Do You Do Anything With Your Gear When You Go Away?

randomhandclaps

Am going away for a few days soon so the guitars are going into storage.  It's an incredible pain in the arse, but being a typically fussy and oversentimental guitarist I would panic about replacing them if anything were to happen whereas would quite happily let the insurance replace the entire studio.

Does anymore else move or store anything if you're away for a period?

octatonic

Whatever I do I absolutely wouldn't announce it on a forum that is open to the public.

xmrchi

I always put my electrics under the sofas, and store the cases in the loft, I doubt the crims would look under a shallow sofa,... As for the acoustics they go to the neighbours, :-)

littlethoughts

Has anyone posted to @randomhandclaps ? I need his address to pop round to borrow something...

randomhandclaps

octatonic said:

Whatever I do I absolutely wouldn't announce it on a forum that is open to the public.

That's why I'm untraceable.    :ar!

littlethoughts

but in all seriousness yes I normally put the nice guitars out of sight, and leave a cheap and cheerful one or two out. If you saw an empty guitar stand you would assume something went in it and look for it...

octatonic

randomhandclaps said:

octatonic said:

Whatever I do I absolutely wouldn't announce it on a forum that is open to the public.

That's why I'm untraceable.    :ar!

No such thing unless you're on dark net, which you aren't.

randomhandclaps

octatonic said:

randomhandclaps said:

octatonic said:

Whatever I do I absolutely wouldn't announce it on a forum that is open to the public.

That's why I'm untraceable.    :ar!

No such thing unless you're on dark net, which you aren't.

But that's making the presumption that my internet connection and gear reside in the same place.  Believe me, you are spot on in the sense that if they did I wouldn't have posted the above question.

57Deluxe

@randonhandclaps - you can afford to go away and own gear?? Jeez - alright for some...

Stevepage

I've got my brother looking after my flat while I'm away this week. Took my most valuable though (Prs). Other than that I have contents insurance

randomhandclaps

Stevepage said:

I've got my brother looking after my flat while I'm away this week. Took my most valuable though (Prs). Other than that I have contents insurance

We have a friend's daughter house sitting and another friend working on a project in our studio.  Fortunately we don't have to pay for storage (as we rent it permanently through the business) so I don't know if I would go to the trouble otherwise.  I think I would certainly put some away out of sight.

mike_l

They're in a very safe place. I have them hidden from sight from the street at all times. Also I don't let them be seen if I'm going out with them until I get there.

On the corner of my street there's 2 ex-police, and an Ex-army sergeant so the area's pretty safe......

randomhandclaps

mike_l said:

Also I don't let them be seen if I'm going out with them until I get there.

This is always a big concern for me (especially when you look at how much gear get nicked from cars).  Fortunately we live in a spot that is out of view of passers by but I still wouldn't take any chances so everything gets swept into the car only as I myself am going.

mike_l

Luckily my car sits right by my front door, so I can get stuff straight into the car without anyone seeing, unless they're right in front of me, but even then it's unlikely as the door would block the view. Amp/pedals straight into the boot, and unless you can see from above, you'd never see what was getting put in there, Guitars in their cases, between the back and front seats. Simple but effectively camouflaged from view.

strtdv

I live behind a police station, and our house falls into the view of their CCTV, and in the nearby estate there would be a fair amount of "community policing" which also prevents crime. 

Living where I do in Belfast the house has more chance of being damaged in a bomb blast than burgled.

daveww

i usually put mine all away in cases and lock them in a room. I've been more concerned about the kids having parties and their mates breaking one.

xmrchi

Some really good answers here, a few are worrying to me tho as alot of you seem to be going down the route of feeling safe by being by the police station or having ex police etc on the street, please believe me these will not make a jot of difference if the crims want your gear.
I had my motorbike sat outside my house just about to be washed, on a warm sat morning with alarm lock and chain on, it was nicked in ten minutes,, 3 neighbours were out doing gardens only one saw it happen and they let it go as the guys stealing it had fluorescent vests on and assumed I wanted it taken for repairs etc!!
All I am saying is please please don't rely on other people to stop your precious items from being targeted, prevention is way better than cure.
Make sure all your valuables are not seen, from Windows, also don't forget crims will always look for a weak spot in your house, have a wooden door with single Paynes..... That's the way they will get in, if you are targeted nothing will stop them from trying to steal your stuff the only thing you can do it make it as hard for them as possible, I have a lamp in the front room on a random timer, which will switch on approx every 3 hours for 15 mind or so,.... Not much but coupled with upvc doors with 4 clawed locks and double glazed windows, it makes my house more risky to try to break in, especially when they hear the dog bark!

jd0272

I make sure I have really good locks on the doors (and good hinges secured with big screws into solid frames) and windows (I do), ask Old Ken to feed the cat while we're away (he gets a porch key), and tell the cat/hairy shark to keep an eye on the stuff in the house. Parents come down coupla times per week for a general look see, and the neighbours have the wife's mobile number. 

Cut the hedges before we go, set the light timers (though v isolated part of the village so only the Postie passes with any regularity, and he's spot on).

We're fortunate to live in a very quiet part of the village, the neighbours aren't afraid to confront people, and we scared off the twice yearly gypo's (sorry....) last year so they won't be back.

mike_l

@mrchi ; one of the Ex-coppers who lives on my corner is very much a "nosey neighbour" type, very fond of sticking his nose into everyone else's business. Hence if something was amiss or going on he's the first to know.

Eg, a house on the main road was being rented out, funnily within a day of them setting up a marijuana production line he'd phoned the local police and the place was raided. It was a day, cos the place was raided, the day after it looked like there was someone in the house.

strtdv

mrchi said:

Some really good answers here, a few are worrying to me tho as alot of you seem to be going down the route of feeling safe by being by the police station or having ex police etc on the street, please believe me these will not make a jot of difference if the crims want your gear.
I had my motorbike sat outside my house just about to be washed, on a warm sat morning with alarm lock and chain on, it was nicked in ten minutes,, 3 neighbours were out doing gardens only one saw it happen and they let it go as the guys stealing it had fluorescent vests on and assumed I wanted it taken for repairs etc!!
All I am saying is please please don't rely on other people to stop your precious items from being targeted, prevention is way better than cure.
Make sure all your valuables are not seen, from Windows, also don't forget crims will always look for a weak spot in your house, have a wooden door with single Paynes..... That's the way they will get in, if you are targeted nothing will stop them from trying to steal your stuff the only thing you can do it make it as hard for them as possible, I have a lamp in the front room on a random timer, which will switch on approx every 3 hours for 15 mind or so,.... Not much but coupled with upvc doors with 4 clawed locks and double glazed windows, it makes my house more risky to try to break in, especially when they hear the dog bark!

Not so much relying on being near a police station, more stating that crime levels where I live are very low.

I've UPVC windows, British Standard 5 lever locks, alarm system, enclosed back yard etc, and anything valuable is out of sight from the street but at the end of the day if someone wants to break in they will break in, and I'd rather they didn't cause thousands of pounds of damage in the process of getting in as well as what they steal. Same reason I leave the car keys downstairs at night. If someone is prepared to break into my home while I'm there, they're welcome to have the car keys without having to come into my bedroom to get them.

xmrchi

The comments above are good to hear, don't get me wrong I wasn't saying you both did anything wrong, just as I have been there before,
and would hate anything to happen to your gear!