So what would YOU do?

[51 Relic]

I have one golden rule - only my hands will ever touch ,play and restring my guitars , no exceptions this has been in place ever since I started gigging . I would never ask to play another guitarists guitar or even accept an offer . My guitars are an extension of my hands

[RP]

Originally Posted by ctvolfan

...At the end of the day, other people just don't value your stuff as much as you do since you paid your hard earned money for it. I will never loan my guitars out to anybody again unless I just don't care about the guitar.

My girlfriend loaned her 1/2 million dollar condo to her daughter & family for the past year. She didn't charge any rent nor did they pay condo fees, cable/internet or any other utilities. They left it a mess. I have a saying. "Anything that's free has little value to the recipient."

[jkilgour2000]

Originally Posted by RP

No, it isn't. Maybe it's a UK thing, but I'd prefer to use a single two-letter word rather than a convoluted nonsensical explanation...

This!

Learning how to look people in the eye and just say "No" is invaluable. It took me 50 years to figure that out.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Bring a lesser guitar for the borrowers.

[Earl49]

Simple: if you want to play at an open mic, bring YOUR guitar. Mine isn't a loaner. And yes, people have asked. I'd rather they think me a jerk than resent the damage some ham-handed player might inflict.

Or another way to respond: Can I borrow your guitar? Sure, right after I sleep with your wife/girlfriend.

[hairpuller]

Man, a lot of you folks sound extremely uptight. It's just a guitar.

I take pretty good care of mine, but scratches and dings are just part of life. I have no problem with anyone playing my guitars, but if I saw them mishandling them, I'd have no problem telling them so.

I love trying others' guitars and like for them to play mine! It's fun hearing my guitar out in front and seeing what others can produce.

scott

[s2y]

Originally Posted by hairpuller

Man, a lot of you folks sound extremely uptight. It's just a guitar.

I take pretty good care of mine, but scratches and dings are just part of life. I have no problem with anyone playing my guitars, but if I saw them mishandling them, I'd have no problem telling them so.

I love trying others' guitars and like for them to play mine! It's fun hearing my guitar out in front and seeing what others can produce.

scott

Dings happen, sure. My stuff gets played, so there will be small dings if people look really close at the finish. I play finger style about 75% of the time. I'm also very accurate with a pick. I always cover my belt buckle. I don't wear jewelry, although I accidentally put small scratches on guitars due to metal buttons on shirts on occasion. I'd like to think I have learned from the last part.

Nonetheless, some guys treat their gear like crap. We know who they are. They have no idea. The idea that a well played guitar should look like Trigger is hogwash.

[Beakybird]

The only thing I'll lend to a stranger is something inexpensive, like my toothbrush.

[mustachio]

couple flags here: First, if it were me, I'd bite the bullet and chew the out of my friend for passing along the guitar. Second, I'd take a little responsibility for not explaining your expectations of how you wanted your guitar to be handled.

Question: When did you notice someone other than your friend was playing it? If you saw the exchange happen and didn't speak up, I'd say it's all on you.

First Flag: restaurant gig and using a high-end Collings--unless you accept the slings and arrows of bar/restaurant gigs, don't expect your guitars to remain in impeccable condition (which is why I don't bring my nice Les Paul to bar gigs UNLESS the place has a stage. Stage = perceived importance of accommodating musicians and/or a business model that has a focus on the safety of separating a performer from audience intrusion.)

your friend that passed the Collings to the quasi-friend should be talked to for possible restitution--not the guy who actually caused the damage. After all, he was just playing the way he plays with a heavy right hand. I had a friend once play a sentimental guitar of mine and he didn't use a pick. Well, after a couple of songs, he began to bleed, into the sound-hole where tiny specks of blood stained the Martin stamp inside. Like Chris Rock says, "The tiger went tiger. Wasn't his fault."

Sidebar: that's why I like relic'd guitars (whole other can o' worms)--they can hide the value to not only the Average Joe with criminal tendencies but also you don't worry about petty digs or superficial finish marks.

Just my opinion and you know what they're like...but you asked. Good luck.

[DesertTwang]

I agree with WHM. I would definitely talk to friend #1 about this. Because of you don't, something similar will happen again, with somebody else. I strongly believe that in every mishap, there has to be at least one lesson for someone.

In this case, there already has been a lesson - for me. If I'm ever in that situation, I'll massage it clear to whomever I let play my guitar that they can't hand it off to anyone else.

I'm sorry this happened to you.

[Rockysdad]

This whole scenario seems odd to me.
Why would someone at a *performance* (open mic, in this case) not come ready to perform ?

If he or they didn't have their guitars with them, why would they get up to perform?

If I go to a race, can I expect someone to loan me a car to race?

[Blind Dog]

I had a minty Gibson AJ, and nobody was more surprised than me, how much I liked it. I was playing on the front porch, and saw a gaggle of tourists who were obviously lost. They asked for directions, and then one asked to take a picture with the guitar. (?) Being Canadian I was somehow bound to grant his request. He asked if I could pick up my sheltie, 'Healey', so he could also be included in the shot. While I was picking him up (Healey!) the tourist slung the guitar, and started playing/singing 'Imagine'. His friends videoed his number -- while I awkwardly held my dog.

Bid them safe travels, and hurried in the house. Swung the guitar to the light and found the worst scratching. Aarrggghhhh!?! He had some sort of (freakin' foreigner) holster for his phone. I starter after them, and then thought, 'I'm like a car-chasing little dog -- what am I going to do if I catch one?' 'Ruin a Lennon fan's Canadian holiday?'

I kept the guitar for a couple of weeks (bummed/gutted), knocked three hundred off the great price I had paid for the guitar, and made another guitarist very happy.

Poop happens.

[ChrisE]

Originally Posted by string1399

This is what I was thinking. Why take a Collings to an open mike?

Why get a nice guitar and not play it?

As far as the OP goes, it's too late to do anything now but I'd at least tell your friend what happened so he's aware.

I was playing a gig with my Taylor and some kid came up and started talking about guitars, gear, etc. He asked to play it, so without even thinking, it let him. He proceeded to beat the heck out of it within seconds. I got it back from . him and decided from now on, if someone asks to play my guitar, the answer is automatically "No."

OTOH, if I'm talking to someone about guitars or gigs, etc. and I feel like the person is stable and knows what he/she is talking about, I'll offer it to them. "Here--you wanna try it?" Usually they so "No thanks" but some have taken me up on it and been respectful and careful before quickly giving it back.

One guy came up to me at a resort gig, covered in sand, sweat, and who knows what else, demanding for me to let him play a song. It got a little tense there for a second because he wasn't taking no for an answer. I was even considering having the bartenders call security to get him to leave but I told him thanks for coming but I wasn't going to let him play, and that I was getting paid to play and I needed to get back to it. He finally left me alone but stood in the back glaring at me for quite a while.

[Neil K Walk]

Quite frankly, I wouldn't have taken the Collings in the first place. That just seems a little presumptuous given that other people came empty handed and I don't doubt there were a few beaters there.

Nor would I have loaned it to anybody else. You say that you had reservations about lending it to this one friend, but it's on them if they had to cajole you only to pass it on to Ham Handed Harry.

Not to worry though. Unless there are broken wood fibers and the luthier you take it to knows what finish Collings uses it's a matter of just judicially using a little steam and touching up the finish.

[phavriluk]

I agree with the comments that the borrower had an obligation to rely on himself for an instrument at an open mic. Already defined as some kind of slacker, no reason to expect thoughtful behavior. Also no reason, ever, for someone to bring a second guitar (!) in case somebody didn't bring one. That kind of stuff got stopped in grammar school.

Overthinking is unnecessary: Bring your own stuff, don't ask to borrow an instrument, tuners, support equipment, and don't lend it out, either.