Lending guitars

[Steve Haynie]

I remember years ago a sticker on a guys guitar case "A guitar is like a toothbrush, you dont use someone else's" Thats stuck with me...

For years I have said something similar. When the topic of lending guitars comes up I tell people this:

"Guitars are like underwear, something you do not lend or borrow."

In high school I loaned a guitar and gave the friend a new pack of strings to install. The string posts were wrapped with wadded balls of wire. There was no problem other than that. Since then there have been very few people that I would trust with an instrument of mine. There are a couple of beaters in my collection that are a bit more freely passed around.

When I went to phoenix' house for an HFC jam I assumed correctly that everyone would be careful with the guitars there, and it was true. We all knew how expensive the guitars were, so we respected each other's gear.

A crook in my area was able to convince people to lend him a guitar. He would sell the guitar to a pawn shop right away. The guitars were not stolen because someone gave him the guitars. That is how the law works in my state. There were a lot of people who got burned by the guy that could not legally do anything to him. He was shot and killed last week.

[BruceM]

I loan stuff all the time, but only to people I know and trust. My nephew Paul just went away to college, so I finally got my TV Phantom back. It's got a little wear and tear, but nothing I wouldn't expect from a high school kid who's being careful with it. My 70's parts tele is still at his Dad's house. It'd definitely a beater though, so no worries there.

I loan amps all the time, especially ones that I'm not using anymore. Just got my 70's Peavey Classic 50 back from my nephew too, and my old bass amp is in another friend's practice space. JimmyJ, pedal steel player extraordinaire, likes to borrow my Tophat 1x12 amp because it's a manageable size and it sounds great. I don't mind.

Eric Weston borrows the occasional guitar from me to gig with. I'm always honored and know that the guitar will be treated right, and usually come back with new strings.

I just got my B08S back from a friend who had it for six months. He wanted to buy it badly, but I'm not selling. He's now looking around for one of his own. Having that guitar gone for so long actually motivated me to want to play it again, and I took it to band practice last night and was quite impressed with the range of tone I got from it. It was mildly annoying that it was gone so long, but I also know that he took good care of it and that if I really wanted it back I'd get it quickly.

I like seeing other people playing my guitars, and I like the fact that they're actually getting used. I've got lots of guitars that don't see the light of day for months at a time. Hmmm, probably time for a 4Sale thread.

[Punkavenger]

My son-in-law Alfonso has one (Newport Pro) in permanent loan.

Now you made me aware, if he breaks up with my daughter, i'll be screwed twice.

get that one back kwik! (in a diplomatic fashion of course)

[santellavision]

I loaned a vintage EFX box to a friend once and never got it back. That's was the end of any loaning. Not worth it. But, I don't mind any friends playing my axes/amps while I'm there.

[stonge]

I live by Dan Savage's "Campsite Rule" when it comes to other people's guitars:

Return them in as good or better shape than when you first borrowed them (paraphrased, but you get the idea).

I always have a couple out on loan to friends (Darc and I are always swapping stuff back and forth). Just about everything has come back in the same or better condition than it left (I ain't gonna cry about a random ding or two). My point is more to turn someone on to something different and see what they get out of it. Sometimes it's just helping to fan the flames of GAS lol.

[cmatthes]

Stonge has been more than generous in providing me with a few "Hotel Lenders" over the years when I was in the Hartford area for extended stays.

I somehow managed to get white fingerprints deep under the finish of a black B-12s though...

I have a Hamer bass that has been on extended loan to a bandmate for going on 3 years. He mentioned that he liked it once, and doesn't have a bass at home, so I told him to feel free to use it for recording, messing around or anything else he might need it for - I know he'll take good care of it and if he's having fun with it, even better!

My son recently learned a lesson the other way about lending stuff out. He has a Vector that he loaned to one of his guitarists for an upcoming gig. The other kid has a really crappy guitar, and rather than spend 20 minutes of every practice waiting for him to get in tune, he let him use something better on a temporary basis. They rehearse at the drummer's house, so the guitar stays there. Last week, the Vector's toggle switch was "mysteriously" sheared off (knob and threaded part of switch). They looked all over for the part, but it wasn't there. Apparently, the drummer's older brother's band had played there a few days before, and one of their members f'd with my son's guitar and broke the switch. Of course, nobody knows anything about it (!!) , but he has learned a valuable lesson. He very firmly insisted that he didn't want to cause any band drama, but that there was responsibility to get the guitar repaired. He said he'd keep parents out of the picture if somebody just stepped up and took care of it. At practice over the weekend, a $20 and two $10s were (again, "mysteriously"!) slipped between the strings...

[Devnor]

I only loan guitars with Kahler trems. Have a friend that's had one of my guitars on & off for 10 years. He'll have a nice guitar, sell it to buy a gun then want to borrow the guitar.

[Jimbilly]

When I was pretty young I learned to not leave amps out of my possesion, I left my Ampeg VT-40 at a HS friends house for a couple of days. It wouldn't make a sound when I picked it up, I was aware enough to see that one of the 'small tubes' wasn't lighting up. I pulled that tube out and one pin was folded over at a 90 degree angle, -that couldn't be right. I straightened that pin out and the amp was fine, my friend didn't know anything about it, and was maybe a little too defensive. And because I didn't learn it 100%, I left the amp at a rehersal space basement in college, in a dry part of the state. An unusual rainstorm doused my amp with water, it's got a few stains on the speakers, and it's had a few service issues that may or may not be related, but 20 years later it's still going strong.

[custom53]

I have one simple rule when it comes to loaning guitars.... I don't...!

[HSB0531]

I don't trust any one of you f*ckers!

ROTFLMAO

[zorrow]

Well, Nick kept two guitars of mine for a looooong while and there were no issues at all.

I've also kept for months high-value guitars I've borrowed from my bandmate, and of course, I take care of those like if they were my own eyes.

I guess then it depends to whom you lend your guitars.

[GaryT]

I remember we use to swap guitars a LOT back in the day with the bands. That was a very different time. And everyone wanted to play what the next guitarist was playing. At least check it out.

I guess some good actually came out of it. I was playing a Gretch Astro-Jet at the time and was a little more interested in the Strats. Nobody seen an Astro-Jet and everyone wanted to check it out. Another player in a band that we would come across often, had a very similar Strat to Hendirix's Woodstock Strat. If I had not played that guitar I wouldn't have gotten into Fenders till much later. I use to also like the Hagstroms back then. So you kinda got yourself familiar with other electrics that way. I realized very early I liked single-coils. And it was years till I went back to humbuckers.

Hey man, their wasn't any Guitar Centers or Internet around then? So your guitar knowledge was really limited to what you came in contact with, with bands or the small Ma-Pa shops.

But I never "loaned" guitars out for more than a night unless it was someone I knew "very" well. It wasn't hard to tell early on that there are those who really take care of their gear. And those who buy into the road worn theory. I always took very good care of my gear. And though I don't have the Astro-Jet [nor care to] though I wish I had those SuperTrons. I do still have the BandMaster 1/2 stack from back then.

I still jam with a friend of mine from back then who still has his 69 SG all original. But in the 70's he got into a fight with his old-lady and she kicked the SG over and broke the headstock? Its very nicely repaired, but still.......how are you gonna explain that to a friend "if" that happened?

More so than the guitars back then were the Harley Davidsons. I couldn't tell you how many times my brother or a friend would want to check out my Stroker. My brother was famous for blowing trannys till my father finally had a main machined at the Goverment shop that wouldn't blow. I had another friend who got busted growing weed and did a couple years in the prison here. Anyway he came out for weekend thing.. toward the end of the trip. I know he wanted to ride, and it was nice out, so I gave him the keys. By this time "late 70's", I had a Pan-Shovel Stroker together that the front wheel would come off the ground in 1st 2nd and 3rd. I could tell as soon as he he got on the bike idling, that he was scared of it. It had been some time so I could understand that, and this bike was seriously fast, just idling it vibrated like no stock Harley would because of the cam. Anyway he took the bike for the weekend and came back the next afternoon with it all together but the Gas-Cap missing? Really no big deal, but he was really apologetic and had a great time with it, you could just see it in his face. As good of a time he had, it was also time to take him back? I know that was a serious drag for him, so i kinda felt good that he at least was able to really feel free for at least a few hours.

So theres something to be learned through all this? Some are not as fortunate as others or in plain english "sh*t happens" . Really it becomes a personal thing with those you come to know and trust and love. And more so than that you want to help out. because those with no cash.....are "not" gonna be able to repair your gear should something expensive happen! So this is what you have to keep in the back of your mind. But dig this.....

I could remember being 14 and my brother running alongside the Sportster teaching me to ride? So how do you repay someone for a experience like that, that you will "never" forget? By telling them "no" you can't ride my bike, play my guitar, or play with my TOYS? Come-On now there's no such thing as NO with people like that.

Its not a point of cash or materialistic things at that point. Its given an experienece to someone that you know in your heart would do the same for you or "has" or you teach too do so. So, you know..when you say Brother? Thats what brothers do.

Check it out......Grandkids.......1st Halloween. And though early they can't wait to wear the costumes. Bad lighting here but...........

[Jason01]

That would totally depend on the person and the situation. I don't know any other lefties around here so nobody really ever asks to borrow one of my guitars. I'd be happy to let any of the other lefty HFCers try any of mine out if they ever got around this area but chances of that are slim being in the middle of nowhere like I am.

[grahams98]

Thinking back on this subject, I've been in the room for most of the abuse performed on my guitars. Typically it's somebody who owns some plywood P.O.C. that they mysteriously left home with the "hey can I use your guitar for a minute?" or they just pick it up without asking. I've had really expensive guitars come back with a hatcheted headstock (cool old 70's Hamer without any previous scars), covered in pancake syrup (solid rosewood/spruce acoustic) and then there's the unmistakable sound of your guitar hitting the floor while it's plugged in to your amp (oh cr*p is that MY Guitar!)...good times

Since I've never been reimbursed or even had that offered, I now carry guitar case keys on my key ring.

[stonge]

the one thing I detest (ok, one of a few) is when some guest walks in with unruly children who proceed to pick up and beat on anything within reach - one little prodigy walked right over, grabbed my dreadnaught, dragged it off the stand and across the floor to mama, who clucked approvingly with a "gee isn't that cute" response. I could have fit the little bugger into my Chaquita's gig bag after that. I don't mind musicians or kids handling my guitars if they are reasonably careful. My house is not, however, Disneyland for unsupervised or ill-mannered children regardless of age lol...

don't know why this suddenly springs to mind today. Oh, wait - there should be legions of trick-or-treaters stopping by tonight. The teenagers were real intimidating to Karen one year, until she answered the door with one of our greyhounds in hand. Not sure who was jumping more, the dog or the tough kid that suddenly bounded off the front step and into the yard lol...

[grahams98]

I am however a big fan of all you trusting souls on HFC who might be burdened with too many really cool guitars that are going unplayed. If one of your lonely, orphaned guitars needs loving foster care I will gladly oblige.

I had a good friend loan me his dad's mint 1966 Guild X500 for over a year. It's a really cool guitar but not one that I'd ever drop a few grand on because of it's lack of flexibility. It was a cool experience as it's just fun to show up at the gig with it and have guitar players come out of the work work to ooh and ahh. Returned it to him it better sort than I got and it got played which is what it was meant for. Kind of why I've never owned a dozen guitars at once as I just feel bad when they're not getting used. I gave away a 80's BC Rich Mockingbird (in Taxi Cab Yellow, no less) because I just didn't see myself returning to my hair band roots...wish I'd known what was going to happen with those value-wise.

the one thing I detest (ok, one of a few) is when some guest walks in with unruly children who proceed to pick up and beat on anything within reach - one little prodigy walked right over, grabbed my dreadnaught, dragged it off the stand and across the floor to mama, who clucked approvingly with a "gee isn't that cute" response. I could have fit the little bugger into my Chaquita's gig bag after that. I don't mind musicians or kids handling my guitars if they are reasonably careful. My house is not, however, Disneyland for unsupervised or ill-mannered children regardless of age lol...

don't know why this suddenly springs to mind today. Oh, wait - there should be legions of trick-or-treaters stopping by tonight. The teenagers were real intimidating to Karen one year, until she answered the door with one of our greyhounds in hand. Not sure who was jumping more, the dog or the tough kid that suddenly bounded off the front step and into the yard lol...

On the other hand...using an old plastic backed Ovation acoustic for the halloween candy dish is perfectly reasonable "Have some candy kids and pleez abuse the dish"