Do you take good gear to rough venues?

[Cat Burrito]

We played one of the roughest pubs in town last night and I worked out my kit was worth nearly £4k. It was a concern and at one point a drunk guy leaving managed to knock over our PA head (which nearly started a riot!). In the past I have known players buy cheaper Squiers, just to gig at the rougher shows. My take is that I have some nice basses and they are meant to be played, but we really did watch the kit like a hawk. The rest of the band have good gear too. Just wondered what the general feeling is on this.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I wouldn't agree to do a gig at a pub if we knew it to be frequented by a-holes or p-heads.

[gjones]

This has occurred to me, when I play a dodgy bar. But if I only took my decent gear to posh venues, I would never play it.

Off course my gear is decent but not boutique or custom shop stuff.

[Painy]

My current number 1 gigging bass is a Squier but that's because I genuinely love it (it has had some modifications though) not because I'm worried about damage at gigs.
My main bass for about 7 years though was a Warwick Streamer stage one that I bought new. I played it at every single gig that I did during that time and can't say I ever worried about it. When I eventually sold it the only marks on it were put there by me.

[Wilco]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' timestamp='1503945699' post='3361755']
I wouldn't agree to do a gig at a pub if we knew it to be frequented by a-holes or p-heads.
[/quote]

This.

[BassAgent]

I don't bring my vintage bass to sketchy shows. But I do bring my vintage P. Don't know why.

[blue]

This is a problem for me. I own several expensive vintage bass guitars that I won't take to most of the places we play.

Blue

[Osiris]

There is one venue we play that is always a really good gig with most people there to enjoy the music and to have a good time, but the venue has an occasional undercurrent or vibe that something is about to kick off. Once or twice in 5 or 6 years of regular gigging there, unfortunately it has done. But the door staff are fast and efficient in dealing with anything, often before it kicks off. But it still takes the edge off the evening.

Because of this (and because it's a damn fine bass irrespective of price) I have a 'stunt bass', a 10 year old Peavey Zodiac. It cost me around £200 new and it's the one instrument that I'm not too precious over. Obviously I don't want it to get deliberately damaged, but if it does, at least it isn't one of my more expensive basses. It has paid for itself many times over in the time I've had it so should the day ever come I (hopefully) won't be too upset.

It has a good weight too should I ever need to [i][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyK0y02HvVc"]do a Keef[/url] [/i]with it

[kevvo66]

Been there done that, I posted same sort thing awhile back, but it is what it is and sometimes we've gotta play these places and if it pays well, but not for me now I'm afraid of getting my gear damaged as you rightly said is it worth the trouble

Edited August 28, 2017 by kevvo66

[Woodinblack]

I vary my basses anywhere and in a pub I thought was a bit dodgy or didn't know, I wouldn't take my most expensive bass, but my amp and stuff would all be the same. Its all insured but I would rather it not get damaged. But I have never had any trouble, and some of the pubs I expected to be the worst were actually fine.

[fftc]

I'm not sure [b][i]I'd [/i][/b]want to be in a pub I didn't think was safe enough for my gear!

[ambient]

How much are your cars worth though?

[BrunoBass]

I wouldn't play anywhere where I thought my safety was at stake, but we do play rowdy places sometimes where spirits can be high and beer gets spilt. These indeed are my favourite gigs; eyeball to eyeball with the crowd, you might get the odd knock into the mic stand or the occasional trip over the pedal board, it's no biggie. I wouldn't take my £1000 EBMM Stingray to these gigs though, I'll take my £100 Jazz Bass copy. It's all part of the fun.

I'm sure there's been a thread on this subject before?

[DJpullchord]

Nothing like watching some scrapping going on from the stage! Cheer them on!

[NewDad]

If I did, I'd avoid listing the gear and gigs in my sig.

[fretmeister]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1503952735' post='3361839']
How much are your cars worth though?
[/quote]

With or without a full tank of petrol?

[ezbass]

My basses and rig are tools for the job, I take them where they're required, it's hard to be fussy about the venues and clientele when gig opportunities are not exactly plentiful. I also don't like owning gear that doesn't get used regularly at all (nothing wrong with having gear to collect, look at, whatever, this is just me) and there's a certain bass in a 'glo finish that might have to move on (not on this forum of course ).

[No lust in Jazz]

Yes I do...

[TimR]

A quick tot up of my gigging rig puts me at £1500. £4K seems an awful lot of money to me.

That's a bass, an amp and two cabs. Any one of those items could become damaged but it would have to seriously kick off for it all to get trashed.

If I was that worried about it I'd get it insured. I think last time I looked into it it was £50 a year.

[fretmeister]

I'm amazed anyone gigs without insurance.

Not only for their own gear, but most gear policies cover public liability insurance as well.

[ambient]

My bass alone would cost over £5k to replace, then there's my MacBook, loads of effects pedals and my combo.

The sort of places I play at, and the people who come aren't likely to see trouble though.

My gear is also insured through the MU.

I can't believe people have gear that leaves the house and isn't insured.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1504010113' post='3362079']...
I can't believe people have gear that leaves the house and isn't insured.
[/quote]

It's only stuff, after all. A hassle if nicked or damaged, but not life-threatening in any way. Insurance is just betting, really; so far, by luck and diligence, I've never had any occasion to win such a bet. It could happen, of course, but in the meantime I'm not concerned by looking for insurers, comparing rates, having to renew (and fork out, naturally...). I can safely say that I've never lost a bet in my life, so far, and for good reason; I never bet.

[fretmeister]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1504011561' post='3362097']
It's only stuff, after all. A hassle if nicked or damaged, but not life-threatening in any way. Insurance is just betting, really; so far, by luck and diligence, I've never had any occasion to win such a bet. It could happen, of course, but in the meantime I'm not concerned by looking for insurers, comparing rates, having to renew (and fork out, naturally...). I can safely say that I've never lost a bet in my life, so far, and for good reason; I never bet.
[/quote]

Going out to gig with nice gear is the bet. Your gear is the stake.

Without a policy your best result is to break even.

[bassbiscuits]

If a place is a real flying stool place, then i probably wouldn't take the gig anyway.

Saying that, I will tend to take cheaper gear if i know its a gig that's going to be particularly rowdy or messy, especially if its one which involves leaving some gear at the venue for any reason.

Sods law is that some of these gigs turn out to be the best ones, so i try to make sure the cheap gear I take is still good enough to enjoy playing hard!

[Adrenochrome]

I don’t own any equipment or instruments worth more than ~300 quid used. To me they are tools to do a job, and as such I never panic at potential damage. Plus, you can never pick which venues damge coud occur – at one of the nicest venues I’ve played a drunken punter fell into my gear destroying a stand and putting a few dings in my bass. She was having a great time dancing and singing, and it was just an accident, however predicatable.

[size=2]If I collected instruments, or had something expensive to record with for instance it might be different. If I did, I doubt the music I was making would sound much different or better ;-)[/size]