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"your rig or the gig is cancelled"

#81
i've had a couple shows where it just made more sense to share gear. i have a nice enough rig, so i volunteeres mine. but my preamp's a Rusty Box on my pedalboard, so once it's dialed in for how they want to sound it's a little out of the way to knob twiddle on. both times i've had no problems and it's gone fine.

i wouldn't do it if somone just showed up expecting an amp, and no one gets to use my bass, but if it's people i know and i'm talked to ahead of time and i'm gonna be there till the end of the show anyways? i don't mind.

but for sure. someone trys to guilt you into it? screw that. good for you for standing up to 'em.
 
#82
groooooove said:
this is my point. i've had it happen before and eventually, after reconing a speaker that i knew i never pushed and some jackass was too rock n roll to turn the volume off before he unplugged- i said okay, nobody other than myself- litterally nobody- will ever gig my stuff again.

even though i do know most of the people, the point still stands that it'd be my problem if something went wrong.

but anyway- after a bunch of angry texts, i remained polite and restated my point of view a few times. eventually i got a reply from the guitarist that was something along the lines of "well soandso has a practice kit that we can get there.. so i guess if we can get a full kit out of that he can bring his amp"

i totally knew that the reality of it did not come down to needing my rig. probably it's just that they know i have the good stuff :p
Click to expand...

Hmmm...if you wanted to be ornery.......

"Oh, but you told me no amp no gig. I thought I was free and made another commitment. Sorry guys, can't be there."

:ninja:
 
#83
I used to be ok with other bands using my rig. After having one guy place his beer on my amp and spill it I was a bit more skeptical about it. There was a case where a verry new band was playing their firstgig and asked to use my amp right before their set, I agreed since it was for 3 songs. The bassist decided to overload the amps input for the final song to get some distortion out of the amp. I died a litle that night.

Now I only allow another bassist to use my amp if they contact me personally in advance and I have seen them play before or if they really know their stuff.

If I was asked to have my rig used by five bands I'd ask a rental fee. If I was given an ultimatum to have everyone use my rig or not play I wouldn't play.

If I was playing in rock/metal scene I would be the only one using my amp, because i don't need a lot of stage volume but in that scene a lot of bands do and my rig couldn't handle that.
 
#85
The day I let 5 bands worth of guys beat on my stuff is the day I'm getting a $300 rental fee. That includes cartage and I'll stay the whole show and tech the rig.


For free?
oh pu-leeze!
 
#87
Sharing is caring

I usually bring my old 8x10 that everyone can use.
Some guys bring just their head and pedals and just use the community cab.

not really a big deal, when we play shows with other bands i offer them to use my cabinet anyways.

Even if you hate 10's if you cant get a 8x10 to sound like bass...then you got problems

If i showed up to a gig and had to use a Markbass i would be mad.

I will take the gig, and the paycheck too
 
#88
It happened a few times where other people (and me) were sharing instruments and just having a laugh.
The guitarist was on my bass, I was on his guitar, but we both know eachother so we didn't ask to change EQ's or anything and a lot of fun was had.

However, when We went to the other band, the bassist offered me to play in his band for a few songs, and I gladly accepted.
But before he even handed me the bass I made clear I'd be careful, and if I demolish something I'd pay it back. I asked if I could change the EQ's if I wanted to and he told me to ''lighten up, don't be so stressy''. I guess people are different.

If it was for me, I would not be comfortable one bit if a stranger was on my stuff. I would charge a deposit, and any repairs would be taken off, but still. I didn't buy it to lend it out or to get it repaired. I bought it for myself.

If someone would ask me kindly in a manner that comforts me ''Hey man, I've tried what I could, but my amp just does not fit in my trunk, would you mind if I borrow yours for that night? I'll be carefull and would pay a deposit if you want me to :)'' then I would accept it easily.
This i how I would ask it anyway given the amp doesn't fit.

But demanding, expecting, ultimatums and rude texts are a definite no-no for me.
Good call OP.
 
#89
I've complained about this before, but I'm going to bring it up again: This whole mentality that headliners should have their backline provided by the opening band still baffles me. I know it's usually the result of a cheap-ass promoter trying to pocket some extra change, but it's lame, pure and simple.

In a previous project, my drummer had to pretty much shake down a tour manager for a check to cover his damaged cymbals, drumheads, and stands because the national touring drummer who used his kit destroyed them. My guitarist also once had to lend his guitar rig to one of the guitar players in Humble Pie (post-Frampton Humble Pie, this guy was washed up and was touring in an SUV). My guitarist was using a rack-system with an ADA pre, and it baffled the old burn-out who probably never played anything more complicated than a Plexi. My guitarist about flipped a lid when Humble Pie's guitarist just cranked on my guitarist power amp. Then I have another friend, whose previous project opened for one of the touring versions of L.A. Guns. My friend's drummer agreed to provide his drums for the Guns, and the Guns' drummer had enough audacity to cop an attitude when my friend's drummer asked him not to change his memory locks.
 
#90
Oh, and +1 on the whole "out of town" line being a line of BS. Sometimes I play in the town I live in. Sometimes, I play an hour and 45 minutes away. It's not harder for me to move my equipment for either gig. I pack my car up just the same, regardless of distance.
 
#91
I think the first thing that really struck me was the threatening of cancelling the gig.

I would have told whomever that I don't respond to useless threats and that I cancell the gig, not them.

Anyways, on borrowing gear....you HAVE to know and trust the person. Plain and simple. you could do what some guitar players do and put plates in front of controls...so they can't mess with settings or the volume. and put a sign on the plate...$200 fee to take the plate off.
 
#92
Dirk Diggler said:
Maybe I'm crazy but I've been in that situation and always did it. My rig was far better than the other bands anway. :) No one ever damaged my gear either.

I guess another thing is since you are all friends would be the first reason why you should do it.

To me an amp is one thing, a bass is another, although I let people try mine that I make all the time too, so I guess I'm in the minority here.

Do you really think whatever basses these other guys will be playing will damage your rig, really?
Wow that is one fragile rig you've got there.

Sorry man, I'd take that gig, it's about music not gear. :)
Cranky old man signing off. LOL
Good luck,
Dirk
Click to expand...

Basses don't kill rigs. Idiots who EQ stupidly and turn up past the rig's limits do. I'd be hesitant about letting someone else use my nice speakers, too.
 
#93
Extrinsic said:
i've never had bad experiences lending either my bass or my amp, so I guess I'm lucky. now my xbox 360 on the other hand....

aside from like kicking the amp or spilling food on it (obvious party foul) what else can they do to an amp? jam a quarter inch in it and rattle it around? I just soundcheck them before the gig, run them DI out of the amp, and tell them not to touch the volume.

(PS my gear isn't worth too much and the gigs I get are tame in general. grain of salt)
Click to expand...

What can they do to an amp? Oh, I dunno, maybe the blow the speakers, for starters.
 
#94
will33 said:
Yep, no gig.

After many requests like this I started telling people it required a $2000 cash deposit, refundable after said rig was given a clean bill of health by a (insert manufacturers name here) authorized service/repair center the cost of which would be deducted from their deposit.

The requests stopped.

What kind of band travels with no gear?
Click to expand...

+1

This gives them a polite reminder that your gear is not crap and everyone needs to respect it.

There has to be a local music store that would rent a decent rig. This is not a new problem...
 
#95
I've done quite a few gigs as part of the house band which plays a set and then lets other bands/musicians up to do their thing. The understanding has been that if other BPs turn up, they are allowed to use my rig.

However, this arrangement has always been the result of prior negotiations with the bandleader/promoter/venue owner where an additional 'hire fee' has been included in the evening's pay. For these situations, its useful to have a less expensive second rig that you can take to the gig - just make sure its one good enough that you'd use yourself on a professional job.

As for asking to borrow one of my instruments - well, don't even bother! A good way of deterring others from asking is to take just one bass, an unlined fretless 5....one look is enough to discourage most amateur enthusiasts ;)
 
#96
Ya know, you can at least bring your amp and back line a cab.
I still don't understand the expectation of using someone else's gear. Hell, I'd rather bring my own rig. I'm not that lazy.

But I gotta say this to a lot of guys who posted about your settings getting all messed up by someone else....is you amp so nutty that it takes you for ever to get it back to where it was?
Hell, you can do whatever you want to my amp setting wise. I can have it dialed back to where I had it in about 10 seconds.
I kinda know where my settings are so I really wouldn't even need to be plugged into it to do it. Plus they change to a degree depending on the room/stage anyway.
 
#98
I rarely ever let people borrow my rig. Even though I have a relatively cheap setup, I cant afford to replace it if something happened. The few times I've let people borrow my rig, I specifically told them to not mess with the knobs and volume, and I would EQ them to their liking. And of those few times, one was a bad one where the bassist was pretty full of himself and started to mess with the stuff on my amp... I play mostly Metal (Drop A - Periphery-esque) so I'm usually pretty loud, but this guy! Turned the volume nearly all the way up and blew 2 speakers on my 4x10! I was not a happy camper
Now I only let people I know and trust use my rig, and even then I ask if there's any way they can use theirs or ask someone else.
 

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