TubeNet

So over the last little while I've been letting a friend of mine borrow my CC tuba because they don't have one, and normally everything is fine and it gets put back and no damage is there. I noticed the first time they borrowed it that it was being stored on its bell in a gig bag in my locker at uni and I wasn't sure whether this was really the safest way to store it with the weight of the tuba and the gig bag (plus its other contents) sitting on the bell, so I asked if they could sit it on the bottom bow instead.

Fast forward to last night where they're borrowing it again for a rehearsal and leave it in my locker at uni. I go to pick it up and it was stored on its bell. I didn't really think anything of it at the time but when I pulled it out this morning there was a crease in the bell near the top bow of the tuba. I approached them about it and they denied that anything had happened and weren't able to give me any information, but there's no other time it could've happened.

What do I do in this situation? Should I just cop the repair fees and be a little more discerning on who I lend my instrument to in the future?

Maybe, don't lend your horns out if you don't want them to get damaged by other people.

Creases won't impact playing as much as other parts. However, I would say to only lend your tubas if you're going with them so you can keep an eye on it. From what I understand, many schools and uni rent tubas to players if no one else is using them. Your friend might be able to do that?

This is how I handle it...

"I loaned you my tuba, now it has a crease in it. What do you think should be done about it?"

In high school, I loaned my instrument (trumpet) to a guy who dropped it during a performance.
What did I do? Sucked it up and learned my lesson: never loan out your horns.
30 odd years later I still have not loaned out a horn again.

Yes you should just fix it, if they truly cared they would have already brought it to your attention and offered to pay, or when you brought it up they would have fessed up or said not sure but let me be a stand up person and offered to pay, neither happened so you are on the hook. Your lucky it is not an expensive repair and just chalk it up to a lesson learned.

I agree with Bloke, I have never lent out an instrument, mouthpieces all the time, why, because I am OK with eating that loss,if it comes to it. I offer them to help my students when they are trying to figure out which mouthpiece they would like to upgrade to from their student model mouthpiece. I will even let a student use one of my restored instruments during a lesson if need be, but never my personal horns and none of the horns ever leave the studio with a student, unless they buy bit first.

seanburke wrote:I approached them about it and they denied that anything had happened and weren't able to give me any information, but there's no other time it could've happened.

I know what I would do:

I'd get it fixed to my satisfaction (with no expectation that the borrower will pay for it or admit any responsibility) and then I'd never loan it out again unless you're prepared to deal with it being damaged again.

You had to know there was some risk involved in loaning it out, right?

Without seeing it, I have no reason to doubt you... but is it possible that something might have happened, and they truthfully did not know about it? Is it minor enough that it could have been missed?

https://youtu.be/bXId5jOTxdg" target="_blank

I stopped lending instruments about 30 years ago .... JUST because of this reason.

The best way of ending friendships and damaging relationships:

Lend money or gear to friends and family in an informal manner.

Thanks for all the replies! Obviously I was aware that there was a risk that it'd be damaged, I was just too naive to anticipate that something WOULD happen. It just didn't seem like it could in that situation.

I'm also sure it would have been an accidental thing that was possibly not known about, but I've never heard of a horn receiving bell damage from being leaned in a corner on its bottom bow (bell up), and I specifically asked for it to be stored like that rather than the way I found it (bell down).

I guess I'll be repairing it myself and learning my lesson.

Thanks again!

I haven't lent out a tuba. I have a french horn. It came back in the same shape as I had it so I guess I have had a good experience. My Dad always taught me to return something borrowed in better shape than when lent. I always sharpen a tool or clean it up, remove rust etc. prior to returning it.