gigged with 2 les pauls loaded with silver zephyrs. what are your views about it

[Orpheo]

I finished the guitars last january but it took me until last week to REALLY finetune the playability (i.e.: smoothing the fret ends, the sides of the fretboards, polishing the turds uhm... frets!). So I brought them to a jamsession I visit occasionally. Unfortunately I soon had a fall out with the girl who arranges the session. She felt I should lend out my guitars to guys who wanted to play but had no gear. Firstly, since when is it my obligation to supply gear for others, but still... I had my warmoths and I wasn't comfortable lending them out! 5A flame maple top on lightweight 1 piece mahogany on one guitar, flamed koa on lightweight mahogany on the other, both with silver zephyrs, both with (brazilian?) RW necks and ebony boards. not a nice idea!

but before I rant about what happened, allow me to tell about the zephyrs.

they rock.

My gosh they are so awesome in a band situation. They cut through the mix, in any position, any style. rock, blues, funk, soul, jazz, old school metal (that's all I play!), it just cuts. Nuances are so audible. I parted with the guitar for a moment and the guy playing it was amazed. Not just how easy the guitar plays (that's just my doing!) but at how easy it was to coax his own sound with the guitar. The more I play them the more I am convinced these pickups are not snakeoil but the beesknees....

OK. about the musical logistics. I did borrow out the guitar. I did get it back. And my fears were confirmed. I got it back with a broken jack, covered in blood. I was standing there all the time, and I have no idea how he managed to **** up the jack, but he did. I have no idea what he was doing, but the entire neck pickup is covered in blood. It's no longer a silver zephyr but a crimson zephyr  The girl who arranged it all refused to acknowledge my apprehension. Only when I showed her the result of the other guys handiwork she saw that I was right after all.

what would you guys have done in such a situation?

 

[alterbridgefan]

Replace the jack, clean the zephyr, charge the guy $40 for parts, labor, and stupidity fees.

Nicely, of course.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

1. If you are not comfortable lending out gear. Then don't.
2. If you do. Prepare for anything.

 

[alterbridgefan]

1. If you are not comfortable lending out gear. Then don't.
2. If you do. Prepare for anything.

+1

 

[Updown]

1. If you are not comfortable lending out gear. Then don't.
2. If you do. Prepare for anything.

YEP ... sorry to say it, But that's the best answer.  :icon_thumright:

Oh and  ...  get an aids check may-be.  :dontknow:

 

[Orpheo]

that's not what I asked cleaning and repairing is an easy job. as long as he didnt' sling the guitar round his back and the strap broke off, most things are easily fixed. I was curious what you would've done in a similar situation.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I would never have lent it out.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

If I know and trust the one who will loan the guitar - yes. (Still - Prepare for anything)

Any body else - including complete strangers - no.

 

[Pelagaard]

I'd rather leave then lend out an instrument, especially one of that quality to an unknown person.  Also, who shows up to a jam session without an instrument?

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Curious.  Are these the guitars you had at NAMM to demo the pickups that are just now getting setup?  How could the pickups be demo'd without a playable guitar?  As far as letting someone else play your guitar, it's always your call, but isn't NAMM a big strangers playing your gear fest?

 

[Orpheo]

Curious.  Are these the guitars you had at NAMM to demo the pickups that are just now getting setup?  How could the pickups be demo'd without a playable guitar?  As far as letting someone else play your guitar, it's always your call, but isn't NAMM a big strangers playing your gear fest?

final setup... The guitars were playable, but not nearly as well as I wanted them to be. But that only dawned on me way, way after namm.

the difference between NAMM and a jam is that namm is well lit, so you can see more clearly what the f*ck people are doing with your stuff. Also, at namm most people tend to sit down while playing and not climbing on a stage and playing right there. And... on Namm, you have guitars specifically for others to try out!

 

[hannaugh]

I would have told her she should lend her kidneys out for people who don't have them, and to mind her own business.  I only let people I know, trust, and like touch my guitars, end of story.  I saved up for years to get my LP, and I really did not make a lot of cash at the time.  If some stranger wants to play nice gear, they can work for it like I did. 

 

[bagman67]

Sorry about your luck, Orpheo.  I agree with the others that if you're not comfortable lending out your gear, you just say no.


Forgive me for the personal observation, but you could really stand to set better limits with the women you interact with. 

 

[thebutcher85]

Sorry about your luck, Orpheo.  I agree with the others that if you're not comfortable lending out your gear, you just say no.


Forgive me for the personal observation, but you could really stand to set better limits with the women you interact with. 

No offense but... Yup.  :icon_thumright:

In the first place I never would've let someone else play my guitar(s), and I wouldn't let someone else (man or woman or whatever) dictate the lending out of MY gear.

Hannaugh is absolutely right; I worked my @$$ off & scrimped & saved to have the nice gear that I own, let some other poor fecker do the same and learn the value of hard work and the privilege of playing nice gear.

Sorry your guitar got buggered up, hope it doesn't have AIDS now...

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Forgive me for the personal observation, but you could really stand to set better limits with the women you interact with.

Replace "women" with "people" and I'm with you. As it is, it comes off a little weird...

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

the difference between NAMM and a jam is that namm is well lit, so you can see more clearly what the f*ck people are doing with your stuff. Also, at namm most people tend to sit down while playing and not climbing on a stage and playing right there. And... on Namm, you have guitars specifically for others to try out!

I'm still confused.  Weren't these the guitars you had sent to California, picked up from Hannaugh, had to find a a soldering iron for, threw together quickly so they could be demo'd at Namm, only to find out four months later it needs a setup and realizing then you don't want strangers playing your stuff.

 

[DangerousR6]

I won't even let my brother play my guitars, much less some stranger at a jam session..

 

[Cagey]

I'm surprised the woman even asked. That's like asking to borrow someone's toothbrush or computer. You just don't do it.

 

[mayfly]

I'm surprised the woman even asked. That's like asking to borrow someone's toothbrush or computer. You just don't do it.

Maybe this is the reason why she was into our friend Orpheo - because he had a lot of nice guitars.

 

[JaySwear]

Found a picture of the guitar after the jam...

Honestly, I get super stressed about letting somebody borrow my stuff. Don't show up at a jam without an instrument! Thats like showing up at a track day and wanting to run somebody else's car. Just... no. Sorry to hear your generosity came back to bite you!