The Horror

[Albert Smith]

Originally Posted by Bob Faulkner

So we were jamming yesterday at band practice, me with my Smith, and my lead guitarist with his custom shop Jackson. We were in the middle of playing one of our songs. I was standing in front of the drums facing the drummer and the guitarist was standing to my left. We were coming up on the part of the song where he goes into his solo, so he whips around to head over to his pedal board and to my horror, smacks the head stock of my Smith with the head of his Jackson. The shock almost jerked the bass out of my left hand. We didn't miss a beat in the song but I was almost ready to cry. When we finished the song I took a look and there is a slight ding in the finish just below the A string tuning peg. You have to have light glaring on the finish to really see it, but you can feel it if you run your hand over it..

It's really amazing that was all that happened to it because he really smacked it hard. I was worried about the neck having snapped in half or something when it happened as I wasn't looking at him and just felt the violent jerk of the neck.

I just couldn't believe it.. At least he dinged my really expensive bass with his really expensive guitar...

I've had this bass for 6 years. I just racked up ding #2. Not a bad record so far I guess.

Bob, I feel your pain, when you consider the amount of time it took for Ken to create your custom made piece of art , and to have someone inadvertently damage it, can cause severe thoughts of causing bodily damage to the perpetrator. I commend you on your restraint in this matter.
Al

[Steve_M]

I have a complete sense of humour failure when it comes to gear abuse.

I tore a strip off one idiot on basstalk after he complained that the SWR Triad cab I used to own (who he bought off the friend I sold it to) was crap because it couldn't withstand his onslaught of overdriven bass synth pedals (which forced it to take sub low transients). He'd been sold that cab in mint condition and after he'd finished, it needed a complete reconing. If it was a sensitive cab with a high SPL then it might have been understandable but Triad cabs have a sensitivity rating of something like -98dB so it would have taken some considerable abuse to blow the speakers.

I'm not normally possessive of gear like that, but the guy had started the thread, acting like he was proud of how demanding he was so I couldn't let it one lie. That thread was dead afterwards.

At some shared billing gigs another bass player sometimes used my rig without asking first. Usually its been due to the promoter taking the proverbial and telling the band its OK, so they don't have to hire gear for everyone. I usually tell them noone uses my gear unless I know them already. If I wanted to be asked back, I'll take the promoter aside and tell them what has gone on and that I'm not happy about it. I've even shown them that my gear is being redlined as the other band are performing. If the gear gets damaged then the promoter will get a bill for repairs and my time/travel expenses to/from the tech.

Luckily I've not had any major events with damaging my Smiths apart from a recharger for my phone dropping on my Smith 6 from a shelf, which left a small v shaped ding in the back of the upper horn. Rest of the dings have been from belt buckles and gig bag zips.