Other people playing your guitars...

[Steven K]

I have my R0 insured for full retail replacement value so that it's covered when I take it out with me.

What does it cost to get a guitar insured ?

 

[guitarbob123]

I pay €200 a year living in Helsinki and that’s for the full retail value of a brand new R0 without discount, no questions asked effectively.

Theft, loss, damage (fire, flood etc.) both in and out of the house.

Considering it would take me 25-30 years of paying the insurance to be even for the cost of a new one I figure it’s worth it.

My 68RI from when I was a teenager is a different story, that doesn’t leave the house regularly and I’d be reluctant to even let someone hold it. Less financial value but it’s irreplaceable to me!

 

[bursty]

I typically do NOT allow others to borrow my guitars and I will explain why.

Many years ago (four decades) a very good friend of mine had a band and his band played local bars. At one of his bar gigs he left his Gibson SG on a guitar stand during a break between set but he left the cord plugged into the guitar. Someone walked across the stage during the break, their foot got a hold of the cord, that pulled the SG off the stand, the guitar hit the floor and the neck snapped like a Saltine cracker.
That entire scenario could have likely been avoided except for my friend's carelessness.

That same friend also had his Gibson LP Special stolen (I won't go into the carelessness of that situation) and two years later he actually found the stolen guitar, and got it back, during a drug deal; don't ask. During the two years his LP Special was MIA he asked me if I would let him borrow one of my guitars and I said sure. The particular guitar I allowed him to borrow had a basically brand new set of strings on it. When I got the guitar back from my friend about one week later the strings were completely shot; worst I have ever seen. Apparently my friend had some type of caustic or acidic sweat and it just totally trashed the strings beyond belief. After that I never allowed anyone to borrow any of my guitars.

During that same general time frame I turned down not one but two requests to join other folks bands in town. I respectfully declined both offers but I did get some pissy replies from some unhappy folks when I turned them down for not joining their bands.

 

[bursty]

forgot to add: I have given away a hand full of guitars over the years but they were not expensive and it was only to make room for more guitars that I had purchased and had no room to store them.

 

[golfnut]

I typically do NOT allow others to borrow my guitars and I will explain why.

Many years ago (four decades) a very good friend of mine had a band and his band played local bars. At one of his bar gigs he left his Gibson SG on a guitar stand during a break between set but he left the cord plugged into the guitar. Someone walked across the stage during the break, their foot got a hold of the cord, that pulled the SG off the stand, the guitar hit the floor and the neck snapped like a Saltine cracker.
That entire scenario could have likely been avoided except for my friend's carelessness.

That same friend also had his Gibson LP Special stolen (I won't go into the carelessness of that situation) and two years later he actually found the stolen guitar, and got it back, during a drug deal; don't ask. During the two years his LP Special was MIA he asked me if I would let him borrow one of my guitars and I said sure. The particular guitar I allowed him to borrow had a basically brand new set of strings on it. When I got the guitar back from my friend about one week later the strings were completely shot; worst I have ever seen. Apparently my friend had some type of caustic or acidic sweat and it just totally trashed the strings beyond belief. After that I never allowed anyone to borrow any of my guitars.

During that same general time frame I turned down not one but two requests to join other folks bands in town. I respectfully declined both offers but I did get some pissy replies from some unhappy folks when I turned them down for not joining their bands.

Not sure what that first story has to do with not lending your guitars. The guys guitar got broke by someone not borrowing it.
As for the second story you should have maybe asked the guy to replace the set of strings. If I had done that I would not have been offended to be asked to replace the strings. Now that I've heard this story, if this ever happens to me I'll automatically replace the strings. Although I have super dry skin and it has to be at least 35 degrees Celsius with humidity above 70% before I start affecting strings.

 

[bursty]

Not sure what that first story has to do with not lending your guitars. The guys guitar got broke by someone not borrowing it.
As for the second story you should have maybe asked the guy to replace the set of strings. If I had done that I would not have been offended to be asked to replace the strings. Now that I've heard this story, if this ever happens to me I'll automatically replace the strings. Although I have super dry skin and it has to be at least 35 degrees Celsius with humidity above 70% before I start affecting strings.

my friend had a propensity of borrowing guitars.
His SG that ended up with the broken head stock may have been his guitar but it could have just as easily been owned by someone else, and just borrowed at the time that it ended up being busted into more than one piece.
Just another reason not to parcel out your (breakable) gear, IMHO.

 

[Billy Porter]

I've no issue with others playing any of my guitars and encouraged my children to play them when they were at home. They're just guitars but............when playing my Les Paul I don't leave them alone with it purely because of the headstock break issue. With Fenders, you can only add character.

Any players that want to have a go at gigs are welcome and I've loaned my Strat out before when some French musicians came to play with us in the UK.

As an aside: when I worked in a music store I wouldn't let anyone try a guitar whilst wearing a denim jacket (especially black guitars).

 

[MadMiller]

I don’t play live, just jam with friends & their friends.
Anyone can play my guitars no questions, I feel that the more a guitar is played the better it gets. This situation is different to some people here playing live and having some drunk stumble over and wanting to play stairway to heaven , I might feel different then (unless I was equally drunk).
Our jam nights are like a guitar swingers party come to think of it, and we take turns on drums.
Normal Aussie culture (where I’m from anyway) is super chill & inviting, in our small community everyone I’ve met has been excited to see me play their guitar and I’m exactly the same, hell I just about force people to play my standard now it’s all dressed up as an “R9/0 on a budget”

 

[roxrob]

An interesting discussion about other people playing your guitars has evolved in this thread in the Vintage 1952-1960 pub:
Help Wanted
Some members are adamantly opposed to others (save their tech/luthier) handling their guitars - vintage or not. Others have a far more relaxed attitude. It's a fascinating discussion and I assume there are certainly old threads one precisely the same topic.

Playing a guitar in a guitar shop or a guitar show doesn't count. That's what guitar shops and shows are for. I've played a 1941 D45 at a shop, no questions asked...(believe the hype.)

I take the more conservative approach with my gear. I might allow I player I know and trust to play one of my guitars so long as they're sitting in a chair and the guitar strap is on. This is reasonable.
I would NEVER allow someone to play one of my guitars at a gig and I'd absolutely NEVER allow anyone to borrow one for an extended period of time.
I learned the hard way by letting a bandmate borrow a nice old D28 for a weekend. It was returned to me with a broken headstock and no explanation. I've another story about a Tele I let someone play...alas.
On the other hand, I have borrowed other people's guitars for studio work. I've been trusted with other people's valuable/vintage guitars many times for many purposes. A long time ago a buddy lent me his blonde 335 for a gig - but that's a story for another time...(it sounded great but I missed my Les Paul!)

When visiting another player's studio I'll wait to be invited to play their guitars.
I am grateful for those who have invited me to play their guitars, valuable or not.

My bottom line: No, you may not play my guitars.

What say the rest of you? Who can play your guitars?

My guitarist colleague in my band Acoustopaea always asks me to play his guitar at soundchecks so he can go "out the front" to check his sound.....his sound comes not only from his setup but also from his FINGERS..... I could never make him understand that point......he loves the way my guitar sounds and If he asked, he would be welcome to play it...he never asks......

 

[LyleGorch]

Made the mistake with a guy, had a metal pick the size of a dorito. Could have planted corn in the grooves. No more.

 

[herb]

When I played out often I took people off to the side during breaks to let them check out my guitars. I felt it was part of my duty to the band I was playing in. In a way I felt a responsibility to be an "ambassador". People dug it and so did I. People person.

 

[mjross]

When I played out often I took people off to the side during breaks to let them check out my guitars. I felt it was part of my duty to the band I was playing in. In a way I felt a responsibility to be an "ambassador". People dug it and so did I. People person.

Customer/fan relations, very important item commonly overlooked by many performers!

 

[Redhod]

Friend of mine who owns 6 or so guitars told me was getting interested in Telecasters. So I loaned him mine. But, handing it over, I advised him that the neck had gotten funky and really needs a new set-up.
When I retrieved the guitar a month later, it had fresh strings and was properly set up. He'd gone over the thing with a fine-toothed comb.

I'm pretty casual about loaning out my stuff. It interests me to hear the reactions other players give. If I owned a bona fide Burst or something, well, it would surely never leave the house.

Going back, three famous players casually handed me their axes for a quick strum and lookover. I guess they weren't worried about my cooties. But I appreciated their casual air.

 

[S. Weiger]

I don't mind letting others play my guitars, if I know them and trust that they will handle the guitars properly.
So I'll never let Pete Townshend or Jimi, had he been alive today, play my guitars.

 

[gmann]

If I don’t know you, then no.

 

[marshall1987]

Borrow my Fender Strats and Teles....no problem. It's tough for a gorilla to break a Fender. But quite a different story with Gibsons - Les Pauls, ES-335s, SGs, etc., so nope I don't think so. Too easy to break Gibson necks.

 

[-JB-]

Friends who know how to handle/play a guitar are always welcome to play mine any time. Borrowing is a different story and reserved for only those I really trust.

 

[CptFnMarvelous]

I try not too get to wound up about "stuff" and a guitar is just a form of "stuff" (but beloved stuff). So I'd let someone play it but would probably be clenching the old cheeks pretty tight the whole time they were playing.

 

[Standard Magic]

That's why I have tele's.

 

[Big Al]

I've always shared my gear. I've made long and short term loans of gear to players I knew, and an open mike or jam session anyone was free to play my guitar or amp if they wanted. I have gifted many pieces of gear over the years. It's just stuff.