Letting someone borrow a horn

[royjohn]

Hi All,
Isn't part of the problem here that a tuba is so unwieldy and hard for most people to manage? I would much sooner loan a trumpet than a tuba, because they are not that difficult to handle. Another thing to consider is that a minor dent on a trumpet is about $50 or less, something you might get out of most people, whereas repair to a tuba would probably start at $100. Also, your tuba might have love taps on it already, whereas your trumpet is likely to be pretty much with out dents. If people put another dent in your tuba, they tend to think it isn't a big deal, but your pristine trumpet is likely to be treated better.

But, yes, don't loan it to someone you don't trust.

Just a few thoughts.

[Lars Trawen]

I never lend out my toothbrush, fountain pen, wife nor my tuba.

[Captain Sousie]

I never lend out my toothbrush, fountain pen, wife nor my tuba.

Well said.

Sou

[sloan]

I see several groups here:

a) people whose most expensive personal property is a tuba. They are probably young, and might be forgiven for putting personal property above friendship.

b) people who are distinguishing "my tuba" from "one of the many tubas I own". They can be forgiven for not wanting to loan out that "special" horn.

c) those who are primarily interested in being reimbursed for damages. They don't care that much about the tuba - they just want to get paid.

Look folks - tubas are physical tools. Every time you use one, it wears out a little. Sometimes (especially if you are careless) it can wear out a LOT.

I don't loan things to people who might steal them, or who might treat them shabbily, or who would need to be "forced" to pay for extraordinary damage. But, I can think of many people to whom I would loan any of my instruments - for 15 minutes...or a month or more.

They are tools, meant to be used. Sometimes tools break. Life goes on. Anyway....it's never the *tool* that matters - it's what you do *with* the tool.

There's an old craftsman's motto that might apply here: "if you can't make another one, you don't deserve to keep this one."

[sloan]

I never lend out my toothbrush, fountain pen, wife nor my tuba.

I would gladly give 3 out of these 4 items to any friend who asked - fully prepared to get another, if necessary.

[lgb&dtuba]

There's an old craftsman's motto that might apply here: "if you can't make another one, you don't deserve to keep this one."

So, you build your own tuba?

[tubaguy9]

Oh...this just reminded me of a jazz combo rehearsal (very odd combo)...

So, as I'm working on putting a school owned sousaphone away, I have my Mirafone sitting out, leaned against the chair (what I mean by leaned, is on the bell end, but the other unstable side balanced by a chair) and the electric bass player, as he was pulling his cord in, wraps it around the tuba, and pulls it down. I won't pay to have it fixed until there are enough dents in that area (the area of the upper bow of the instrument) to make it worth it, and there probably never will be. I'd like to make the bass player pay $100-200 for the dent, but I know it won't happen.