Author Topic: Loaning your bass (Read 747 times)

funkyjazzjunky · « **on:** March 07, 2016, 06:37:56 PM »

Ever loan you bass out and have the borrower 'fix' your pickup screws?

VMG

JuancarlinBass · « **Reply #1 on:** March 07, 2016, 06:50:38 PM »

I Certainly have not, nor am planning to do, hope not to ever need to loan any of my instruments (specially NOT my Alembic!). I even get annoyed when a trusted friend of mine uses any of my instruments and changes my strap setting (And that is why, among other more aesthetic reasons I have sorted out on some instruments to leather eyelet-type straps, which cannot be easily changed), let alone having my pickups meddled with. I guess all my instruments have costed me sacrifices and are very valued to me -whether they are expensive or not-, to let anybody do anything to them. I was considering, some months ago, to put some of my amps as backline for rent, and every time the thought crosses my mind, I get the creeps, and quickly change my line of thought, go figure... So I certainly hope you're not talking about a real situation that might have happened to you, and I don't wish it to anybody!

sonicus · « **Reply #2 on:** March 07, 2016, 06:56:47 PM »

NO , NO, NO ! Not ! Ganse verboten !!!! ( Totally forbidden) skull and cross bones ! Poison !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wolf Von Verboten ! NO SMILES !

rustyg61 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 07, 2016, 07:21:45 PM »

You lost me at loan out your bass!

sonicus · « **Reply #4 on:** March 07, 2016, 08:38:20 PM »

I remember when I loaned out my 1965 Fender Dual Showman , about 30 years ago , well long story short , he destroyed the output stage by disconnecting the speakers while under a full load. SO there are lots of BOZOS in disguise out there , .
When I asked him what happened he told me that I lent him a BUM amp ! Well ___ I have been there and done that my friends !
NEVER AGAIN . Unless you really know they are not another BOZO .

Some guy who learned the hard way _ (smiles again )

ed_zeppelin · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2016, 11:04:44 PM »

I don't have any problem with it. I have a lot of stuff from being a repairman, and my friends know that they can use anything I have. I've never had a bad experience, so the responses in this thread are kinda startling. It's not even something I've spent any time worrying about.

edwin · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2016, 11:07:10 PM »

I think I have 1 custom 5 string (non-Alembic) out on loan, 2 or 3 amps, and a fEARful 15/6/1 right now. I loaned an acoustic guitar to someone I met working for the Sierra Club while she was here for a semester. Everything has come back as good or better than it left.

Am I just too generous about this stuff?

lbpesq · « **Reply #7 on:** March 07, 2016, 11:43:22 PM »

I currently have two guitars and a portable amp out on long-term loan. Of course I have some instruments I wouldn't loan out, and I've certainly known some people to whom I wouldn't lend a pick.

Bill, tgo

jazzyvee · « **Reply #8 on:** March 08, 2016, 12:11:24 AM »

If it was an alembic they wanted to borrow then my first thoughts would be are you out of your ____________________________________ ,( fill out any expletives appropriate to your language), mind. However what would come out of my mouth would be a polite but firm no.

I think my musician friends know that anyway and would not even ask. I have a non alembic bass that I use only for practice away from home and at a push to help in a desperate situation then that one might go out.

For my alembics there are two immediate exceptions which are probably unlikely but worth mentioning.
If Stanley Clarke or Jimmy Johnson were over in the UK on tour and needed a bass because their instrument was delayed or otherwise unavailable. I would feel ok loaning either of them one of my basses even though Stanley looks like he can be quite brutal with a bass. I'm sure they both could get the bass fixed and back to me if anything bad happened to it.

In exchange I'd like prime seats for the gig, backstage access for 2 and live pictures of them playing my bass. Not much of a fee to have a backup instrument in the UK.
:-)

pauldo · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2016, 02:02:20 AM »

Vann-Di,
That is a hypothetical question . . . right?

When I read the . . . fix your pickup screws.
An involuntary audible gasp escaped my mouth.

keith_h · « **Reply #10 on:** March 08, 2016, 05:01:16 AM »

I guess it depends on what is meant by loan. I have let guitarists I've been in bands with borrow one of my guitars for rehearsals and gigs when theirs was in the shop. However the guitar came home with me each evening. I wouldn't be comfortable loaning my Alembics at all unless it was to someone from the Club that I knew reasonably well and was present where they were being played. Otherwise I won't loan any of my equipment where it is out of site or my general control after having bad experiences when younger.

Keith

811952 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 08, 2016, 05:17:26 AM »

I've loaned the Alembic out several times, sometimes for months at a time. I've loaned the Lakland fretless. Generally not amps, though, but some outboard gear. People are generally good, and I don't just loan things to anyone. They need to pass the gut test. There's a guy who lives 75 miles from me that keeps bringing his pristine Ric to my gigs to play, and he had me keep it when he went on vacation recently, but he won't take any of my basses... yet. They are wonderful things, but in the end they are just things.

John

JuancarlinBass · « **Reply #12 on:** March 08, 2016, 05:28:40 AM »

Well I think the key phrase here is Just not to everyone. I have also lended equipment (mostly NOT instruments) to other acquaintances and friends, with various results. Just recently, an artist I played with about 4 months ago at a festival asked me to loan him a chorus pedal for the gig (a LARGE stage), and he went wired, straight his guitar to this pedal, to a backline Vox AC30 amp. Well, the guy thrashed the stage in some attempt to put out a show, and my pedal went literally flying, still tied to the cords, about 4 times. A resistent, not so expensive pedal, mind you, but anyway. Same guy who at a rehearsal at my house broke one string on one of my guitars without even mentioning anything about replacing it (Gig was pretty well paid, tho). This guy will never get anything of my equipment again, for sure. On the other hand, one of my former students, who has been a member of one of my bands for some time now, has been as responsible all around as I would have wanted, and more. He was having some rehearsals with friends of him at his house, and I offered him an 8-channel mixer so he could do better. I ended up giving it to the guy, who is taking a nice care of it. So it all depends, I guess, thing is in most cases it seems you'll never know until something happens. Question is: Are you willing to take the risk?

rv_bass · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2016, 06:11:22 AM »

I suppose depends on the person and circumstances.

(Message edited by RV_BASS on March 08, 2016)

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #14 on:** March 08, 2016, 06:43:26 AM »

I'm pretty generous with other musicians, especially ones I know personally, and I'm fortunate enough to have a few nice quality instruments that I'd gladly loan out to a fellow player in a tight spot. But not my Alembic - not for any reason. And the kind of folks I'd be loaning a bass to would never ask to borrow my Alembic, much less expect to.

As for fixing pickup screws (or adjusting anything else) on said instrument... that's a little over-the-top. As long as no lasting harm was done, it's a sin, but forgivable since it was likely committed in ignorance. Some people genuinely don't know any better.