Insure4Music

If you're part of a band that wants to get your music in front of a bigger audience, our FREE guide covers everything you need to know about getting gigs and earning money from doing what you love! It's packed full of helpful tips and unique insights from those in the industry. You can download it today or share it with your fellow musicians using the link below.

https://download.insure4music.co.uk/unsigned-guide/

Exclusive offer for Basschat members! Save 15% on specialist insurance in our February sale. Get an online quote today for instant cover.

www.insure4music.co.uk/basschat

Hi guys, we're working with Basschat over the next few months to bring you some exclusive deals on bass and music insurance along with some free content and guides (you might have already seen some of our other posts).

If you're interested in getting your band on the festival line up this Summer then you might be interested in our FREE online tool, Line Up. You can search where to play, who to contact and how to apply for some of the UK's biggest festivals. Sign up today using the link below to get your own All Access Pass.

https://www.insure4music.co.uk/line-up/

If anyone wants to know more about insurance and why it’s important to protect your bass, check out our recent blog post. We also provide market value cover, so if anyone has any high value basses – you’ll be fully protected.

On 06/01/2020 at 17:35, bassfan said:

I drive an estate car, the seats are dropped to get everything in. The windows are heavily tinted (by manufacturer) you can’t easily see in,  so if my gear was stolen I wouldn’t be covered as it’s not in a specific compartment?  I would argue that the whole vehicle then becomes a compartment if the seats are down as it’s one space. Same way the basses are covered in my house, they aren’t in locked gun cupboards they are in a room with the front and back doors locked if I go out.  
 

Would I be Covered in an estate car or only in a car with a “boot” ? 

Hi Bassfan, you'd be covered in an estate car but the back seats would need to be up so that the equipment is out of sight. 

On 06/01/2020 at 18:26, Mottlefeeder said:

The bootspace in a hatchback is accessible by breaking a side window and pulling the seat-back down, and the roller blind cover of an estate car bootspace is similarly not lockable. Does that mean that you do not insure gear that is in the bootspace of an unattended car unless it has a fixed rear seat and parcel shelf?

Also, if I try and improve the securty of my hatchback by putting a plywood bulkhead and roof into the bootspace, it would be more difficult to remove any items except through the lockable rear door, but the bootspace itself would still not be a locked enclosure, so does that mean its contents are still not insured? If you are prepared to accept modifications to improve the securuty of the bootspace, what thickness of plywood would you deem to be an accceptable deterrent?

David

Hi David, as long as the equipment is in a locked boot and covered by a parcel shelf/roller blind then that's fine - the rear seats don't need to be fixed.

If anyone's looking to get some gigs booked in for the new year then our small music venues map of the UK could help. You can filter by location to find venues close to you and there's contact details where available so you can get in touch about booking your gig.

Take a look using the link below and feel free to share it with your band or other musicians.

https://www.insure4music.co.uk/venue-index/venues

If anyone's get any feedback or knows of any venues that could be added, we're all ears - just comment below!

We're logging off for Christmas now, we hope you all have a great one! If anyone has any more questions, feel free to post them and we'll get back to you when we're back online.

Lastly, we've got a special Christmas offer running at the minute. So if you're getting any new gear or want to insure anything you've already got, you can save 20% using this link www.insure4music.co.uk/basschat 

On 21/12/2019 at 18:33, neilp said:

I bought myself a Christmas present (unplanned!) of a lovely 1980 Aria SB1000 fretless to go with my fretted version. I'd guess the value at £1k, more or less, which probably takes the total value of my gear to around £23k if I include the double bass and bows, amplification etc

We're sure you deserve it! That's quite the collection you've got going, which one would you say is your favourite?

What's everyone's plans for Christmas? Is anyone planning on adding to their collection?

10 hours ago, spencer.b said:

I've gigged loads for the last 20 years and very rarely seen lockable storage big enough for a bass within a dressing room, if ever actually

Sorry for the confusion on this one! We just require the instrument to be in a locked room - it doesn't necessarily have to be in a locker.

12 hours ago, Mickeyboro said:

My 1971 Fender precision bass was bought in 1981 and I have the receipt. It is however worth ten times what I paid for it. Which figure would you pay out on?

Thanks for your question! In these cases we'd pay out to the market value of the instrument

18 hours ago, Monkey Steve said:

Thanks for your replies.  I have a few comments so perhaps you can clarify

On the unattended vehicle question, you will only provide cover if the instrument is in a locked boot?  this is important because basses are quite large instruments, and I've often not been able to fit mine into the boot of a car, especially when it's in a flight case.  Will you offer any other unattended vehicle cover, or purely just for gear that is in the boot?  Would the same apply for a tour van - covered if in a locked section of the van, but not if left in the front section where people usually sit?

You say that the instrument will be covered backstage if it's left unattended as long as it's in a locked storage area.  I have never seen one of these, even at reasonably well known venues like the Underworld - typically instruments will be left in flight cases back stage.  In the absence of these type of lockers, does this mean that insured equipment will only be covered while the owner is present?

You're correct on the unattended vehicle question, instruments need to be in a locked compartment of a car/van that is out of sight. It's similar to leaving a phone or wallet on the passenger seat of a car or putting it in the glove box.

Apologies for any confusion on the other point, but we just require the instrument to be in a locked room. It doesn't necessarily have to be in a locker.

On 03/12/2019 at 20:16, CamdenRob said:

Well this is promising... I guess the questions are pretty much what other insurers won’t cover a bass for.

Of course what’s ‘covered’ doesn’t really count for a lot so my questions would be have you ever paid out a claim for any of the following.

A bass stolen from a back stage room whilst the owner was elsewhere in the venue?

A bass stolen from an unattended vehicle?

A bass stolen from the venue when the owner was using it “for professional use” having received a few beer tokens for the gig?

A bass stolen or damaged on public transport?

I’ll probably think of a few more than that,  but it would be good to know if you’ve ever paid out a claim for any of the above 😊

Additionally I’m assuming basses in the home would be covered for theft and damage as per a usual contents insurance policy, along with full cover when outside the home?

 

 

Thanks for your question and apologies for taking a little longer to get back to you! To answer your questions...

A bass stolen from a back stage room whilst the owner was elsewhere in the venue?
This would be covered as long as it's stored in a locked locker or similar place of storage

A bass stolen from an unattended vehicle?
This would be covered as long as it’s out of sight in a locked boot

A bass stolen from the venue when the owner was using it “for professional use” having received a few beer tokens for the gig?
Our equipment policies cover professional use, if you're using your bass at a gig you're being paid for then you'll be covered for theft, loss & accidental damage

A bass stolen or damaged on public transport?
We provide cover in and out of the home, public transport included as long as due care is taken

On 03/12/2019 at 22:09, darkandrew said:

Many of my basses and guitars were purchased from forum members here, and therefore do not come with an official receipt. I have been told by other insurers that I need an independent, official valuation to value the bass (or other instrument) in this instance for insurance purposes otherwise they would not pay out on any future claim. Do you insist on an independent valuation? If not, what proof of ownership and value do you require?

Thanks for your question, we get that not all basses come with a receipt and in those cases we do ask for a valuation or bank / credit card statement. As long as it clearly shows date, price paid and details of the music equipment

We’re Insure4Music and new to the Basschat forum. Like you, we’re passionate about music and protect over 12,000 musicians across the UK with insurance. You play it, we protect it. The perfect partnership! Comment any insurance related questions you’ve got below, and we’ll get back to you.