I recently bumped into someone at a music session, causing the guitar to fall and get a small crack in the top, which the fellow currently has at the repair shop. It really was my fault. I should pay for the repair, right?
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I recently bumped into someone at a music session, causing the guitar to fall and get a small crack in the top, which the fellow currently has at the repair shop. It really was my fault. I should pay for the repair, right?
I think that’s the right thing to do.
Yes.
Yes. At least offer, sincerely.
Yes, and an apology.
What would YOU expect?
I’d offer and, not let him decline the offer, I’d try to contact the shop and simply pay for the repair.
Agree with all of the above...
Was it in a stand or leaned up against a chair? It's nice to offer to pay and that is commendable but the owner should have placed It somewhere where it was safe. I've seen instruments fall because a player didn't want to case their instrument and someone did something as innocent as standing up. Sorry folks but there can be responsibility on both sides, it's not cut and dried.
for me, if I was involved and some sort of damage resulted, I myself would need to pay for the issue. that's just me, and I know it would give me peace of mind, and that is huge for me to have, otherwise its something that would always live in my head.
I hear Mike's point and sort of agree. To a point.Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton
Some long while back a couple of rowdies (a friend of mine and no-friend-of-mine woman) were carousing at the edge of the stage, fell, rolled and tumbled and pulled my Fender Twin down on top of my EM-150. Broke the neck right off. You know how much those Twins weigh.
To preserve a friendship, I took Mike's position of shared liability and my pal jumped on his 1/3 of the repair cost. The woman, however, who was an insurance underwriter by coincidence, refused, stating that I should have had the instrument insured and that I was shixx out of luck. I wound up ponying up 2/3 the repair cost.
I saved a friendship and the repaired neck actually played better than before. The insurance underwriter became a pariah. Cost me some do-re-mi but win-win-win, I guess.
Waltsyd....consider it a small investment in your integrity. An invaluable commodity.
Mick
Tell her she is lucky you did not have it insured because the insurance company would have paid you and come after her with their lawyers for the full cost plus punitive damages because of her carelessness and negligence.Quote:
The woman, however, who was an insurance underwriter by coincidence, refused, stating that I should have had the instrument insured
If you think it was your fault, then yes. It was an accident, and in a session these things can unfortunately happen, but if you think it was your fault ....Quote:
Originally Posted by waltsyd
I agree with Mike. I once intercepted a violin worth at least $10,000 dollars, lying on a store's floor as the performer played another fiddle while a toddler headed for the first. It wasn't necessary that the instrument lie where it was; it could have been in a case safely behind her. Furthermore, this was a Saturday afternoon at a busy music store, with families coming and going. If the child had broken the instrument, I'd say that, though the parents should have had more control, the fault would be at least fifty percent the musician's. I've often seen musicians leave their instruments out of cases, on floors, chairs, etc., at parties. If someone behaving normally doesn't notice their instrument and damages it, I'd blame the owner. However, if it's clearly the fault of the one who does the damage, there's no question that they should pay. (The only time I broke an instrument, it was my fault and due to breaking my own rules -- I left a violin on the couch while I answered the phone, then I sat down on the couch again and crack! It was my daughter's instrument and I paid the damage. At seven, she didn't have much income, but didn't threaten legal action.) ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton
In high school, an orchestra classmate, through his own deliberate and immature horseplay, directly caused me to drop and crack my violin. Though it wasn't an expensive instrument, it was the only one I had, and he refused to pay a nickel toward repairing the damage or even acknowledge any responsibility. Today, when I think of that student, the word "jerk" immediately pops up, so impressions left can be indelible ones if not handled properly at the time. Use your best judgment.
bratsche
If you were clearly at fault then pay.
But if you back into someone at a jam and they don’t have their strap on tight or they have a loose end pin,
I think it’s a grey area.
Lots of good advice and reasoning already in this thread. In my view, if you believe and accept that is was your mistake, then you should pay the repair bill. You don't want to be one of those Spiccolli types that just says, "sorry man."Quote:
Originally Posted by waltsyd
I remember I once was at a friend's house were a jam was underway. The friend handed me a mandolin that was way out of tune and as I tuned it up, one of the hooks in the stamped tailpiece broke off. I removed the cover and saw that this was the fifth hook to break off and so, seeing as how there were no more spare hooks, I doubled the string in question on one of the remaining hooks and of course, that hook proceeded to break before the strings were up to tension. I really didn't beleive that I was at fault at all. It would have happened to any sucker that tried tuning up that mandolin but I offered to install a replacement tailpiece for nothing. To my great surprise, they accepted immediately without even a thank you! :disbelief::confused:
It sounds to me like your friend set you up for the tailpiece replacement, Oliver ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by O. Apitius
Len B.
Clearwater, FL
Tim in Post #6 hit the nail right on the head.
Contact the luthier and pay for the repair without even speaking with the owner.
Ryk
My take is slightly different -- SURE, you should pay for the repair -- that is the least you can do. BUT, EVEN THEN the owner is left with a REPAIRED instrument that shouldn't have been damaged in the first place!
Depending on the owner's attitude and personality, I still think he is entitled to hold a grudge against you. I say this as a person who has held grudges for 5-45 years. All warranted, I might add. Hopefully, the owner is a little more relaxed in his thinking than I am.................and lets you off the hook......
Jeff,
Agreed unless the instrument was carelessly parked.
In which case the owner has some responsibility/liability.
Yep ! I would !
Ya. It probably wound not hurt to help with the expense to fix. Even though it may of been a accident.
Of course they didn't offer thanks for the tailpiece—they were hoping you would give them a whole new instrument.Quote:
Originally Posted by O. Apitius
My son got pretty good at guitar and was invited to play in a band. I bought him a Gibson Songwriter as he had fulfilled his end of a deal I made with him. The bass player, who had a day job and made plenty of money (much more than my son, a student at the time) was walking backwards on stage and knocked over the stand my son’s guitar was on. It snapped the head off the neck.
Nobody offered to pay. My son was heartbroken. I fixed it for him, and the bass player just made excuses.
So yes, I think it is really nice of you to offer to pay for the repair. There are people out there who wouldn’t. The amount of money you will be out is nothing compared to the cost of being “that guy.”