting out like crazy, I am still going to go turn him down every time. It is my equipment and it is up to me to protect it, no matter what anybody else thinks. I am fine with that.
 
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#12
It's out of line to offer equipment for a backline for multiple bands and then not allow them to make adjustments. I have never told anyone not to touch my gear in this kind of scenario and anytime I have had the privilege of using another's gear I have always been told by the owner to tweak as much as needed...I usually do not change anything though.
 
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#14
If you're going to offer up your gear, the player has got to be able to make adjustments. I don't think anyone here is suggesting you let them damage your gear, but they may have to turn a few knobs. It would be like playing at a festival and the stage manager telling you to leave the amp where its at. Just doesn't work that way.
 
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#17
Dude seriously? Don't touch my settings ? But you are providing the backline? Is your equipment so poorly matched that it cannot handle the settings used in reasonable use?
I would have told you you have to move your sh!t outta the way so I could use mine ...and set it back up...when I was done.. I don't have a pedal board and 9 times out of 10 I play with the eq flat... when I play at jams the amp usually has crazy eq and gain settings.. I usually bring an active bass and compensate. .. but that's a jam not a multi bill show.. I've provided a backline in the past.. I'll help the guy get what he wants. .. but my rig is so overkill no one comes close to topping it out...
If I can't use your amp then I won't use your amp.
You can move your equipment to protect it from my "amateur" usage you do realize your attitude is insulting right?
 
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#18
I was in a band once that hosted a weekly jam on Wednesday night.

Not many bassists came in, so I was mainly thehouse guy for most of the night. If someone did come in though, I made sure that when I left my amp, a Peavey Mark IV, I always punched out the EQ circuit, so the signal was going only through the analog preamp controls.

That way, the signal was not as hot, and NOBODY sounded as good as I did.

:cool:
 
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#19
THUNDERGODX said:
I was in a band once that hosted a weekly jam on Wednesday night.

Not many bassists came in, so I was mainly thehouse guy for most of the night. If someone did come in though, I made sure that when I left my amp, a Peavey Mark IV, I always punched out the EQ circuit, so the signal was going only through the analog preamp controls.

That way, the signal was not as hot, and NOBODY sounded as good as I did.

:cool:
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That's lame...no wonder not many bassists showed up for your jam.
 
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#20
Dude seriously?? Why did you offer to let people use your gear then? It's kind of a worthless offer if they can't use it in a perfectly reasonable and necessary manner. I wouldn't have "stormed off" but I would have politely asked you to tear down your amp for my set so I could use my own gear, and then laughed about what a weirdo you were with my bandmates on the drive home.
 
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