Question Keeping your Bass from being stolen while on a gig?

[ErlendDL]

I guess that it pays off to live in Norway...

I've never had anything stolen. I've left both my basses and my EBS combo at my local church. The combo once sat there for almost a month (I usually play unplugged at home, for some reason).

It's a good feeling, not having to worry about your gear.

 

[five7]

nice

 

[RaginRog]

It's a good feeling, not having to worry about your gear.

You're very fortunate!!

 

[drTStingray]

Three tips which have helped me:-

1) Leave it on the stage BUT keep an eye on it and intervene as soon as you see anyone eyeing it up.
2) Not really a theft issue but definitely avoids unwanted dents and damage - make sure you put it in its case if anyone so much as hints they're going to set up or dismantle any drums within 10 yards of it!
3) As 2) but read PA instead of drums - amazing what can happen when people pull leads across the stage!!

Now if you're at a jam session - keep your hands on it at all times!! I actually went and moved my my SR4HH which was being eyed up by a very shifty character - he left immediately after as well.

We don't carry guns here (well most of us don't) - however I've heard a 10lb piece of ash makes a formidable weapon as well (quote from Keith Richards - apparently dealt with a stage interloper in this way - allegedly)

 

[ZiggyDude]

Somehow this thread was sticking in the back of my head during the two jobs this last weekend. I found myself putting the basses away from the door after they got put back in their case. And the most weird - while unloading I was forced to leave my vehicle to take care of an issue - and like a dummy left the gate open! I came back to that and really gave myself a lecture.

I wonder if they will ever build a bass with a GPS in it..........

 

[lovechick]

Same here, ZiggyDude. The rest of the band went outside for a smoke at the end of my Saturday gig. I thought about all the drunk college kids present, stayed put, and started tearing down.

 

[Calaveras]

The other side of the coin...
how many of us have had a guitar/bass offered to us at what can only be called a crackhead price. Basically a price that is so insane it HAS to be stolen.
I have gotten really mad at former band mates for buying guitars like this. Don't you think that someone somewhere is very sad and angry about this guitar?!
Buying guitars from druggies only encourages the crackhead economy of stealing axes for drug money.
Of course, liviing in Oakland, CA I come up against this more than most of you. I have had guys steal my car battery and try and sell it back to me.
I just took it back.

 

[Bloodfist]

Somehow this thread was sticking in the back of my head during the two jobs this last weekend. I found myself putting the basses away from the door after they got put back in their case. And the most weird - while unlading I was forced to leave my vehicle to take care of an issue - and like a dummy left the gate open! I came back to that and really gave myself a lecture.

I wonder if they will ever build a bass with a GPS in it..........

I've always wondered why someone hasn't came up with a GPS microchip that can bought, and placed on whatever you wanted. If a GPS chip was made small enough that you could place it in the control cavity of your instrument or surgically place it in you case, wouldn't you feel a little safer about taking your bass out? You could also put them in you amp, car, boat, or anything else you wanted to protect. If these things are already out there, someone send me a link to it, if not, someone run with the idea. All I ask for is a little credit for the idea and compensation lol.

 

[ZiggyDude]

Agreed on not buying Hot Stuff. Always check the serial number. I feel a lot better about an Ebay auction when they show the serial number of a bass for all to see.

Some jobs are more high risk. Neither of the bands I am in does the multi band thing as you have in some of the cities where several bands share the stage each night. So, that cuts down on the chances of someone "Accidentally" walking off with the wrong item. The one exception is we do a few benefits each year. But one would hope the spirit of the occasion would make the fingers less sticky. So far the worst I have suffered from one of them was when bands changed on the stage. The sound guy dropped a drum case and broke a switch off one of my Alembics. That is a $135 repair. Well – poop happens – hey it was for charity.

On "The Bottom Line" list, someone mentioned that he has a purple guitar case with a silver interior for his Guild Starfire (they are hard to get). He rests a bit easier at jobs that have more than one band as he can see which case is his a mile away Any chance on colored EBMM cases? First guy that orders hot pink should get his name in lights

So, EBMM content, I noticed that there is a serial number database on the site. Is that for registering owners and numbers? I have a dear to heart Bongo to protect.

For that matter – how many of us have a list of all our serial numbers in a safety deposit box or something? I need get that going with mine.

 

[Jimmyb]

I've always wondered why someone hasn't came up with a GPS microchip that can bought, and placed on whatever you wanted. If a GPS chip was made small enough that you could place it in the control cavity of your instrument or surgically place it in you case, wouldn't you feel a little safer about taking your bass out? You could also put them in you amp, car, boat, or anything else you wanted to protect. If these things are already out there, someone send me a link to it, if not, someone run with the idea. All I ask for is a little credit for the idea and compensation lol.

There are chips that you can implant in the guitar, in a similar way to the ones you can have for animals.

The idea is that guitar stores can can decode the chip and reference a database. The problem is that not all shops will by the scanner and database package, so there's still the opportunity to sell on.

Maybe if RFID chips start taking off in a really big way the prices for the decoders will drop sufficiently to make them viable for all of the shops...

 

[sitonmybass]

My two C****n basses have what's called a SNAGG microchip in them. During the build process, they track where it is in production and I understand it is also useful for theft recovery.

 

[RaginRog]

Somehow this thread was sticking in the back of my head during the two jobs this last weekend. I found myself putting the basses away from the door after they got put back in their case. And the most weird - while unloading I was forced to leave my vehicle to take care of an issue - and like a dummy left the gate open! I came back to that and really gave myself a lecture.

I wonder if they will ever build a bass with a GPS in it..........

Yeah, I'm sorry I've made everybody somewhat cautious, but I've always been kind of a worry wort when it comes to this. I work hard to have everything I own, so having it stolen would really agitate me.