If Someone Walks up on Stage . . .

[Pickcity]

No. It is rude. I would never ask someone and they should never ask me.

A friend is different. A random can go pound sand.

I had a guy come up to me during a break one time and literally beg to play guitar with us. It was a 4 piece band situation and we already had 2 guitar players. He simply would not take no for an answer. I finally got rude with him and told him to find his own gigs. What a jerk. The owner heard the whole thing and was glad I told him no. He said, “I hate people like that. While you are up there, that is your stage. I hired you, not him.”

I hosted an open mic for years in my hometown. I always brought a beater guitar for the ones who showed up with nothing to play…Which I always found a bit odd…But there were a few, and it was fine. One night a guy wanted to play my Gibson L-130. I told him no. He got butt hurt about it and started pouting. Poor baby. LOL…

Some people…

[Bluenose]

Say "sure but you should know that I'm being treated for ringworm (or some other contagious skin disease) that got I by playing somebody else's guitar." Then turn over your hands to show them your palms. Let me know if that works.

[ssstewart]

tell them no and pass them my A440 fork and tell them to tap it on their drink

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Mark Stone

. . . . and asks if they can play your guitar for a few minutes, would you let them?

Since my main stage instrument these days is a relatively humble Taylor 110e that is already a little banged up, I usually say yes. In the days that my main squeeze was a Gibson, I’d say “maybe” - when I was using an 814ce a definite NO. But these days? Yeah, have at it So, would you let them?

No. I don't do pub gigs so it is highly unlikely, and .

But it did happen once when I was running a long afternoon evening music gig in the beer garden of a rather posh pub some years ago.

A chap (unknown to me) approached me, introduced himself and spoke knowingly about my guitar - my first Collings.

He asked very politely if he could do couple of songs on my guitar. He seemed trustworthy and sensible so I agreed.

I gave him my guitar, and introduced him.

He did not disappoint. He played and sang nicely and was well received. Apparently he was a well known pro, that I did not know.

For some time, I've had a line ready should the situation arise again - I say, "would you mind if I said no ? You see I've found that if someone else, anyone plays my guitar the strings go dead as soon as I play it again and I've only just put this set on".

That usually bores them away.

I have a small number of friends that I will allow to play my guitars - and a couple who have that body chemistry that kills strings ... they know who they are - so they don't ask.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Bob from Brooklyn

They get this..

And still in tune...

[Jim Owen]

I’ve always said no if I didn’t recognize the player. And it’s amazing how many times that’s enraged the asker. I’ve tried to be polite about it—even saying things such as “Sorry, my insurance doesn’t cover my equipment if I lend it out.”

One dude even wanted to take me on out in the parking lot because I wouldn’t let him try out my rig.

It’s such an odd ask, really, from a perfect stranger.

[Nymuso]

No. For several reasons but one very practical one.

Someone is thinking of hiring you, has never seen you and is coming to the gig. He walks into the place and on stage is some idiot fumbling through a bad rendition of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. He leaves, you lose the gig.

Happened to a friend of mine.

[TBman]

Don't even think about touching my guitar

[Bluemonk]

Once was enough, if you catch my drift.

[Thoughtfree]

Yes.

Every time Jimi Hendrix shows up, I let him play my guitar.

[leew3]

Nope. Even worse I've had drunk patrons ask to borrow a harmonica so they can sit in-double nope!

[cip]

Originally Posted by Pickcity

No. It is rude. I would never ask someone and they should never ask me.

A friend is different. A random can go pound sand.

I had a guy come up to me during a break one time and literally beg to play guitar with us. It was a 4 piece band situation and we already had 2 guitar players. He simply would not take no for an answer. I finally got rude with him and told him to find his own gigs. What a jerk. The owner heard the whole thing and was glad I told him no. He said, “I hate people like that. While you are up there, that is your stage. I hired you, not him.”

I hosted an open mic for years in my hometown. I always brought a beater guitar for the ones who showed up with nothing to play…Which I always found a bit odd…But there were a few, and it was fine. One night a guy wanted to play my Gibson L-130. I told him no. He got butt hurt about it and started pouting. Poor baby. LOL…

Some people…

this lady showed up with nothing to play. she asked to play my guitar. and i said sure why not. she played my super nice gibson custom shop.

she showed up again to a different open mic and asked to play my personal guitar even though there was a house guitar. and i told her exactly that. that there was a house guitar. she said "but that one might not be in tune", and i told her, 'yes it is, someone just played it', which was true.

so freaking weird. am i an ******* for doing that?

[Deliberate1]

Well, if I said no, which I might, depending on the circumstances, it would be a bit hypocritical.

Just about a year ago I was in Marrakech, with a strong interest to try an oud. I find the voice just mesmerizing. But the souk (market) in Marrakech is not Guitar Center or The Musical Emporium, where you can look, try and walk. Quite the opposite. Rather, you look. You haggle. You buy.

My prospects changed during our last dinner in the city when we visited a resturaunt where an "oudist" (?) was playing "moud" music in the main dining room. Half way through the meal, I spent some time standing some distance from him, just absorbing the mysterious sounds from that bulbous instrument, It was rather cool when the musician and I made eye contact and acknowledged one another.

At the end of the meal, our guide asked me if I wanted to try the musician's oud. I immediately said no, putting myself into a comparable scenario whereby I am playing a gig in the US, and a Moroccan guitar virgin asks to play my instrument in the middle of my set.

But my resistance flagged, and I found myself seated besides this nice fellow. He showed me how to hold the risha (pick) and how it is used to pluck the strings which are tuned to G A D G C. It actually sounded familiar, since it was in 4ths, somewhat. So I accepted the instrument and, under the gaze of the entire resturaunt crowd, I got familiar with the 8" fretless neck, and fashioned a little tune, even finding the intervals on the neck rather intuitively. No opportunity for performance anxiety because my mind was already blown just by sitting there. A solid tip for the musician/teacher followed my "set."

Anyways. if I am playing a gig, and a Moroccan fellow, who has never held a guitar, asks to try my guitar, what other choice would I have. Short of that, unless it is Tommy, not likely.

David

[BluesKing777]

I was reading expert advice.....err, aha......

And put mediums on......aha.

Cursing myself, really struggling with those mediums, about to change to my trusty spare guitar with lousy pickup.....and up he comes: ‘Love your playing, blah, blah, can I play some?’

Sure! Here ya go......

He was ok but gave up quickly!

Mumbled something about my guitar having railroad tracks.....

Another time someone borrowed my guitar and complained about the neck a lot over the mic! Cheeky!

Not too much drama, not like the guy that threw a chair through the mirror behind the bar.....give us a pesky tame guitarist anyday.



BluesKing777.

[arwhite]

I let a dude play the Collings CJ I had at the time at an open mic. He was pretty good. Funny thing was he forgot to plug it in and dang if it wasn't loud enough to hang with his amplified vocals!