Do You Store/Leave Your Equipment at Your Band Rehearsal

[Morrissey]

And don't plaster the trailer with gear bumper stickers (they scream STEAL ME).

 

This is important advice. When I was young and naïve I was excited about putting band stickers on the trailer. A much wiser bandmate sternly shared similar wisdom about maintaining a low profile. He was also the guy who taught me how to wrap cables well (over/under). I'm quite indebted to that man.

[Ken Beaumont]

Maybe put a "hazardous waste" sign on it? On second thought there is probably a band named that somewhere

[El Lobo]

My main band now has 2 - count 'em - 2 rehearsal spaces in private homes, both with PA and amps and drum kits. I just take Nord, Stay stand, cables, and sax -- and take them home with me. Other bands I'm in don't rehearse right now but may start to as things pick up.

[The Real MC]

Maybe put a "hazardous waste" sign on it? On second thought there is probably a band named that somewhere

 

"Sewage Waste" works quite well.

[KeyMoe]

Nope. Like to have access to my gear if sub gigs come up.

[Charleston]

It's always awkward though when someone gets booted and they have to come get their stuff.

[Piktor]

The rehearsal space theft experience is real. In 1977 I auditioned with a band at their sort of remote rehearsal space. Things went well and I ended up leaving a Rhodes, a 147, a Hammond M 100, and Acoustic amp and a 4 x 12 bottom. That very night someone broke in and made off with gear. Fortunately for me, though they had my Acoustic ready to go, they opted for the guitarist's Marshall, distinctive home made speaker cabinet, and a set of Gretch drums instead. About four months later, the band was invited to a post gig house party where the numb nuts hosts were playing their turntable through a Marshall and that distinctive speaker cabinet. Needless to say, the stolen items eventually made their way back to the rightful owners.

 

Since then, before my own home became the rehearsal space of preference, I would either use what whatever was available in the designated reheasal space, or just bring a single keyboard, playing either through the p.a or an amp that I brought. Of course, if the gig required more elaborate coordination between various keyboards, splits, modules, etc, I would work that stuff out myself at home. I don't like to be too chained to a set thing, as some gigs were single sets with short setup times and the I ended up adapting to a different rig anyway.

[Jaspla]

Years ago, was in a small band that had a 3 day/week gig at a decent restaurant. December, wintry. Who wants to lug stuff.....

I would leave my amp, mic stand, music stand and a wicker swivel chair there. Drummer, others would take their stuff. One Saturday morning, first news of the day was that the 'Red Feather' had burnt down.

 

Got there within an hour. The place was gone, almost completely. In the remains proudly stood my mic stand. The steel bottom of the wicker chair was there, as well as a partially twisted music stand.

In the middle of the pile of rubble and soot were a couple of 12 inch speaker cones, and remnants of an amp chassis.

Now for the bad news and the good news. Bad news - restaurant was not insured. Good news - I was over insured...got more gear.

Cause. Owner had some holiday lights dangling from the eaves outside. FD figured a short was the cause.

[cassdad]

Adin hit the nail on the head: When younger, I had plenty of energy and strength to haul gear as needed. Now I have more money than energy, thus can afford redundancy = allowing multiple sets of equipment wherever needed to minimize hauling equipment.

[The Real MC]

Another theft deterrent: if you use a cart to carry gear, bring it inside when you get home after the gig. Don't make the thief's job easier.

[Docbop]

Another theft deterrent: if you use a cart to carry gear, bring it inside when you get home after the gig. Don't make the thief's job easier.

 

Another no-no drummers seem to be the biggest one to do it is don't put a bunch of gear company stickers on your truck or mini van you haul gear in. That screams out loud to thieves there is probably expensive gear inside. Thieves are bad enough about seeing gear being carried out of some place and following people home and robbing them. Be especially careful if you keep old gear in a a storage place. Thieves monitor those places and since most those places don't pay well some employees for a price will tell thieves which locker to break into for music gear. Hey not as bad as being a long haired musician in the 60's, 70's gigging in Texas or the South. You see guitar players carry their gear to their car after a gig, look close you'd see a pistol stuck to the magnet in the back of their amp for protection.

[El Lobo]

I'm trying to remember a bass player's story. It went something like this: he got home at 2 or 3 in the morning from the gig and was loading his gear back into his house or garage but forgot and left his bass amp out front on the sidewalk. When he remembered in the morning, he looked out and sure enough it was gone. The thing is, it was a piece of crap in the first place so he wasn't too broken-hearted. Later that evening he looked out the window and someone had returned it to exactly the spot where he had left it the night before.

[Spider76]

Nope. I only bring one keyboard, a couple of pedals and plug into the PA for practice. so trekking the equipment is a piece of cake. 5 minute setup.

 

Exactly my situation. Never left anything at rehearsals, obviously when they were in shared rooms (95% of my life) but also when it was a secure place owned by some band member. The reason is simple: not just for security reasons, but most of all because leaving the keyboard in the rehearsal room means I will NEVER use it, except for that couple of hours every 2 weeks.

Not only this means showing up to rehearsals unprepared (I always set up specific programs for every song in the setlist) but also it sounds like a crazy waste of money, to leave my main expensive keyboard (Nord Stage 2 EX88) unused on purpose.

[NewImprov]

I've run a recording studio that doubles as a rehearsal studio for the last 3 years. All 4 of my bands rehearse there, and my stuff stays there, which currently includes a Rhodes MK 1 Stage 73, an A100/21H combo, an extensive 5U and Euro modular setup, and a bunch of synths and controllers. There's also a 7' Knabe grand in an iso room. The drummer I play with in 3 of the 4 bands leaves one of his kits set up, and the other drummer uses the house kit for rehearsals.The guitarists/bassists leave their amps, and just bring guitars and pedalboards to practice. Financially, the band members pay half the rent, split equally between them, and I pay the other half myself, plus all utilities. The studio itself is behind double locked doors, and the facility it is located within is gated and locked after 10pm, with 2 resident managers and security cams.

 

It is such a joy to have all the gear and PA setup permanently. People can generally turn up and turn on a few switches and play. I LOVE having all my gear up and getting played, and actually, it was using the Rhodes in rehearsals that lead to me taking it to gigs. Also, I have an agreement that the drummers kit and the amps can get used in recording situations, I charge clients a rental fee that I pass on to the owners.

 

Obviously this system requires a lot of trust, but I am lucky enough to work with guys that I share a lot of history with, and the trust is earned on all sides. After decades of shlepping my stuff to sketchy rehearsal spaces, this spot is a dream come true. And it has also lead to new collaboration possibilities by having stuff set up and ready to record pretty quickly. I figure I have about 10-12 years of playing left in me (I'm 59 next month), and I'm budgeting to stay in this space for at least that long.

[ProfD]

Yes. My basement is the rehearsal space.

 

I have my KBs and a PA system set up. My bassist has rig there. My drummer has one kit set up and a couple stored away in another room. The other musos bring gear as necessary.

 

I just bought another digital mixer that I'll set up scenes so that whenever rehearsals/gigs resume, I can hit the power switch and the band is up and running.

[MathOfInsects]

I don't have any one group I play or practice with, but there are sometimes consecutive-day rehearsals in the same place. In those cases, the New Yorker in me never leaves anything that I'm not prepared to have stolen. So, never keys, never computer or ipad. Certain desirable pedals or components always come home with me too, including Key Largo or Vent II. Sometimes I leave an amp; I don't want to replace it, but it's right on the threshold of convenience versus actual chance of having stolen. Stands, cables, throne, all usually stay there.

[drawback]

I don't have any one group I play or practice with, but there are sometimes consecutive-day rehearsals in the same place. In those cases, the New Yorker in me never leaves anything that I'm not prepared to have stolen. So, never keys, never computer or ipad. Certain desirable pedals or components always come home with me too, including Key Largo or Vent II. Sometimes I leave an amp; I don't want to replace it, but it's right on the threshold of convenience versus actual chance of having stolen. Stands, cables, throne, all usually stay there.

 

This post made me recall that a few years ago (when I had my equipment insured against all perils through AFM) I would leave gear in a fairly shady rehearsal space over nights, secretly hoping my gear would be stolen so I could replace it with more current equipment. Never happened, though.

[Morrissey]

I've run a recording studio that doubles as a rehearsal studio for the last 3 years. All 4 of my bands rehearse there, and my stuff stays there, which currently includes a Rhodes MK 1 Stage 73, an A100/21H combo, an extensive 5U and Euro modular setup, and a bunch of synths and controllers. There's also a 7' Knabe grand in an iso room. The drummer I play with in 3 of the 4 bands leaves one of his kits set up, and the other drummer uses the house kit for rehearsals.The guitarists/bassists leave their amps, and just bring guitars and pedalboards to practice. Financially, the band members pay half the rent, split equally between them, and I pay the other half myself, plus all utilities. The studio itself is behind double locked doors, and the facility it is located within is gated and locked after 10pm, with 2 resident managers and security cams.

 

It is such a joy to have all the gear and PA setup permanently. People can generally turn up and turn on a few switches and play. I LOVE having all my gear up and getting played, and actually, it was using the Rhodes in rehearsals that lead to me taking it to gigs. Also, I have an agreement that the drummers kit and the amps can get used in recording situations, I charge clients a rental fee that I pass on to the owners.

 

Obviously this system requires a lot of trust, but I am lucky enough to work with guys that I share a lot of history with, and the trust is earned on all sides. After decades of shlepping my stuff to sketchy rehearsal spaces, this spot is a dream come true. And it has also lead to new collaboration possibilities by having stuff set up and ready to record pretty quickly. I figure I have about 10-12 years of playing left in me (I'm 59 next month), and I'm budgeting to stay in this space for at least that long.

 

What a dream scenario! Congrats!

[Morrissey]

I don't have any one group I play or practice with, but there are sometimes consecutive-day rehearsals in the same place. In those cases, the New Yorker in me never leaves anything that I'm not prepared to have stolen. So, never keys, never computer or ipad. Certain desirable pedals or components always come home with me too, including Key Largo or Vent II. Sometimes I leave an amp; I don't want to replace it, but it's right on the threshold of convenience versus actual chance of having stolen. Stands, cables, throne, all usually stay there.

 

This post made me recall that a few years ago (when I had my equipment insured against all perils through AFM) I would leave gear in a fairly shady rehearsal space over nights, secretly hoping my gear would be stolen so I could replace it with more current equipment. Never happened, though.

 

Ha! Those in the insurance biz call this "moral hazard"