Other bands thinking my gear is theirs.

[gjbassist]

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.

Agreed. Other players may not have the same tone preferences as you do. If you are so worried about others touching your amp then just don't offer to let them use it

 

[moody]

I have been on the other end of this situation. Having to use another bass players rig without adjusting their settings at all. It was a peavey mk III through two 15" cabs so there should have been plenty of power on tap. The other bass player was a singer first and a bass player second and really wasn't to worried about the bass. I was using an active bass, but not one renowned for it's output volume.

I am not a loud bass player, but i could not hear myself. Using somebody elses rig I was kicking myself for not bringing my sansamp so that I could up the gain at least a little bit.

 

[jjmuckluckjr]

While it's nice to help but let's face some harsh truths. When times are tough, never mess with a man's livelihood. Even reading a lot of posts on this site, there's some serious coin most of us have dropped on equipment. If you aren't afraid to lose it,good luck. I don't care if it's a$25 POS run through a cigar box, it's mine and I love it and what it allows me to do, explore my art, annoy the neighbors or impress the ladies. Messing with my stuff has consequences son. I bought my first bass 1977 Fender Precision for$415 New and another $250 for an amp. I was 14 and that was one long hot summer mowing lawns because my parents wouldn't spend that kind of money even if they had it. That lesson came in handy the next year when it was time to drive. Helping a guy out in need is one thing. But if you want play, you know where the music store is , girls don't dance to air bass dummy.

 

[jmverdugo]

Normally you can't or shouldn't mess to much with the volume even if it is your amp - since you have a sound guy - but you have to let them twist the EQ or set it up flat so they can EQ their tones by other means.

 

[somegeezer]

Don't backline your gear if others can't use it. Even if they are from Doncaster. I usually start off by showing them where the EQ is, and explaining that treble is first, rather than bass. Then tell them if they need more volume, to use the master, and not the knob labelled "volume". The only time I've ever really had any trouble with my amp, is when someone brought their own Ampeg tube head, and thought it would be a good idea to put it on top of my comparatively tiny GK. Just no common sense in the fella. Thankfully, I was there, and grabbed my amp to allow him to put his down first.

If I were someone like you, and didn't want people touching my stuff, though; I'd sort out a different band to provide backline for the night. Have them put their gear up for the torture.

 

[Dojix]

The guy seemed relatively respectful, asking you to write down your settings first before he changed them.
I have a very exact EQ setup, so I'd be quite annoyed too if I wasn't allowed to get my own sound up. Honestly, that kind of crap is what I expect from a guitarist with no respect for bassists.
It's nice that you let them use your gear, but the knobs are there for a reason; getting the desired sound. It's useless to him otherwise.

 

[ashtray]

"You can borrow my car, but don't move the seat, adjust the mirrors, turn on the radio, or change the AC settings."

OP - thats not the way it works. For all we know you have your mids completely scooped out too! Another bassist might dial your amp in differently so that more people on TB would agree it should be set - but who knows. You just assume your settings are the best for everyone else's bass and attack.

Now if they are punishing the speakers, then yes - step in. But you should allow people to dial in their sound, and honestly all you need to do is mark each knob with a pencil mark where it should be set for you, and you can reset to your settings in 2 seconds.

I think the guy was nice asking you to write down your settings, bc if it were someone else's amp they let me use, I woukd fully presume I'm allowed to adjust the settings as needed.

 

[bikeplate]

Your gear, your rules. Done

 

[cheapbasslovin]

Your gear, your rules. You should let everyone know ahead of time what your rules are, though.

At the same time, if you're using someone's gear you've never used you should prepare for some quirks. Bring a preamp, eq, something to help you out.

 

[callofcthulhu]

That's a real dick move, OP.

If you're gonna be a selfish baby about your gear, let people know ahead of time so they can plan around your prima donna attitude.

Pulling a "my gear, my rules" stunt like that at the last minute is like inviting all your friends over for a party and telling them as they come through the door that it's a BYOB event.

Offering to backline implies you actually give a rat's ass about how the other bands' night goes. If you have no such care, don't feign that you do.

For the record I offer to backline my SVT and half or fullstack of 412s at every show I play and I don't look twice at how the other guys use it because I know what I've gotten myself into, and I'm prepared to foot the bill if something goes wrong. If I wasn't, then I wouldn't.

 

[the_stoot64]

What kind of amp do you have that using an EQ knob is on par with smashing your stack over in a drunken stupor?

 

[cheapbasslovin]

Offering to backline implies you actually give a rat's ass about how the other bands' night goes. If you have no such care, don't feign that you do.

It's been my experience that offering the back line implies that you want your gear onstage and not someone else's.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I use a Zoom b3 into active cabs, the guys have no idea how to adjust anything. They just plug, play and smile.

 

[MrBKerth]

Various angles on this one. Personally, I take this sort of thing on a case by case basis. Trustworthy seeming people who have an unexpected malfunction (not the result of some hero move like diming every knob) I'd probably let use my stuff. If I was backlining at the behest of the venue and I wasn't informed ahead of time I'd probably do what OP did. We've had shared drumsets etc. where nobody was told before the show what was going on and so the venue has us share to cut setup times. It sucks. If I knew ahead of time I'd bring some rugged cheap gear or decline to backline.

In the OP's case it really depends on the exact reason why the backline decision was made. If it was discussed ahead of time as a time saving measure I'd be a bit upset that I wasn't going to sound like me when I could've brought my own gear. Otherwise I'd just be happy that somebody let me use their gear and not touch the EQ.

 

[Fliptrique]

Adjusting is fine by me. Doing silly stuff like cranking the bass all the way up is not.

 

[FretNoMore]

You offer someone the use of your amp but don't allow them to even adjust the EQ? Sorry OP, but that is quite ridiculous.

If you share the backline everyone should of course be allowed to adjust for their sound during sound check and then make notes of their settings so the changeover between bands is smooth. Ideally do the sound checks in reverse order so the opening act has their settings down already when the show starts.

 

[StinkFoot]

as I have had to replace a couple of amps due to bands being drunk and crashing into stuff

If the venue is asking you let other bands use your gear, the venue might be on the hook for it. But, you'll probably have to get mixed up with lawyers, insurance etc.

LIke everybody else is saying, sounds like you should hang loose about your settings - it's kind of understood that if you're letting somebody use your amp with their bass, they're going to want to set it the way they like it. If you're in a situation where you think your gear is going to get damaged, then you need to deal with that somehow, before it happens, not afterwards. If you've got an agent or a manager or some guys in charge of your gear, etc, it migtht be better to let them handle it in advance if possible.

 

[odineye]

It is pretty plain and simple. You offered/allowed your rig to remain as the backline, the only polite thing to do is allow the other bands to dial up what they need. If you have a problem with that, then don't put your gear in that situation.

 

[decay]

I didn't have a gig yet, so no experience in this area, but is it rare that someone only brings his/her own amp and borrowing only the cab of the main act's bassist? This way there is no messing with the other bassist's EQ and you have more of your sound from the rig.
Or is this bulls**t??

 

[Eschaton]

I don't like the idea of other people touching my equipment. I would definitely want to meet and greet, get a sense of who it was using gear that I've invested money in BEFORE they had any chance to create a worst case scenario. That being said, I've never been in that situation, I've done some gigs here and there but never needed to share gear. If I thought the person was respectful of other musicians and at least knew enough to set up a stranger's gear for their own use, I think I could probably be okay with it. But I still wouldn't like it. Ideally I don't want anyone messing with my knobs, but I don't have the experience to give any concrete answers. Just my humble opinion.