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Allowing someone to use your bass at a gig.


jazzyvee
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[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1413278775' post='2576539']
Your not 100% safe though, what if Andy McCluskey from orchestral manoeuvres in the dark was next on and his Jack socket failed? He plays left handed basses right handed and upside down!
[/quote]

He does what!?

I wanna hear the story behind that one?

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Last time I lent a bass out to a support act in a similar predicament the bass player "I'm really a guitarist" (he told me after) critiqued what he thought was wrong with my bass and was so ungrateful I did consider letting him wear it as a hat (or stool!) It rather tainted my otherwise easy going nature so I now apply the aforementioned "prat" test.

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My own take on this is that I paid up for my bass for my use. If someone was supporting and their bass packed up I would have to know them quite well to loan a bass to them. There is always the possibility that my bass could stop working in their hands, so I am reluctant to loan one out. I always carry a spare and so should they.

On the other hand, I run a jam night and have a P bass copy for general use. It is quite a good bass and people who use it often tell me so. If I bring another bass and keep it for my own use I am not being tight as some infant said to me the other week. I am looking after almost a grand's worth of Jazz bass.

Edited by 12stringbassist
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[quote name='Mark Dyer' timestamp='1413296294' post='2576822']
This is going back some years but the band I was in at the time got a support with The Beyond, who were getting a lot of attention with their debut album.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, the inevitable happened and my bass died, active circuit went bust as I remember and I didn't have a spare that night. The Beyond's bass player wasn't interested in lending me a bass, can't say as I blame him he had some v nice Modulus guitars if I remember correctly and Ampeg mega rig.

So, we ended our set after two and half songs and to top it all a journo from Metal Hammer was there that night, said he was impressed with what he had heard but needed more than three songs to write a review. The rest of the band were well pissed off with me, can't say as I blame them either and I felt like a complete dick for not bringing backup.

I learnt a lesson that night and have never gigged without a spare bass since.

If a gig is important enough, you bring a spare. NO EXCUSES!
[/quote]

It's only in the last 3 weeks that I had 2 basses. In 20 years of gigging I've never had a problem, the worst that can happen is the battery go, but I change those regularly, and I can switch out the preamp.

[quote name='Mark Dyer' timestamp='1413301268' post='2576905']
He does what!?

I wanna hear the story behind that one?


[/quote]

One of my tutors play like that, as does Lee Pomeroy.

It would totally depend who it was. I've let guys at uni use my bass, but I know and trust them.

I only play 6 string basses anyway :)

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It's no secret, I don't let others use any of my gear. Not at this stage in life. For those that do, I think level of maturity, personality, type of act/band and the caliber of the bass your letting someone else use comes into the equation.

Things like high end, low end bass, these terms are all relative. What I think is high end you might think of as mid-range or low end.

Blue

Edited by blue
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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1413326909' post='2577295']
It's no secret, I don't let others use any of my gear. Not at this stage in life. For those that do, I think level of maturity, personality, type of act/band and the caliber of the bass your letting someone else use comes into the equation.

Things like high end, low end bass, these terms are all relative. What I think is high end you might think of as mid-range or low end.

Blue
[/quote]


Low end or high end is immaterial to my mind, you've still bought it, and it's cost is relative to what you can afford. If some idiot breaks it then it's broken.

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Lending to famous people is still not a guarantee it will be treated respectfully.
[url="http://m.spin.com/articles/prince-smashed-someone-elses-guitar-fallon/"]http://m.spin.com/articles/prince-smashed-someone-elses-guitar-fallon/[/url]

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[quote name='jazzyvee' timestamp='1413362360' post='2577412']
Lending to famous people is still not a guarantee it will be treated respectfully.
[url="http://m.spin.com/articles/prince-smashed-someone-elses-guitar-fallon/"]http://m.spin.com/ar...-guitar-fallon/[/url]
[/quote]

Well that's totally out of order, if true. What an arse.

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[quote name='Protium' timestamp='1413367331' post='2577503']
Bad experiences with amps in particular always means a no, except in the rare circumstance it is a friend. Top tip, I am still going to say no even if your fat guitarist squares up to me shouting "why the f*** not, how are we supposed to perform?"
[/quote]

ESpecially if your fat guitarist... etc.

Really? That happened? :lol:

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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1413370029' post='2577540']
ESpecially if your fat guitarist... etc.

Really? That happened? :lol:
[/quote]

It did, they were a group of teenagers going mad on a £20 bar tab :lol: Turned up with just guitars expecting to use everyone elses gear. To be fair if the bassist had asked me himself I would have considered it, but this guy came over with a load of attitude and I just thought no chance lad.

Edited by Protium
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You do tend to learn to read people but you can always get caught out. Years ago when I'd only recently bought my ric we did a birthday gig for someone and the kid who was in the support band wandered over to my bass and kind of looked at me with an imploring 'can I?' look but he'd got his own bass and I still hadn't insured the ric so I had to politely turn him down. I have let others use my stuff (including the ric) at jam sessions with no harm done, but by then I had time to assess the potential borrowers who were regulars.

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[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1413275778' post='2576501'] Again, for me it would be dependant on the guys attitude and how he was on stage (i.e if he was jumping about I'd be more inclined to say no). I can understand why some people are unable to bring their own rig/a backup bass to gigs. I don't drive so bringing a second bass with me via public transport isn't always ideal (or at times possible). [/quote]

How do you carry your amp? I'm seriously considering buying a trailer for my bicycle reckoning that I can get a combo in it. Spare bass would be tricky, I only have one back to put a gig bagged bass on, but could carry a spare with the neck removed - hmm... may take time to become tuning stable after reattaching the neck.

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[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1413383102' post='2577738']
How do you carry your amp? I'm seriously considering buying a trailer for my bicycle reckoning that I can get a combo in it. Spare bass would be tricky, I only have one back to put a gig bagged bass on, but could carry a spare with the neck removed - hmm... may take time to become tuning stable after reattaching the neck.
[/quote]

Double gig bag? I use one all the time. Not on a bike, tho... :D

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[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1413384292' post='2577757']
Double gig bag? I use one all the time. Not on a bike, tho... :D
[/quote]

I didn't know that double gig bags existed. That's a fair amount of weight, however. Looking at this: http://www.gak.co.uk/en/mono-m80-dual-bass-gig-bag/102554?gclid=CPeKi5z1rsECFfMZtAodJx0ARA I couldn't help but note an Ibanez Soundgear bass sticking out of the bag in the photo. My 'at work' bass is a SR760, and I just lifted it. I could imagine putting one of those in the bag and then adding a pawlonia bodied bass as a spare, or maybe a Steinberger clone.

I think I've worked out the acronyms in other posts. MB200 I recognise, but I had to google to find out what an EA whizzy 10 is. I've just lifted a 2x10 250w combo, and it was pretty heavy. On a bicycle trailer that weight may be an issue.

This is all theoretical at the moment, but I like to think about things well ahead.

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[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1413386783' post='2577800']
I think I've worked out the acronyms in other posts. MB200 I recognise, but I had to google to find out what an EA whizzy 10 is. I've just lifted a 2x10 250w combo, and it was pretty heavy. On a bicycle trailer that weight may be an issue.

This is all theoretical at the moment, but I like to think about things well ahead.
[/quote]

I also have an EA Wizzy 10 I use when travelling on the bus. It fits neatly in a padded cajon bag with space at one end for a head and cables. The weight is about 17lbs, so there aren't many lighter bass cabs on the market (except the Greenboy Crazy 8 design). I'd think twice about carrying one on a bike rack, but it should be fine in a good trailer.

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