Lending your gear out

[OldGit]

or help her make a "wanted" ad for here...

[pricechris10]

Jono,
She's quite obviously taking your good nature for granted. If she is serious about playing in the band, she will fork out for a rig. Don't be such an easy touch!

I've had gear that has been damaged and "lost" while on loan. Apparently Mr. Nobody did the damage to the amp and the wireless equipment was packed into the van at the end of the gig and must have gone into a black hole!

You sound like a decent person. She should understand if you say no.

All the best and I hope you resolve things with the young lady!

[Protium]

No-one borrows my gear

[tombboy]

I once loaned my Son's godfather a twelve string acoustic to learn on..... two months later it's pegged on the wall of some pub (ala 'hard rock cafe' style) battered to buggery with only five strings.
Let's just say HE was pegged on the wall until someone dragged me off!! (it was an De-Angelico!!!)




My gear goes NOWHERE!!

[odub]

[quote name='YouMa' post='434009' date='Mar 13 2009, 06:25 PM']Is she fit! would you be more likely to get into her knickers if you lent it?[/quote]

beat me to it

[Golchen]

I say don't let it leave the flat. She needs to get her own bass if it's getting serious. Next thing she'll think she has legal and bonding timeshare on your kit.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='YouMa' post='434009' date='Mar 13 2009, 06:25 PM']Is she fit! would you be more likely to get into her knickers if you lent it?[/quote]

I'm disappointed that we got to page two before this issue was raised.

I only lend gear to people who I know really well, and know they look after gear. I've got one mate who can borrow anything he likes if I'm not using it, stuff always comes back filthy if it's been with him for too long but he's really careful not to cause any damage.

I've also seen people borrow guitars and then lean them up against things they're going to easily slide off. Like car doors! I'm usually the one moving things other people have put down before someone has to sweep up splinters.

[EssentialTension]

There are people to whom I might lend gear and there are situations in which I might lend gear.

This is definitely not one of them.

I'd buy her a cheap Squier before I'd lend the J or the P.

IMO, you need to sort this out straightaway before her (possible) expectations become even greater.

[skankdelvar]

You know what the big problem is here? It's about initiating the conversation.

1. Plan out your intended solution - e.g., help her find a rig, or ban her from removing the bass from the flat, or sign a contract or whatever...

2. Then plan your opening sentence - maybe "Y'know, I might be gigging again soon. What are we going to do if you haven't got a bass available to play?"

3. Next, go talk to her. Use the opener, then explain the attachments you have to the basses and why they can't go out of the house.

4. Propose the solution as an either / or question. e.g. "Do you want me to find something for you [i]or[/i] shall we both go round the shops this w/e?

5. If she gets arsey, tell her you've only lent her the bass because you lurrrrve her and want to be with her always. She moves out. Problem solved; no need to thank me.

Edited March 13, 2009 by skankdelvar

[Mr. Foxen]

I've borrowed bunches of stuff for gigs, and especially for recording, so I lend out pretty freely, plus its not uncommon for me to be trying to sell, so more people that have tried and liked is a bonus. I've never actually gigged all of my own rig at once thinking about it. Hmm, I'm that guy, but I have always lent out and passed the favour on. No-one wants to borrow my basses as they are tuned stupid with really high action and they are ugly.

[skankdelvar]

But you're one of the good guys, Oli...

Edited March 13, 2009 by skankdelvar

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='434280' date='Mar 13 2009, 11:44 PM']But you're one of the good guys, Oli...[/quote]

Anyone got any nice big heads/cabs I can blag for Cardiff on the 20th? More the merrier, and when I say 'merrier', I don't mean 'merrier', I mean 'doomier'. Hoping for some 15s, that way I can run 18, 15, 12 and 10, enough mixed drivers to implode the world.

[josh3184]

that would be great to see!

[skankdelvar]

I regret I am cab free atm. Just a teeny 15" combo.

[flatwound]

[quote name='Jono Bolton' post='433901' date='Mar 14 2009, 04:00 AM']My flatmate has recently volunteered her services as a bass player to a friend of ours, despite the fact that she doesn't own a bass. As you can see from my sig, I own some fairly decent (IMO) gigging bass equipment, having been playing for the past 12 years or so.

So far my flatmate has been practicing on my Jazz in the flat, but now wants to start taking it round to our friends flat for rehearsals and eventually use it for gigging.

I've yet to question her about it as it's not been a problem so far, but I'm fairly sure she said she would play bass on the assumption that she could use my gear as and when she pleases, as I'm not currently gigging.

Am I being selfish if I refuse to continue letting her use my stuff? It's fine in the flat but I'm not really happy with my stuff being taken away for gigs/prectices. It's quite quiet folky music she's playing so it's unlikely there'll be any Who-style destruction, but I'm not really comfortable letting other folk use my gear.

What are other people's view on lending out their stuff? My gear's insured against 3rd party damage but why should I put up my premium by claiming in the even of some breaking? I had to work and save the cash to pay for it, so surely I'm in the right here?[/quote]
No mate,... I don't think you are being selfish, its [i][b]your[/b][/i] gear, and its like your underpants, personal. !! If my bass gear was to get scratched or damaged in some way I would want to be[b] the one[/b] responsible for the damage...not someone else. (not that I would WANT to damage it) I would be really pissed off if I had loaned somebody my stuff, ([i]not that I would, have learned my lesson there[/i]) and they bought it back damaged, regardless of how sorry or contrite they may be. To avoid any of those possible dramas...tell her she can use it in the flat...that's it , Not Negotiable. If she cant cop that, then she can always buy her own !! And besides,.. she should be doing the housework, NOT pissing around with your BASS....(just joking) sort of............

[robert43]

I live by the old saying never lend your wife , lawn mower or musical gear as it will only come back F****D
Not much saying a contract etc whats to say she will pay or even have the money to pay for repairs .
I say lend it to here with a deposit say 110% of the market price of the gear

[Higgie]

I lent 1x15 combo to a friend once and it came back completely fried. It wasn't worth much, so wasn't really a problem (I'd only been playing a few months) but from then on I've been really careful about what I lent out and to whom. If it's someone I completely trust then no problem, but I'm wary.

I had a gig last year in Camden, where we (as headliners) set up our equipment (I was using my Dad's LMII and 1x15 as my amp was out of action at the time), did the soundcheck, went for something to eat and the usual pre-gig chat etc. We returned back to the club, and the band that was playing's bassist had a really great tone. It gets to the end of the night, and he says to me "thanks for letting me use your amp". I almost decked him there and then. I had given no permission what so ever for anyone other than me to use my (loaned) gear, and they hadn't even asked if they could use it, even though they sat there and watched us soundcheck...

He was pretty lucky not to receive a 1x15 to the face

Just to reiterate my point - Lending gear to a trusted friend, no problem. Any one else, and it just spells trouble IMO. As was mentioned before in this thread: If you can't be bothered to bring your own gear to the gig, then you're not using mine. If I'm the only guy there with enough equipment to actually play, then sod the rest of you. It's not worth the hassle if something does break.

Edited March 14, 2009 by Higgie

[bassbloke]

You still haven't answered the question of whether she is fit or not. Personally, I think it makes all the difference.

[josh3184]

I happen to agree

[Jono Bolton]

[quote name='Dan_Nailed' post='433952' date='Mar 13 2009, 05:38 PM']And no to derail, but onmthe support band thing, sometimes changing out four bass cabs on a gig for each band isn't feasible. I won't lend out my amp head but I have lent my cabs out before, I rarely meet players with decent enough gear to blow a Mesa up anyway![/quote]

I'm all for cab sharing, the places I've played in are usually too small to fit 3 or four sets of cabs and heads. Head sharing is a no though.

[quote name='YouMa' post='434009' date='Mar 13 2009, 06:25 PM']Is she fit! would you be more likely to get into her knickers if you lent it?[/quote]

No. Plus she bats for the other team. Plus I have a girlfriend, who if she were to read this would not be best pleased that I left that piece of info til last.

Think the issue is resolved though. Explained that in the flat is fine, but it's not leaving the flat unless I'm present. Also mentioned that the P may soon be on its way out and the Jazz will have to go for a new nut soon, so she'll need to sort out her own gear.

[Jono Bolton]

[quote name='flatwound' post='434306' date='Mar 14 2009, 12:54 AM']And besides,.. she should be doing the housework, NOT pissing around with your BASS....(just joking) sort of............[/quote]

In a flat with 2 girls (flatmate and girlfriend), it's pretty ironic that I'm the only one who does any cleaning...

[MB1]

[quote name='Higgie' post='434340' date='Mar 14 2009, 04:03 AM']I lent 1x15 combo to a friend once and it came back completely fried. It wasn't worth much, so wasn't really a problem (I'd only been playing a few months) but from then on I've been really careful about what I lent out and to whom. If it's someone I completely trust then no problem, but I'm wary.

I had a gig last year in Camden, where we (as headliners) set up our equipment (I was using my Dad's LMII and 1x15 as my amp was out of action at the time), did the soundcheck, went for something to eat and the usual pre-gig chat etc. We returned back to the club, and the band that was playing's bassist had a really great tone. It gets to the end of the night, and he says to me "thanks for letting me use your amp". I almost decked him there and then. I had given no permission what so ever for anyone other than me to use my (loaned) gear, and they hadn't even asked if they could use it, even though they sat there and watched us soundcheck...

He was pretty lucky not to receive a 1x15 to the face

Just to reiterate my point - Lending gear to a trusted friend, no problem. Any one else, and it just spells trouble IMO. As was mentioned before in this thread: If you can't be bothered to bring your own gear to the gig, then you're not using mine. If I'm the only guy there with enough equipment to actually play, then sod the rest of you. It's not worth the hassle if something does break.[/quote]

MB1.
+1
This is the beauty of the flightcased Combo!....

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Jono Bolton' post='434632' date='Mar 14 2009, 02:47 PM']Plus she bats for the other team.[/quote]

Due, polaroids, only one of them really needs to be hot. Everyone wins.

[Rich]

Point out to her that of your two basses, one is highly sentimental in value and is therefore unavailable, and the other you worked damn hard to afford and as such is valuable to you personally and therefore also unavailable. Point out to her every single potential bargain bass that crops up, here and elsewhere. Tell/show her that you'll help her to get her own gear. But really, [i]don't[/i] let her use yours. Down that road lies broken friendships and all manner of trouble.

[51m0n]

Whenever I walk away from my rig I pocket the fuses. I take my bass in its gig bag everywhere.

Whenever anyone says 'Can I have a go' I say 'Sorry, no'. The inevitable 'Why? Oh go on!' is responded to with 'Put 7 grand in my hand right now and you can have a go, anything happens to any of my gear at all and I pocket all the cash' shuts them up.

I don't lend gear to anyone, too many accidents through lack of care even by trusted friends to do it anymore. I'm polite but firm.

I have spent a huge amount of effort saving up for the kit I have. I am not about to risk losing the kit or a friend over the kit. It's best for everyone that way.

I think you did exactly the right thing mate.