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Following on from the damaged WAL thread......


Phil Adams
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In general I gig whatever bass I feel like playing, whether it's my RD Artist (which is probably worth 1.5-2 grand depending on who's doing the selling) or the Yamaha BB450 I resurrected for about fifty quid. There is a line, and it's common sense. I won't take an expensive or rare bass to a festival, for instance.

To be honest I rarely leave the bass out as we're usually not the only band on the bill so it goes back on in the bag and stashed in the wings of the stage or in a designated area. If we're on first then I might leave it out, but you can bet I'll always be close by (or a band member will be asked to keep an eye out). A couple of weekends ago I was playing at a private party on a farm in the middle of nowhere, I took my G&L El Toro and left it out on the stand. Was never going to be a problem. It's all about risk assessment.

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I can't get my head round owning gear to not play it. My two main basses are expensive-ish (but not mind blowingly so) but I bought them to gig with.

I saw a discussion on another forum recently about whether or not people gig their vintage guitar amps - the number of guys on there who had brilliant amps that were built for gigging (and definitely too big for home noodling) that they wrapped up in cotton wool at home while buying cheaper, less tasty sounding amps to gig with. Why even bother?

If you're playing Bob's Country Bunker and you're worried the locals will get through the chicken wire then by all means take something cheaper, but for day to day gigging, surely you want the best tools for the job?

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I guess having a bass is the same as anything else; if you can't afford to lose it, insure it. If you can't afford to insure it, then you can't afford to own it.

I got a quote for £1200 of gear, covered for about £3 a month. It's not big bucks.

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For getting on for 20 years my Pro1 was my only bass and came to all the fleapits & dives we used to gig with - to date & please God without tempting fate - no problems. It has always been insured, though as a passive->active conversion hybrid Wal I think I would have a virtually impossible job to replace it.

It had been semi retired, but just sounds so good and plays so easily that it's been going into the twin bag for gigs more & more again recently.

Gigged with a chap recently who had his prized basses and his pub gig basses, the latter being bargain buys on Ebay

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I play all my basses and have gigged all except the ACG fretless until I sort out some insurance. Talking of which, an apologies for a minor thread hijack, but...

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1370864201' post='2106423']
I guess having a bass is the same as anything else; if you can't afford to lose it, insure it. If you can't afford to insure it, then you can't afford to own it.

I got a quote for £1200 of gear, covered for about £3 a month. It's not big bucks.
[/quote]

Where's a good place to go for insurance for musical related items?

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I have a nice vintage Fender bass but it's insured. I've stripped it down & it's in more of a players condition rather than a collectors condition. I'd be upset rather than totally distraught if it was damaged or stolen. They are tools of the trade after all & I'd just get another decent bass

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My main gigging bass has a replacement cost greatly in excess of the Wal in the other thread. Instruments and equipment are there to be used.

TBH if I was worried about the safety and security of my musical equipment at a venue, I'd probably be equally worried about the safety and security of my person, and I'd probably not be playing there. Gear can always be replaced. For me the wrong kind of injury could prevent me from ever playing again which IMO is far, far worse.

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[quote name='mike257' timestamp='1370863478' post='2106404']
I saw a discussion on another forum recently about whether or not people gig their vintage guitar amps - the number of guys on there who had brilliant amps that were built for gigging (and definitely too big for home noodling) that they wrapped up in cotton wool at home while buying cheaper, less tasty sounding amps to gig with. Why even bother?
[/quote]
Investment.

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[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1370860234' post='2106312']
I'd never own a bass I was afraid to gig, that's what they are bought for and if a bass doesn't get a reasonable number of outings per year then it gets moved on.
[/quote]

This.

What's the point? I use basses for playing bass on as opposed to them being worldly goods for me. I don't show my gear off at gigs, or anywhere else, it's just my bass stuff and I do not want to be identified by it either.

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[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1370870450' post='2106594']
....I treat basses as tools....I just use the best tool for the job and don't get attached to them....
[/quote]

+1

Anywhere small or iffy looking and the bass goes into the case when I’m not playing it.

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[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1370875369' post='2106698']
I haven't even got spare strings at the moment! Can't get hold of the set I need. I have one bass, one electric and one acoustic guitar and my POD. That's it. Risky?
[/quote]

No, as I'm sure I could dig something out to lend you if you lost your bass.

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[quote name='mike257' timestamp='1370863478' post='2106404']
I can't get my head round owning gear to not play it. My two main basses are expensive-ish (but not mind blowingly so) but I bought them to gig with.

I saw a discussion on another forum recently about whether or not people gig their vintage guitar amps - the number of guys on there who had brilliant amps that were built for gigging (and definitely too big for home noodling) that they wrapped up in cotton wool at home while buying cheaper, less tasty sounding amps to gig with. Why even bother?

If you're playing Bob's Country Bunker and you're worried the locals will get through the chicken wire then by all means take something cheaper, but for day to day gigging, surely you want the best tools for the job?
[/quote]Every gig we do is like Bob's Country Bunker. But there is no chicken wire and we can't play Rawhide :unsure:

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