Who Would You Loan Your Best Guitar to?"

[BigBear]

One of my best friends from college is trying to buy a new Taylor 414 with a 1-7/8" (standard 12-string size) neck. He's converting from nylon classical to steel string acoustic. He knows my Larrivee L-10e has a wide neck so he asked to borrow it. I'm having hand surgery this Friday, again, and I won't be needing it anytime soon. So I figured why not? But I was surprised that it bothered me so much watching my guitar walk out of my house, even to a good friend.

So my question is who would loan your best guitar to? And would it bother you to watch it walk out the door not knowing where or how it would be played or even handled?

Cheers! :cheer:

[willem]

BigBear wrote:

One of my best friends from college is trying to buy a new Taylor 414 with a 1-7/8" (standard 12-string size) neck. He's converting from nylon classical to steel string acoustic. He knows my Larrivee L-10e has a wide neck so he asked to borrow it. I'm having hand surgery this Friday, again, and I won't be needing it anytime soon. So I figured why not? But I was surprised that it bothered me so much watching my guitar walk out of my house, even to a good friend.

So my question is who would loan your best guitar to? And would it bother you to watch it walk out the door not knowing where or how it would be played or even handled?

Cheers! :cheer:

I like to hear my best guitar in the hands of a friend of my,,,and then I say geee it has a nice sound,,,then I take it back to my own home and dream to make the same sound...If he needed it for a performence he sure can borrow it,,,,but i want to listen...I think he would handled it with care 'cos thats what he does with his own guitar too..

The best with you hand surgery and hope you will play your guitar so soon as possible

W.

[AndyT]

I've learned to relax and let people try Gracie out, but I'm sitting right there and the only place I've ever left her at was the Luthier. I'm very particular on who I let borrow her. Especially since I've personified her with a name. LOL

Seems to be a large number of people getting hand surgery lately. What's up with that? Get better soon.

[dennisg]

This is an interesting question, and I'm going to answer it like a writer. It all depends on one's definition of "loan." If you mean who would I let sit in my house and play my best guitar, the answer is ... just about anyone, although I'd check to see if he or she has any lethal zippers or belt buckles. If you mean who would I let take the guitar away from my house to play it at his/her leisure, the answer is ... no one. One of the reasons I have more than one guitar is for situations like this, so that if something happened to a lesser loaned guitar, I wouldn't feel despondent. I'd be ticked off, but not suicidal.

This scenario is probably more than theoretical with me, since I'm attending guitar camp with some of my TG buddies in a month. I'll be happy to let them play my best guitar.

Best of luck with your surgery, Rick. I hope you can get back in the saddle soon.

[lueders]

Sorry to be off topic, Rick...but best of luck with your surgery, Sir.

[Music Junkie]

Rick:

Good question. I have had less than stellar luck with loaning things in the past, so my answer would be nobody. On the lighter side, I am a lefty, and never get asked....LMAO..... One of the few times in life where it comes in handy....

Hope the surgery turns out great. My thoughts will be with you my friend.

Jason

[daryl]

dennisg wrote:

This is an interesting question, and I'm going to answer it like a writer. It all depends on one's definition of "loan." If you mean who would I let sit in my house and play my best guitar, the answer is ... just about anyone, although I'd check to see if he or she has any lethal zippers or belt buckles. If you mean who would I let take the guitar away from my house to play it at his/her leisure, the answer is ... no one. One of the reasons I have more than one guitar is for situations like this, so that if something happened to a lesser loaned guitar, I wouldn't feel despondent. I'd be ticked off, but not suicidal.

This scenario is probably more than theoretical with me, since I'm attending guitar camp with some of my TG buddies in a month. I'll be happy to let them play my best guitar.

Best of luck with your surgery, Rick. I hope you can get back in the saddle soon.

I'm right there with Dennis. I'd let (just about) anyone play any of my guitars while I'm sitting with them. But I just couldn't let my best guitar(s) walk out the door. Way too worrisome for me.

[familyman4]

Well, I am afraid that I have had too much bad luck loaning guitars out to loan my best one. So, my best acoustic and best electric are off limits to let go anywhere. I will let other folks play them when we are together but I just cannot let them leave me.

I do have numerous instruments that I will loan. In fact, I have a 12 string out on loan to a friend and a 6 string on loan to a nephew (2000 miles away) as I am writing this. I really encourage people to try out several differant types of guitars before making a major purchase. For the most part, I always get them back in the same shape they left me in.

My one really bad / sad experiance is loaning a guitar to a friend that was a fantastic player, but had no axe at the time. Just thinking of him w/o a guitar saddened me so I let him take a really nice one to Texas with him. Two years later, I called him and asked if he was still needing it or was ready to return it, the answer was: Sorry man, it was pawned for the money a year ago. So, I still loan but A) never my best and B) always to people I can really trust.

Bart

[tombo1230]

I have two guitars that I might loan out to someone I trusted, My best guitar I would let someone play, but no way would I lend it out. I look after my guitars and would be really annoyed if they were damaged in any way. Years ago I allowed one of my guitars, my best one at the time, to be borrowed and it came back dented. I had it fixed and it looks great, but has a tiny mark where it was damaged. I learn from my mistakes.


Good luck with your operation Rick. I had my arm operated on last Nov' 30th, I can well simpathize with what's ahead mate.

Good luck and speedy recovery.

Tom N.

[abiliog]

Well, I think my best friend won't ask me to lend him my best guitar. He should know what love is

Best of luck with your surgery, Rick.

Abilio