Renting out gear

[Chris Link]

I had a KB player that I know just in passing ask if I would rent out my Nord Electro.

 

While my first instinct was to help out a fellow musician, I thought about it for a bit and declined. I did a search and sent him a link to a local back line company that had a lot of really great stuff (a C3 + 122, Rhodes, etc.) including an Electro. Couldn"t tell what version from the picture and you had to email them to get details.

 

How do you folks feel about renting stuff out? I just recall some a**hole trashing a vintage combo organ a while back.

 

I probably would have done it with a cash deposit for a new NE6, but that seemed kind of unseemly.

[Chris Link]

And what would you charge was a daily rate as a fraction of the instrument"s replacement cost?

[drawback]

I wouldn"t rent out any of my gear. You did the right thing. Great way to lose a friend.

[KuruPrionz]

I have a couple of trusted friends who I am willing to loan something to, I know they can and will make good on it. But, they have great gear themselves so they would only ask if something was out for repair and they needed to play.

 

I would wonder, if somebody can't afford their own keyboard, how will they pay for yours? Accidents will happen.

Sounds like you did the right thing to me. FWIW, I've played gigs with rented backlines and I was glad I brought my own stuff. Their gear looked pretty beat up.

[Chris Link]

I wouldn"t rent out any of my gear. You did the right thing. Great way to lose a friend.

 

They didn"t have what he needed.

 

I might consider $200 plus a cash deposit to replace it ($2500), but I need it for a gig next weekend.

 

I don"t think it"s worth $200 to take that risk.

[Chris Link]

I have a couple of trusted friends who I am willing to loan something to, I know they can and will make good on it. But, they have great gear themselves so they would only ask if something was out for repair and they needed to play.

 

I would wonder, if somebody can't afford their own keyboard, how will they pay for yours? Accidents will happen.

Sounds like you did the right thing to me. FWIW, I've played gigs with rented backlines and I was glad I brought my own stuff. Their gear looked pretty beat up.

 

Milton Friedman: 'No one ever washes a rental car'.

[Docbop]

I would lend gear to friends from time to time. When I was roadie for Bobby Whitlock it was a small tour, but we did take Bobby's chopped B3. we rented a Leslie where ever we played. Some places no businesses to rent from so club would rent from a local musician. As for prices in my roadie day I asked a SIR and another place what they charge and it was 10% of the retail cost of the gear, plus if not a company renting a big security deposit. The security deposit usually was the breaking point for musicians wanting to rent.

[analogika]

Gosh, I lend stuff out to and from good friends all the time.

 

I rented out my Stage 3 for a jazz gig once for 10% of the replacement cost for a day. But I actually delivered and set it up myself, and it was for a good friend of a friend, so I knew it was in good hands.

 

I also rented out my Wurli to a TV production for "okay" money five years ago, but my best friend was backlining that production, so I knew it'd be in good hands.

[Delaware Dave]

my gear is older so renting it out is a no go (my model is discontinued). Hell, I even get nervous when i have to backline for an opening band.

[ElmerJFudd]

renting out, i guess you have to take what the instrument or amp cost you, how many times it will get used before it breaks and divide, add what you think your profit margin should be and that"s your rate.

[The Real MC]

My stuff does not leave the studio for anyone. If someone wants to use my synths for a song, they can come to my studio and record it.

[Moonglow]

My answer would be, 'it depends.' The critical question would be how well I know the dude. I would only rent out my gear to friends I know as responsible, reliable, conscientious, etc. Hell, for these guys, I would let them use it for free. I"m very careful with my gear, and if I needed to rent a friend"s keyboard, I would treat it better than my own gear, as I know they would mine. I do realize this criteria substantially lowers the number of rental candidates...

 

More generally, I would need to know of other potentially disqualifying factors including indoor/outdoor gig, type of venue, amount of travel, and person/persons handling the gear. Of course, there is always the possibility of a random, adverse event such as some drunk or musician falling into the keyboard rig (which could be the same person ) and I would express the need to 'make things right" before the rental, should such an incident occur.

 

Another question would be how replaceable is the board? If it"s a garden variety keyboard that is still in production, the decision becomes easier. I would have an easier time renting out my Kronos than my Jupiter-80.

 

Speaking to another issue, and interjecting my own values/ideology, I would only ask to rent a keyboard from a friend in a truly emergency situation. Part of the responsibility of being a musician is to have a contingency plan to include having a backup axe to get through a gig. Stepping off soapbox now...

[area51recording]

The one time I rented to a fellow musician, it was a guy coming in from Nashvegas to do a gig locally. We talked, seemed to hit it off, and I rented him a GEM Pro 1 for a night for $50.....I was stupid enough to let him write me a check, which bounced. At least I got the keyboard back in decent shape....live and learn I guess....I did think it was kind of a scumbag move to do something like that to a fellow gig warrior, but it takes all kinds......

[allan_evett]

I have a couple of trusted friends who I am willing to loan something to, I know they can and will make good on it. But, they have great gear themselves so they would only ask if something was out for repair and they needed to play.

 

I would wonder, if somebody can't afford their own keyboard, how will they pay for yours? Accidents will happen.

 

This only. In the past I've done a couple rentals to other pro players (friends of friends, in from out of town for a gig, etc.), but my latest annual gear insurance premium had a 50% increase - mostly due to a claim for a blown-up speaker cabinet (due to really crappy outdoor power). The claim was for $680, which is microscopic compared to replacing a Nord Stage 3, Fantom 7 or YC88. God forbid what the insurance premium would become if I had to replace one of those.

[David R]

I have borrowed/rented gear from friends when I'm travelling and can't backline or bring my own gear. I would do the same to ensure my gig karma: reputable and responsible friends/musicians at a reputable venue.

[Charleston]

Another issue to consider is how valuable is your time. Are they punctual? If not, are you willing to sit around and wait a few hours while they are "running late".....on the pickup....and return?

 

BTW, I don't think you mentioned who would be providing the keyboard case.

[El Lobo]

Just say no

[Piktor]

I have rented out gear and lent gear only a few times. Sometimes it has turned out to be cool (espcially hearing how pieces of equipment performed on recording projects, etc). The one time that it turned out badly (a good FRIEND let his cigarette burn a hole through the Tolex of the Fender Twin that I LENT to him) was enough for me to just establish a general policy of saying no. I do not like worrying about stuff, no matter what you offer to pay me. I might only make an exception for someone that I knew and only if they were doing something that I thought was cool. In those cases I wouldn't mind receiving a free copy of the recording and a credit describing me as an excedingly wonderful person....ð

[Chris Link]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

I"m glad that the general consensus is 'no' except in some exceptional situations.

 

I just know this guy from sitting in with his band once and he"s done some painting work (day job) for the surgery center where I do cases. Nice guy but I really don"t know him very well.

 

It"s not as though Mitch Towne called me for help! I"d be all over that.

[mate stubb]

It"s not as though Mitch Towne called me for help! I"d be all over that.

 

Mitch called me for help once. I can report he is a gentleman and a scholar. And he took great care of my organ.

[Jerry Huber]

In the 70's, a very good friend, both musical and personal, asked to borrow my Rhodes 88 for a gig. I said yes, totally trusted him, wish I had not. It took me a couple days to track him down to get it back, he made no effort to return it to me. Maybe because when I did get it back, three of the tines were broken. I asked him what happened to the Rhodes, he said it must be f**ked up, it wasn't his fault they broke. I had never broken one before, I actually tried to hit a key so hard that the tine would break (what's one more?) and it wouldn't. He didn't offer to pay for repairs and when told what it cost afterwards, he said something on the lines of "glad that only three broke". Lesson learned.

A few years ago, a friend asked to borrow an PA amp from me for a gig near me. He was desperate, I said sure, I went to the gig, (I wanted to go anyway) at the end, I packed up the amp and took it home. I think he thought I was weird doing that, but it got home safe and sound.

[TommyRude]

If Jerry Lee Lewis wants to rent your gear, you might want to think twice. I think he's still doing gigs, and even at 90+ yrs I'll betcha he could still find a way to destroy your rig in a ball of flames!

[KuruPrionz]

If Jerry Lee Lewis wants to rent your gear, you might want to think twice. I think he's still doing gigs, and even at 90+ yrs I'll betcha he could still find a way to destroy your rig in a ball of flames!

 

A good friend's band opened for Jerry Lee Lewis back in the early 80's. The venue had a Steinway baby grand. Jerry Lee proceeded to pour beer all over the keyboard so he could slide his hand across the keys more easily.

Not really classy in my opinion. Meh...

[Mighty Motif Max]

I've rented out gear one time...it was for a musical theatre pit orchestra gig for a full weekend of shows where a fellow keyboardist I respect a lot wanted me to play but I had to be out of town. This musician was MD'ing but I knew the other keyboardist that was going to be using my board from my own church! They only needed one thing - a flute/cello split and at least 61 keys. I didn't want to give them my flagship board so they got my Korg Krome 61, which actually does those two sounds very well. The shows went great and everyone in the band thought that the Krome had the most realistic flute and cello programs they had heard in a keyboard in recent years. Got it back, not a scratch on it.

 

I knew everyone involved though...the MD was a respected Broadway artist and the second keyboardist was my church's former pianist. Had I not known either, it would have been a "no". I would trust the judgement of that particular MD though.