Hey bro, can I borrow your cable/guitar/amp?

Have you been in a situation when a fellow axe-man (guitarists AND bassists may be guilty here) comes up to you and asks to borrow your cable? This is despite lugging an extensive pedal board and an expensive guitar. Never mind the fact that he (ladies aren't afflicted by this) actually made it to the gig, let alone gather the guts to ask such a WTF question.

In case this needs to be explained, it is NOT cool to borrow gear from another musician at a gig. It may be okay if you're close friends with them. This applies to cables, guitars, amps, etc.

To many, guitars and amps are valuable because they make up what the musician deems to be their voice; their value cannot be defined in monetary terms.

Of course, some musicians don't really care a whole lot about their gear and wouldn't mind lending to any young needy musician.

When musicians are faced with this situation, many feel that they are put in a difficult spot: the young musician's plight is understood but how to trust him with your valuable gear? What if he trashes it? What if he breaks it?

There is an overwhelming worry that no one is going to treat your gear with the same respect and love as you do. Some musicians have gear that took years (sometimes decades) to acquire, and they're not about to let them get wrecked in a single night of irresponsible usage. Some may argue that rock n roll is about irresponsible usage.

In conclusion, bring your own gear to gigs and save everyone the unnecessary hassle. If you need to, do the borrowing BEFORE the gig. Lesser headache, wouldn't you say?

Until next time, rock on!