Lending someone your bass

[SteveXFR]

If it wasn't for a work mate lending me a bass I never would have got started. Not just one either but a pair of basses. I bought one of them and kept learning. 

[MacDaddy]

13 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

If it wasn't for a work mate lending me a bass I never would have got started. Not just one either but a pair of basses. I bought one of them and kept learning. 

But have you ever forgotten to take it to a gig?

[ezbass]

47 minutes ago, MacDaddy said:

But have you ever forgotten to take it to a gig?

I once forgot to bring my bases home from a gig. Fortunately, I didn’t get very far before realisation descended.

[chris_b]

1 minute ago, ezbass said:

I once forgot to bring my bases home from a gig.

I did that once.

 

The drummer stacked his cases in front of my bass and I didn't see it!

 

He took it home with him. Oh, how he laughed!!

[chris_b]

I've never broken a string (as I previously said) and have never needed a backup bass. In spite of that, I have used and new sets of strings in my accessories bag and I usually take take 2 basses. It's not OCD, really.

[thodrik]

I once got a call from a sound engineer friend asking if I could lend a bass to the bassist of a Bon Jovi tribute band, who had managed to travel from London to the Orkney Islands without bringing a bass. 

I presume that the bassist was over halfway there before he realised his mistake. I couldn't help because I was out drinking somewhere else, so I'm guessing that the bassist was just living on a prayer by the time he arrived. 

 

Unfortunately that is a true story. 

 

I generally will lend a bass or amp to someone who is having technical problems with their own kit that they actually brought. Less likely to lend to someone who didn't bring a bass to a gig where they are playing bass. 

 

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, SteveXFR said:

If it wasn't for a work mate lending me a bass I never would have got started. Not just one either but a pair of basses. I bought one of them and kept learning. 

 

I think it is different lending a mate a bass (which I would do), than lending a stranger your bass at a gig because they didn't prepare well, or damaged theirs.

[Newfoundfreedom]

My main bass is a six stringer that weighs 14lbs. 

 

It's kind of like Thor's hammer. Only the worthy can wield it. 

[fretmeister]

4 hours ago, cetera said:

Unless I know you well and it was a genuinely unfortunate and unexpected occurrence.....Just "no...."

 

You didn't bring a spare bass or spare strings. Not my problem. 

 

 

This.

 

Or 'Of course - just give me £2000 in cash as a security deposit first"

[neepheid]

Dunno if I'd be willing to lend a bass - particularly my G&L.  It may not be that fancy a bass to some but for context in my world, it cost more to buy than my car.

 

 

[EssentialTension]

1 minute ago, neepheid said:

Dunno if I'd be willing to lend a bass - particularly my G&L.  It may not be that fancy a bass to some but for context in my world, it cost more to buy than my car.

 

But do you lend out the car?

[neepheid]

1 minute ago, EssentialTension said:

But do you lend out the car?

 

Oh sure, it's a 115k miles s#itbox, on you go

 

[EssentialTension]

Just now, neepheid said:

 

Oh sure, it's a 115k miles s#itbox, on you go

 

Thanks, you're a gentleman.

[SteveXFR]

2 hours ago, MacDaddy said:

But have you ever forgotten to take it to a gig?

 

I forgot to take a bass to rehearsal once and used a really shitty unbranded P bass which someone had abandoned I the room.

[TheGreek]

I've done it a few times to members here but it's assumed that if you're a respected member here you must be alright.

[uk_lefty]

I wouldn't like to be in the position of everyone in the room: venue staff, other band, punters, all looking at me going "come on mate, he will take care of it, don't be a tight b@stard it'll ruin the night if his band can't play and empty the place". Saying "not my problem" in that scenario wouldn't just make everyone say "yeah ok, fair enough" I'd hate the badgering. 

 

Having lent my amp out before I was sh!tting a small brick watching some clueless bassist keep the VU in the red for his whole set. It was bothering me so much that when the smoke machine came on in my set I was sure for a split second my amp was on fire!

[cetera]

5 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

I wouldn't like to be in the position of everyone in the room: venue staff, other band, punters, all looking at me going "come on mate, he will take care of it, don't be a tight b@stard it'll ruin the night if his band can't play and empty the place". Saying "not my problem" in that scenario wouldn't just make everyone say "yeah ok, fair enough" I'd hate the badgering. 

 

It wouldn't bother me tbh. If it was so important to them they would be welcome to do a whip round and raise the funds to cover my bass should it get damaged....

[Woodinblack]

5 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

I wouldn't like to be in the position of everyone in the room: venue staff, other band, punters, all looking at me going "come on mate, he will take care of it, don't be a tight b@stard it'll ruin the night if his band can't play and empty the place". Saying "not my problem" in that scenario wouldn't just make everyone say "yeah ok, fair enough" I'd hate the badgering.

 

Been in a similar position when we were at a wedding gig, and in a part time bit one of the wedding party wanted to have a go at playing something as he was apparently quite good (and we know  how well that works), who was badgering the guitarist to borrow his guitar. He would not lend it any everyone was doing the 'oh its just one song, we will be careful', but he had his 59 reissue les paul custom that was over 2k and there was no way he was lending it out, and I didn't blame him, but it seemed others did. Just made for a bad atmosphere for a bit.

[uk_lefty]

Just now, Woodinblack said:

 

Been in a similar position when we were at a wedding gig, and in a part time bit one of the wedding party wanted to have a go at playing something as he was apparently quite good (and we know  how well that works), who was badgering the guitarist to borrow his guitar. He would not lend it any everyone was doing the 'oh its just one song, we will be careful', but he had his 59 reissue les paul custom that was over 2k and there was no way he was lending it out, and I didn't blame him, but it seemed others did. Just made for a bad atmosphere for a bit.

I get that whole drunk punter wants to join the band thing. I have no problem telling drunk punters "it's left handed so you wouldn't be able to, sorry" as a first response followed by a two word conversation ender if they ask again. But another band on the bill is a different prospect, I don't know what I'd do. It can be someone else's fault of they're under-prepared or just dim, but a genuine equipment failure that I could easily help with.... I don't know how I'd feel saying No even if I really want to!

[Stub Mandrel]

I'm inspired to take this as my backup in future...

 

 

Edited November 11, 2021 by Stub Mandrel

[neepheid]

I dislike that sort of cajoling.  I bet that I'd get told to sod off if the roles were reversed and I drunkenly asked to have a shottie of something valuable to you, sir.  But I'm the bad guy?  OK, whatever.

[TimR]

Ah yes. "Drunk people who play in a band and know what they're doing."

 

That's a whole subject on its own.

 

I was packing down after one gig. Left the desk running with background music while I unplugged mics and fold back.

 

All of a sudden there's a howl of feedback and I turn round to find some idiot playing with the faders. 

 

He was obviously very drunk, I asked him to move away when his mate piped up, "It's OK, he plays in a band, so he knows what he's doing." 

 

Mind blown. 

[EssentialTension]

5 minutes ago, TimR said:

Ah yes. "Drunk people who play in a band and know what they're doing."

 

That's a whole subject on its own.

 

I was packing down after one gig. Left the desk running with background music while I unplugged mics and fold back.

 

All of a sudden there's a howl of feedback and I turn round to find some idiot playing with the faders. 

 

He was obviously very drunk, I asked him to move away when his mate piped up, "It's OK, he plays in a band, so he knows what he's doing." 

 

Mind blown. 

 

If he plays in a band, he ought to know not to interfere with other people's equipment.

 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

Neil Giraldo (then of the Rick Derringer band) turned up at an audition for Pat Benatar without a guitar. She heard him come in saying ‘man can I borrow your axe?’ to a guitarist that was there and she thought ‘what kind of idiot turns up to an audition without a guitar?’.

 

The kind of idiot you end up marrying apparently 🤷‍♂️😂

[Woodinblack]

13 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I'm inspired to take this as my backup in future...

 

I take mine as a backup, although it is not as pretty as yours!