bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
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- FAQ Czar
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
Okay, okay. I went out and got it out of the trunk and brought it inside!
- pjv
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
I think tuba thefts are both opportunistic and scoped out. Since most thieves breaking into cars want to get in and out as quickly as possible the chance that they'll have a grinder with them is slim; it just isn't something you need to break into a car. The hack saw comment was of coarse metaphorical. Locks are either ground open or cut.
Better restaurants? I've been to better restaurants in Paris (quite famous for cramped spaces) and have never had a problem taking a tuba with me. The "better" restaurants are always willing to accommodate a musician everywhere I've been all over the world.
TN is the perfect forum for blanket statements. No one comment applies to everyone. The topic is about theft and bad habits. Some tuba players (thus not everyone) are throwing up a smoke screen of excuses not to have to take their tuba out of the car. I believe the intentions of the OP were to help discourage this and maybe even pick up some good ideas if possible (for those moments when we do choose to leave tubby in the trunk).
The chained tuba idea isn't uniek. Bass players have been known to build cage, trunks or closets in their vans.
Make it more difficult and add an alarm.
And a battery disconnect.
And a pitbull.
Or troll the thieves by replacing your Hirsbrunner with a Tiger tuba. They'll never steal from you again!
Better restaurants? I've been to better restaurants in Paris (quite famous for cramped spaces) and have never had a problem taking a tuba with me. The "better" restaurants are always willing to accommodate a musician everywhere I've been all over the world.
TN is the perfect forum for blanket statements. No one comment applies to everyone. The topic is about theft and bad habits. Some tuba players (thus not everyone) are throwing up a smoke screen of excuses not to have to take their tuba out of the car. I believe the intentions of the OP were to help discourage this and maybe even pick up some good ideas if possible (for those moments when we do choose to leave tubby in the trunk).
The chained tuba idea isn't uniek. Bass players have been known to build cage, trunks or closets in their vans.
Make it more difficult and add an alarm.
And a battery disconnect.
And a pitbull.
Or troll the thieves by replacing your Hirsbrunner with a Tiger tuba. They'll never steal from you again!
- Tubajug
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
I had a manual '92 Corolla that could fit my 186 in the trunk, in a gig bag.Mark wrote:I'm curious, how many manual transmission cars have trunks big enough to hold a tuba?bloke wrote:If a tuba is hidden in the trunk - but is stolen, simply, because the entire car is stolen, very few thieves steal manual shift cars.
I haven't had a tuba stolen (from anywhere, thank goodness) from a church, but I did have a black, Stetson fedora stolen. I left without it after a rehearsal and went back for it later that day and it was gone.
Jordan
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King 2341 with a Holton "Monster" Eb bell
Eb Frankentuba
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If at first you don't succeed, skydiving's probably not for you.
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
+1!!!Oldschooltuba wrote:My wife spent 30 years as a police officer. Thankfully retired now.
Her words......
"Never leave anything in the car you don't want to have stolen"
Jupiter JTU1110, RT-82.
"Real" Conn 36K.
"Real" Conn 36K.
- pjv
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
Just wondering why my girlfriend always leaves me in car...
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
... this trick obviously does not work on our side of the pond ...bloke wrote: Brett just explained it - plain-and-simple:
In other words...
If a tuba is hidden in the trunk - but is stolen, simply, because the entire car is stolen, very few thieves steal manual shift cars.
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Yamaha YEB-321 Eb 4v TA tuba
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Meinl-Weston 2141 Eb 5v FA tuba
Hirsbrunner Bb 3v TA compensated euph
Wessex Dolce Bb 3+1v TA compensated euph
Alto/tenor/bass trombones in various sizes/plugs
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
Is "I can afford better restaurants" the "25 year old power lifter" of TubeNet?
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
Well if you really want to get freaked out: google bump keys.nworbekim wrote:I wasn't so worried until I read all of this, now I'm a wreck... So many ways to steal, so many ways I hadn't thought of.... I don't think I'd be a very good thief.
It used to be a thief had to be pretty skilled to pick a lock or very knowledgeable to bypass it another way. Now thanks to the internet it is easy to get a bump key for your house locks. No skill required and it leaves no trace of forced entry. Many insurers will then use the no sign of forced entry to deny your claim. It is amazing how some locks will resist all types of entry but have one simple weak spot. Even the no key locks that use a code or your phone have been shown to have a simple defeat. Your tuba might not be so safe at home. That is why it so important to try to limit putting where you live and what you have out on the net. I never fail to be amazed at what people post on FB.
Personally I've got three lines of defense - a really good security system with a direct wireless link to the police , a 95 pound dog with a bad attitude about intruders and me and my Glock 9, Remington 870 pump and 1100 shotguns and a willingness to shoot anybody who enters without permission.
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- bugler
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
Usually if people hear me practicing they don’t want to be anywhere near the house. No risk of theft if your playing drives everyone away!
- andrew the tuba player
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
One thing I might throw out (not a theft deterrent) is record details of your horns in case something does happen. Make, model, serial number, finish and any Identifiable details. That way when you report it stolen you can at least have something to give the police and if you do happen to find it at the stop and pawn down the road you can readily identify it. In places with a higher theft rate (and even those with lower rates) a photo album may also be a good idea to have visual evidence that it is yours.
I've never delt with instrument theft but being in the military and living in barracks, things "go missing" all the time. Sometimes something as small as a scratch on a gaming system or tv that was well documented (along with the other info) can be enough to prove ownership.
I've never delt with instrument theft but being in the military and living in barracks, things "go missing" all the time. Sometimes something as small as a scratch on a gaming system or tv that was well documented (along with the other info) can be enough to prove ownership.
1969 Mirafone 186 BBb
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1965 Conn 20J
Olds fiberglass Sousaphone Project- for sale
Epiphone Thunderbird Bass Guitar
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
I'm an avid Tile user. It's been great on my keychain.
I'm considering getting one of the slim ones and sewing it into the lining of my gig bag (or just tucking it away in a seam): https://www.amazon.com/Tile-Combo-Walle ... tile&psc=1" target="_blank
It's not GPS, but there are some cool crowdsourced features that can be implemented.
Some cool-looking GPS gadgets are surfacing too: https://www.amazon.com/AIBEILE-Personal ... ps+tracker" target="_blank
I'm considering getting one of the slim ones and sewing it into the lining of my gig bag (or just tucking it away in a seam): https://www.amazon.com/Tile-Combo-Walle ... tile&psc=1" target="_blank
It's not GPS, but there are some cool crowdsourced features that can be implemented.
Some cool-looking GPS gadgets are surfacing too: https://www.amazon.com/AIBEILE-Personal ... ps+tracker" target="_blank
Eastman 853 Eb ("Edith")
1963 King 1250 Sousaphone ("Jackie O")
Aguilar Amplification
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Founder, L Train Brass Band
1963 King 1250 Sousaphone ("Jackie O")
Aguilar Amplification
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Founder, L Train Brass Band
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
To avoid theft, just don't own anything worth stealing!!
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
That looks pretty neat. I just read some of the Q+A's and it seems the battery is not replaceable. You have to repurchase the Tile Mate in about a year. Sort of like a subscription.BrooklynBass wrote:I'm an avid Tile user. It's been great on my keychain.
I'm considering getting one of the slim ones and sewing it into the lining of my gig bag (or just tucking it away in a seam): https://www.amazon.com/Tile-Combo-Walle ... ile&psc=1"
It's not GPS, but there are some cool crowd-sourced features that can be implemented.
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Re: bad habits we should all break to avoid instrument theft
Mine does - a 2012 Honda Accord coupe.Mark wrote:I'm curious, how many manual transmission cars have trunks big enough to hold a tuba?bloke wrote:If a tuba is hidden in the trunk - but is stolen, simply, because the entire car is stolen, very few thieves steal manual shift cars.
Beginning again to be a tuba player.
1291 King Double B flat with detachable bell.
"The hills are alive, with the sound of (tuba) music."
1291 King Double B flat with detachable bell.
"The hills are alive, with the sound of (tuba) music."