FinnDave

I've done a couple of auditions in the last few months, and although I have been sent lists of songs they expect me to learn, on both occasions I have turned up without listening to them and just busked it, which has made a favourable impression. I know that I'll never have the patience or interest to learn other people's basslines, so play what I would play if accepted to join them. They have appreciated the honesty of the approach and on both occasions, I have been offered the gig. One I rehearsed with a few times before realising it wasn't really for me, the other I made that decision before starting rehearsals. I don't think you can go far wrong by just turning up and playing whatever comes to you when the music starts, unless it's hopelessly complicated. All you really need is for them to outline the changes, and just play.

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1489648778' post='3258565'] If I could, I would. [/quote] If I could, I wouldn't.

Just back from a Wirebirds gig in Didcot, went well, no problems. First gig for my Epiphone Casady bass, very pleased with it, took a US P bass in case it wasn't up to it, but the P never left its case.

[quote name='Downdown' timestamp='1489255637' post='3255556'] Well, with support like that we'll get the insurance industry we deserve. [/quote] My wife works in insurance, I know what they're like. The local brokers are great, but the underwriting companies will leave no stone unturned to avoid paying up. I have no axe to grind, just don't like to see making it too easy to reject a claim. When I added up the replacement cost of my bass gear, it came to ten grand. Couple of hundred for legitimate cover seems reasonable to me. My decision, and no doubt others will see it differently.

[quote name='Downdown' timestamp='1489235940' post='3255360'] I'd argue that taking my bass outside home is not pertinent to insuring in only when it's in the home. [/quote] Good luck with that, let us know how it goes!

[quote name='Downdown' timestamp='1489165500' post='3254918'] How can it be fraudulent if I'm paying a premium for, say, £20k of home contents and then make a claim for a burgled bass worth £750?[/quote] Because they will claim that you failed to declare a pertinent fact and will be looking for anything that will allow them not to pay out. [quote name='Downdown' timestamp='1489165500' post='3254918'] My policy only requires items valued over £1500 to be specified, so why the need to mention the bass at all? If I take it outside the home then that's my risk not theirs ( and fair enough), but inside the house I'm paying for cover. I don't think the fact that I go out gigging affects the risk of a home burglary does it? [/quote] I'm sure they'll find a way to wriggle out of it, e.g., playing gigs publicly advertises the fact that you have 'valuable musical equipment' in your home, which they will claim raises the risk of a burglary (believe me, I looked into this in depth before shelling out!). They will always look for ways to avoid paying out on a claim, so there's no point in handing them a reason on a plate.

[quote name='Monkey Steve' timestamp='1489164943' post='3254914'] I think you'll find that this is insurance fraud Seriously, it's not about where the gear is when it's stolen, it's about whether the insurer regards it as professional tools. They may have suspicions that your £3k Ampeg rig wasn't for home use only [/quote] Exactly this. I could hardly hide the fact that I do gigs as my wife works there! And failure to declare anything which may be considered relevant to your insurance can result in your cover being declare void. My local pub has been closed for the last 18 months following an 'office fire' which started in a part of the building they had failed to declare existed. The fire dept people worked exactly where it started (bedroom in a non-residential property) and how (laptop left on charge on a bed) with the result that they have not yet been able to make a successful claim. Same as with my car, I could have lied and said I never use it for gigs, but if I needed to make a claim they'd soon suss that one out for the load of nonsense it is, and I'd be uninsured. If you're going to lie, even by omission, you might as well go whole hog and do without any insurance as the policy won't be worth the paper (or screen) it's written on.

The home contents insurer declined to insure it all because as I play gigs for money, it is considered professional equipment rather than just hobby gear. At least after tomorrow's gig I will have earned enough this year so far to pay for the insurance!

Thanks for the info, people, I have now gone with with Musicguard who were very helpful on the phone. I did try Allianz but they were dire, didn't seem to understand what I wanted to do and were unable to call up the info I had input into their on line system despite my getting an email asking me to call them and to quote the reference number given. It didn't give me a whole lot of faith in their ability to deal with a claim should it be needed.

At least two zeros too many in that asking price

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1489066850' post='3254104'] I've got all my gear insured with them on one policy. Very reasonable price given the cover, i.e. unattended in car overnight, etc. Not that I'd ever leave gear unattended in car overnight, but I'm a bit belt-and-braces, me. [/quote] Good, I'll give them a call, can't work out how to insure more than one item on line. I never claimed to be clever!

I'll give them a call, when I looked at their online quote, it seemed to cover one instrument at a time. I'd have to sell a few to qualify!

I am sure I've seem a thread on instrument insurance here somewhere, but can't find it. Anyway, my basses and amps have been on the house insurance until now, but at renewal, they have declined to cover them as I take them to gigs. They said I need specialist cover which they can't arrange. So, any recommendations? Any places to avoid?

Too far away and too modern

The last bass I 'sold' (actually, swapped for another bass) I bought back a couple of months later. No regrets!

Changed strings to a set of Chromes and played the bass with a band last night, I was only using my little practice combo (Ashdown EB180) but it seemed to have more punch than my US Precisions! Sounded great, lovely to play and looks very different. I'll gig it next week.

For most gigs, I take a Fender Precision, plus another as a spare 'just in case', Ashdown Touring 330 combo, Smooth Hound wireless, guitar lead in case of wireless failure (not happened yet, but...) and Sansamp DI in case amp fails (needed it once last year when my other amp, an ABM 500 developed a problem during a gig). Other than that, earplugs, tuner, spare picks and my digital recorder so I can hear what we did afterwards.

Just come across a clip of the man himself demonstrating what this bass can sound like https://youtu.be/_aQtq-BnK6c

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1488321009' post='3247986'] That's the guy who inspired 'Kid Charlemagne' by Steely Dan isn't it?? [/quote] That's the guy, yep. Incredible character, made most of the acid that fuelled the summer of love, financed the Grateful Dead, was their sandman, designed the Wall of Sound for them, probable the best PA system ever made. Plenty about him in this book, great read! https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Bear.html?id=E41zCwAAQBAJ&source=kp_cover&redir_esc=y

Some people have better memories, or keep better records, than I do! First gig must have been around 1975/6, probably using a Framus Jazz Bass and Selmer TnB 50 into a homemade 2x15 cab. Lead, strap etc as required. All other details lost in the mists of time.

[quote name='fftc' timestamp='1488316005' post='3247909'] But I'm going to have to look up Owsley 'Bear' Stanley. [/quote] Here's a good place to start: [url="http://www.thebear.org"]http://www.thebear.org[/url] - But as you discover just what he was responsible for, be prepared for a long read and a totally blown mind!

I bought my first Casady bass 2 or 3 years ago, when I was still playing finger style, one of the main reasons was because we had Jenny Haan (ex Babe Ruth) in the band and she was doing a cracking version of 'White Rabbit'. Sadly, the bass didn't suit my way of playing back then, but now I have to use a pick, it does. Swings and roundabouts. But Jack Casady was one of the biggest names in bass back then, along with another little band from San Francisco you may have heard of, the Grateful Dead, whose bass player, Phil Lesh, also had a taste for semi-acoustic basses, and both he and Jack had the touch of the near mythical Owsley 'Bear' Stanley on their equipment.

Hoping to get my new strings tomorrow (D'Addario Chromes) and have it ready for rehearsal on Thursday. Been playing it acoustically at home today and it feels good, surprisingly fast neck, fast runs somehow don't 'look' right on a semi acoustic, but they sound good, and that's all that matters!