How to Stop Unauthorized Gear Acquisition

zander said:
I don't have much primo gear (like a Suhr), other than the Axe-Fx. I do have a CV50 Tele though. Nice guitar for the price.
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Ah, I misread your first post. You mentioned Suhr so I got the idea that you had a Suhr guitar. I definitely would not take that into clubs!
 
Why doesn't somebody make a super small GPS chip that turns on when the guitar is plugged in? Or your rack gear? So, you can embed this little thing in your pickup cavity, then the next time the guitar is plugged into an amp PING, you get an alert. You'd need a small charge, but the average thief isn't going to go "I don't know why these passive pickups have a 9v battery attached". You could do the same thing for amps or rack gear; when it's plugged into the wall you get a ping.
 
Sidivan said:
Why doesn't somebody make a super small GPS chip that turns on when the guitar is plugged in? Or your rack gear?
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My guess is that the antenna needs to be a certain size to be effective and that limits how small the package can be.
 
Phostenix said:
My guess is that the antenna needs to be a certain size to be effective and that limits how small the package can be.
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I suppose you could conceal it in the case. I don't know how the LoJack system works (I'll look it up). Doesn't it get activated when a theft is reported?
 
Sidivan said:
Why doesn't somebody make a super small GPS chip that turns on when the guitar is plugged in? Or your rack gear? So, you can embed this little thing in your pickup cavity, then the next time the guitar is plugged into an amp PING, you get an alert. You'd need a small charge, but the average thief isn't going to go "I don't know why these passive pickups have a 9v battery attached". You could do the same thing for amps or rack gear; when it's plugged into the wall you get a ping.
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I don't think 9v would run a GPS transmitter very long.
 
Update:

Went with MusicPro. All done online. Nice site btw.

I just listed my Taylor acoustic for now since it's going out tomorrow. I'll add the other equipment later.
 
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Who do you guys use to appraise your stuff?

I called my insurance company and they added it for $16 bucks additional to my existing plan. This was for 5,000 coverage plus a 13,000 dollar ring. I figured they aren't going to steal all of it. Just a guitar or speaker. They need an appraisal of my guitars because, I have had them longer then two years.
 
My home insurance company wouldn't insure my stuff if it was leaving the house unfortunately.

I just use the retail price; if I've made any mods, like new pups, I just add the price of the pups on.
 
fox5150 said:
My home insurance company wouldn't insure my stuff if it was leaving the house unfortunately.

I just use the retail price; if I've made any mods, like new pups, I just add the price of the pups on.
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Same deal here. State Farm had no provision for items away from the house.
 
Some good suggestions here. One I might add is "don't leave the gear in the car/van overnight". Also... DON'T LEAVE THE GEAR IN THE VAN OR CAR OVERNIGHT. If you are really too tired to unload after the gig, sleep in the car.
 
Common sense will keep your gear safe.
When possible, I live by the list below and have never had gear stolen or significantly damaged by others since 1990.
At first it might seem fearful/paranoid, but it's a habit no different than looking before you cross a street.

  • When your gear is not on stage, is packed and is NOT in the venue, ensure it's secure & out of sight/knowledge of others.
  • When your gear is not on stage, is packed and is IN the venue, keep that time as short as possible, stay close to the gear, keep it in your line of sight.
  • Before you perform, look at your stage layout and think about how you'll stop a falling/flying body from smashing your stuff. Rearrange gear accordingly.
  • When your gear is unpacked, is on stage and you're NOT, know your audience and keep the stage in your peripheral vision.
  • Like personal space, 99% of people will put space between themselves and your unpacked gear on stage.
  • Know what that space is, and with the stage in your peripheral vision, know when someone violates that space.
  • If someone violates that space, they're either clueless or up to something -- neither are safe for your gear.
  • In my experience, most who violate that space when I'm away want to pick up a guitar. The minority want a closer look.
  • When it looks like someone is going to cross that line, stop what you're doing, be ready to close distance to the stage as fast as you can.

These are extreme and very rare, but I've done each more than a few times over the years:

- I've physically kicked, shoved, and body-blocked people from falling into my stuff while I'm playing.
- I've sprinted across venues and hurdled over customers to stop people who violate stage space from picking up a guitar or messing with gear.
- When I can't close the gap fast enough, I've yelled loud enough to get people focused on the perpetrator, so he/she either doesn't pick up a guitar, or decides they better put it down.
 
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solo-act said:
Common sense will keep your gear safe.
When possible, I live by the list below and have never had gear stolen or significantly damaged by others since 1990.
At first it might seem fearful/paranoid, but it's a habit no different than looking before you cross a street.

  • When your gear is not on stage, is packed and is NOT in the venue, ensure it's secure & out of sight/knowledge of others.
  • When your gear is not on stage, is packed and is IN the venue, keep that time as short as possible, stay close to the gear, keep it in your line of sight.
  • Before you perform, look at your stage layout and think about how you'll stop a falling/flying body from smashing your stuff. Rearrange gear accordingly.
  • When your gear is unpacked, is on stage and you're NOT, know your audience and keep the stage in your peripheral vision.
  • Like personal space, 99% of people will put space between themselves and your unpacked gear on stage.
  • Know what that space is, and with the stage in your peripheral vision, know when someone violates that space.
  • If someone violates that space, they're either clueless or up to something -- neither are safe for your gear.
  • In my experience, most who violate that space when I'm away want to pick up a guitar. The minority want a closer look.
  • When it looks like someone is going to cross that line, stop what you're doing, be ready to close distance to the stage as fast as you can.

These are extreme and very rare, but I've done each more than a few times over the years:

- I've physically kicked, shoved, and body-blocked people from falling into my stuff while I'm playing.
- I've sprinted across venues and hurdled over customers to stop people who violate stage space from picking up a guitar or messing with gear.
- When I can't close the gap fast enough, I've yelled loud enough to get people focused on the perpetrator, so he/she either doesn't pick up a guitar, or decides they better put it down.
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Yep
 
I'm in my 57th year of gigging and have never lost anything at a gig, not even a pick. (I might be lying--a couple of months ago I thought one fell off my music stand, but I couldn't find it on the stage. When I got home I found the same type of pick in my pocket, so I'm not sure if I lost one or not.) I use about $10k worth of stuff at most gigs, but I generally play at venues where theft during a gig would be unlikely. The only ones I worry about are outdoor gigs, where security is nonexistent and the crowds are more varied. At those I try to hang around the stage area and have someone watch my stuff when I need to leave it. My more common concern is that one of the geezers in my big band will trip and fall on my stuff. :)

That being said, I use Heritage insurance and highly recommend it or similar insurance aimed at guitar players. The floater on your home policy likely excludes instruments you play in public for pay. Even if those are covered, when you file a claim you'll probably find that they want to replace your original 'burst with a new one from GC because they are both Les Pauls, right? With Heritage I get agreed-upon pricing on my equipment schedule. Any insurance company is glad to take your premium payments--it's what they do when you file a claim that really counts. When I filed a claim for two guitars damaged in shipment they paid for the repairs and for the loss of value the repairs caused to the guitars and paid me within two weeks. My premiums are quite a bit cheaper than I used to pay for a pro floater on my household policy, too. They also cover my stuff in transit or shipping, which my floater specifically excluded.

One caution, though: my policy excludes theft from unlocked vehicles, and depending on where you live or play, they might exclude theft from unattended vehicles also.

Danny W.
 
Even bigger problem than club dates are festival gigs!

Tons of strangers milling around backstage, coupled with very short scene changes and piles of other acts' equipment work together to create a high-risk environment for gear loss.

Stay with your gear! Use a buddy system! Don't be the guy that gets ripped off.
 
I have insured all my expensive items of gear, but even so I'm highly doubtful the insurers would ever pay out in the event of a claim. I'd have to drive to the gig in an armoured tank with a police escort before they'd even consider my claim. So the only recourse is to keep an eye on my gear as best as possible and hope for the best. If anything gets stolen or damaged, well that is that. It's an occupational hazard.
 
craiguitar said:
I have insured all my expensive items of gear, but even so I'm highly doubtful the insurers would ever pay out in the event of a claim. I'd have to drive to the gig in an armoured tank with a police escort before they'd even consider my claim. So the only recourse is to keep an eye on my gear as best as possible and hope for the best. If anything gets stolen or damaged, well that is that. It's an occupational hazard.
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Unfortunately that's where the rubber meets the road (pardon the cliche).

Has anyone had issues getting a claim satisfied?
 
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