cris the man Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 a family friend of mine recently borrowed my bass. It was a limited edition epiphone thunderbird , in arctic white. I got the bass back eventually with a washer over the input and a series of cracks going past the input right round to the back of the bass literally touching the plate which you can unscrew to find all the electronics he payed £50 for it to be repaired, but the point is the bass has still got the cracks there He's refusing to pay any more for it and recommends i write it off under the house insurance, but that way i loose my no claims? Dad said about taking him to a small claims court, but all in all i'm really not sure what to do anybody else been in a similar situation? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bh2 Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 I'd let it go... don't lend your basses out in future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Forget about it, never talk to him again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 [quote name='bh2' post='633276' date='Oct 22 2009, 11:10 AM']I'd let it go... don't lend your basses out in future.[/quote] +1 I'm no kind of lawyer, but should you go to the effort of a claim you may find that accepting that £50 might cause you problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Awful situation but I too would cut your losses. I had a mate bust a tuning peg on one of mine in the early 90s. He's coming over tomorrow - didn't pay at the time (or since), I just don't lend kit to him these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 I'd write it down to experience. It could even prove to be a cheap lesson. Whenever anyone else asks to borrow gear (or borrow anything, actually), just tell them what happened to your Epiphone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 (edited) +1 to the no lending rule. It's a bass, not a cup of sugar. Additional: got any pics of the damage? Perhaps someone can advise on how best to tackle the damage. Edited October 22, 2009 by neepheid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 I have an arctic white epi t-bird. I look after it and it doesn't have a scratch on it. I know how gutted I'd be if if was damaged like that. I don't lend my insruments out, except for the cheapo squiers which I don't care about, but if I did lend out my t-bird & got it back from a mate in the condition your one came back in I'd expect him to buy me new one and & keep the one he damaged or pay for the gallery to do a proper repair. Asking you to claim on your insurance is ridiculous - he should claim for it on his own insurance if he wants anyone to commit insurance fraud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 (edited) +1 to letting it go and bump him as a mate. Hard to do but so is life, mate! It would cost you more than the bass is worth to get a refin, too. Never lend your bass/guitar to [i]no one[/i]! I played a Fresher's Ball a good many years ago and when I turned up the main band (whose egos were then expanding having just supported the Rolling Stones in Edinburgh) were in crisis: their bass player's only bass was broken and the sound check was in progress. I had my brand new Status Seris II with me that night and the sound crew leaned on me to lend the bass to the main act. I refused and got bawled out by the ginormous FOH sound man, saying that the gig couldn't go ahead otherwise. As a reluctant young man I relented, asking that the bass was returned to me personally by the bassist. It wasn't. I had to go looking for it. It took me ages and by the time I found it - sitting alone in an empty make-shift dressing room - it was covered in scratches and one of the pots was loose. I vowed then never to lend anyone anything. But I did, years later, with an old P-bass. Took months to get it back. It stank of fags and beer and had a few more scratches. Just don't do it. Edited October 22, 2009 by Stacker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 At least get a quote to get it repaired and show it to him so he can see the real cost of the damage - perhaps he'll feel guilty and cough up some more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 I'd tell him he has to write it off against his own household insurance then use the money to buy you a replacement to the same condition as it was when you lent it to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 +1 to not being either a borrower or a lender. Sad, but best to try and chalk it down to experience and not let it cut you up too much. I'm even careful about letting someone use one of my basses at Jam Nights these days because I know how I feel if it comes back with a new assortment of scratches/dings. If I go to a Jam Night (or a gig!) and intend to play, I take a bass, I don't expect one to be provided for me unless I'm told in advance that I don't need to take gear. It's bad enough if you damage a bass yourself but giving someone else the priviledge..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrenleepoole Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Don't let it lie, give the money back and get him to claim on his insurance, and don't take no for an answer. Ring up every day, even every hour to make your point clear.... persistence is a virtue! Make it absolutely clear that what was done was unacceptable. Failing reason, a tin a paint thrown over a car late at night but *drunks* should balance out the damage But of course I would never endorse such a thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 (edited) [quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='633302' date='Oct 22 2009, 11:39 AM']I have an arctic white epi t-bird. I look after it and it doesn't have a scratch on it. I know how gutted I'd be if if was damaged like that. I don't lend my insruments out, except for the cheapo squiers which I don't care about, but if I did lend out my t-bird & got it back from a mate in the condition your one came back in I'd expect him to buy me new one and & keep the one he damaged or pay for the gallery to do a proper repair. Asking you to claim on your insurance is ridiculous - he should claim for it on his own insurance if he wants anyone to commit insurance fraud.[/quote] [quote name='Al Heeley' post='633360' date='Oct 22 2009, 12:38 PM']I'd tell him he has to write it off against his own household insurance then use the money to buy you a replacement to the same condition as it was when you lent it to him.[/quote] +! to both of these. My housemate lent his Epi Les Paul (an awesome guitar, best LP i've played including Gibsons) to someone. They got drunk and snapped it. The guy was really honest and apologetic, the guitar shop wrote him a £500+ receipt for it (my mate paid much less) and my mate got the cash after the guy had claimed on his insurance I was gigging a while ago in my old originals band. The bassist of the support band had got drunk and stood on his Jazz copy, breaking the jack socket. I got repeatedly asked to lend him my Warwick, by him, his guitarist and the venue owner. It's amazing how many times you can tell someone to f**k off without them taking note Edited October 22, 2009 by lemmywinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Bass Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 (edited) I'm always have mixed feelings when someones bass breaks and they want to borrow one. Lucky for me i'm a lefty and no one ever wants mine. On topic i don't really no what to suggest but he would defiantly be off my xmas card list. Edited October 22, 2009 by metaltime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasher80 Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 [quote name='metaltime' post='633383' date='Oct 22 2009, 01:06 PM']Lucky for me i'm a lefty and no one ever wants mine. [/quote] +1 Seriously though, you live and learn. We run our own night once a month (as well as being in a band) and for the next gig, the headliner's amp has apparently gone down and we are potentially without a bass rig. One of the other lads who is in our band suggested "Mate, can't you bring your amp down, it's only small" Yeah, my Genz Benz rig might be small but i'm fooked if i'm going to let a load of people i don't know rest pints on the top of it and generally treat it like sh*t. You're probably going to have to put it down to experience and never lend him (or anyone else) any of your gear again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 [i]"Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. [/i] Shakespeare on loaning out gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombboy Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 [quote name='skankdelvar' post='633398' date='Oct 22 2009, 01:23 PM'][i]"Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. [/i] Shakespeare on loaning out gear.[/quote] Cool... what does he play? Stateth through Markbeth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleblob Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 I'm afraid I tend to be in agreement with pretty much everything stated so far (so not adding much). First off I'd return his money and inform him to claim on his house insurance - see how he likes that idea. Getting a quote for the repair would be good. And I'm afraid then as others have said NEVER lend any of your stuff to anyone unless you're prepared for it to be returned damaged. Personally, if he didn't sort this out satisfactory I'd then tell him where to go. Who needs people like that hanging around !? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroman Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 +1 for him replacing the bass, and keeping the old one..... OK, so he has made a token effort to get the bass repaired, but it is no where near in the condition that you leant it to him in. IMHO, it's just not good enough, some friend he is......... I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I done that to someone. And to me, it doesn't matter if the bass is worth £500, or £5000. It's still someones pride and joy, and it's now damaged. It is his moral duty to do the best he can by you as you are his friend, and you were kind enough to lend him the bass in the first place. All my gear is a strictly no lending out zone, with no exceptions. I haven't paid out huge amounts of money just to lend it to someone who can't afford it, if you see what I mean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny-lad Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 [quote name='Hamster' post='633316' date='Oct 22 2009, 11:49 AM']At least get a quote to get it repaired and show it to him so he can see the real cost of the damage - perhaps he'll feel guilty and cough up some more?[/quote] +1 Could also be useful if you take it to small claims court. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Sounds like you've lent your bass a real asswipe. I was at a gig a little while ago and I had my Warwick Thumb with me. The main band's bassist had a jazz bass, but because he saw a Warwick in the building, he decided to harrass me for most of the evening trying to get me to agree to let him use it during his bands show "because it's tone would suit the venue better". I asked him if he liked Thumbs and when he replied in the affirmative I told him to bugger off and buy his own! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Your buddy may have paid £50 to get a half-assed repair done, but that doesn't cover what you would lose were you to sell it on, either repaired or as is. Suggest you sell it as is and he covers the difference between what you get and the cost of a new one because that's the amount of damage he did, not £50. If he doesn't agree to that, he's no friend and I wouldn't have a problem taking the small claims route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 [quote name='skankdelvar' post='633398' date='Oct 22 2009, 01:23 PM'][i]"Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. [/i] Shakespeare on loaning out gear.[/quote] It`s bloomin amazing what you can learn on this site. What band was he in? Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 [quote name='jezzaboy' post='633898' date='Oct 22 2009, 09:55 PM']It`s bloomin amazing what you can learn on this site. What band was he in? Jez[/quote] Sly and Robbie..... Doh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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