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Insuring Music Equipment


Kai

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Does anyone have any suggestions as to which insurers are best for covering musical equipment? I don't think I've ever insured anything in my life, but having finally assembled some decent studio equipment, I'm kind of anxious not to lose it in a hurry.

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It's not worth it, my friend has been paying insurance on his gear for 2 years and recently had his stuff stolen from a venue and they told him he wasn't covered because it wasn't locked in a hold.

That might come across as reasonable to others but I don''t agree with it, if you pay insurance your items should be replaced , end of.

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It's not worth it, my friend has been paying insurance on his gear for 2 years and recently had his stuff stolen from a venue and they told him he wasn't covered because it wasn't locked in a hold.

If its studio gear though, thats different.

Probs worth it, sorry i can help with any companies though!

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Guest droid

The MU give you up to 2000 worth of insurance when you join,and their broker gives discounted rates for additional items to members!Hencilla Canworth is their broker.:up:

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I've got my gear and my old band's PA insured on my home insurance policy with the AA. Most policies will let you add "special items" that are insured away from the house up to a certain cash limit per item.

Think my policy has a single item limit of 2000 which is probably adequate for most people.

Doing it this way worked out significantly cheaper for me than bespoke "Musician's" insurance with a specialist insurer.

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Guest droid

Hencilla Canworth allows you to insure the goods to it's value,not what you payed for it and there is no limit.You will get a significant discount being a MU member.Best thing to do is shop around and find the best policy for you.Home

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Speak to your home contents insurer. As already said you can specify special items if they are worth over a certain amount. Make sure you keep hold of proof of purchase and take photos of the equipment. If you don't have proof of purchase you may be able to negotiate an "agreed value" for the gear. It's definately worth having it insured.

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Yeah I insured all my gear with musicguard and wouldn't recommend them at all. I left a bag full of effects pedals in Montrose and it got half inched by the time I called to check the next day. Musicguard wouldn't pay out cause it wasn't kept in a secure locked cupboard. I mean how many venues offer locked storage facilities for bands!! I pay like 180 for this a year and it's shite. The people on the other end of the phone couldn't give a fuck either, they were just looking for reasons not to pay out. Chuck it on your home insurance and save some money.

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Don't mean to sound like a tool about this, but you'd get no greater sympathy from your home insurer in this instance. You might not like it, but leaving your gear anywhere where it isn't either under lock and key or under your own supervision, is nobody's fault but yours.

Having heard untold numbers of stories over the years of people getting their pride and joys stolen at venues, I find it incomprehensible that people still do this. It might be inconvenient, but in 20 years of live gigging I've never once had anything stolen, nor will I ever, simply because I don't put myself in the situation where this would even be possible.

Unfortunately, there are thieving bastards everywhere....we all know it, it's shite, but it happens. No insurer is going to pay out in a million years if your stuff is just sat there waiting to get nicked.

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Don't mean to sound like a tool about this, but you'd get no greater sympathy from your home insurer in this instance. You might not like it, but leaving your gear anywhere where it isn't either under lock and key or under your own supervision, is nobody's fault but yours.

Having heard untold numbers of stories over the years of people getting their pride and joys stolen at venues, I find it incomprehensible that people still do this. It might be inconvenient, but in 20 years of live gigging I've never once had anything stolen, nor will I ever, simply because I don't put myself in the situation where this would even be possible.

Unfortunately, there are thieving bastards everywhere....we all know it, it's shite, but it happens. No insurer is going to pay out in a million years if your stuff is just sat there waiting to get nicked.

I know, but in a lot of places you don't have much choice.

I don't want to single out The Moorings as I love it as a venue and I think they do more for the local music community than just about anyone, but I always felt nervous having to leave my gear downstairs whenever I played there. There was a side door and anyone from any of the other bands could walk out with your guitar or whatever without too many problems while you were in having a beer.

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I know, but in a lot of places you don't have much choice.

I don't want to single out The Moorings as I love it as a venue and I think they do more for the local music community than just about anyone, but I always felt nervous having to leave my gear downstairs whenever I played there. There was a side door and anyone from any of the other bands could walk out with your guitar or whatever without too many problems while you were in having a beer.

If the price of protecting potentially thousands of worth of hard won gear, is to carry it into the bar when I have a pint, I'm prepared to put up with that inconvenience.

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If the price of protecting potentially thousands of worth of hard won gear, is to carry it into the bar when I have a pint, I'm prepared to put up with that inconvenience.

I haven't played there for a few years but if memory serves they were insistent that gear goes downstairs when the bands aren't on. It's a busy bar and I can see why they don't want gear all over the place but it does make me feel uneasy.

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Simple solution - either leave it in the car/van or take it home if you don't want to leave it.

Actually not all that simple. Leaving a 2 grand Les Paul in your car down at the harbour isn't that great an idea.

And taking it home would mean turning up at EXACTLY the time you are due to play then fucking off straight after without listening to the other bands.

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Actually not all that simple. Leaving a 2 grand Les Paul in your car down at the harbour isn't that great an idea.

And taking it home would mean turning up at EXACTLY the time you are due to play then fucking off straight after without listening to the other bands.

Well clearly that's a personal decision you've made.....but getting back to the original point, if you're intent on regularly playing venues like that where you can't adequately secure your gear, then there's obviously no point in taking out insurance.

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If a company is offering insurance specifically for musicians, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect them to at least offer one policy that covers musicians for the very situations that make them want to insure their gear.

Most bands will be put in positions where they have to temporarily leave gear in less than ideal places. If a company is trying to flog insurance specifically for musicians, I rather naively hope that they would realise that this is exactly why musicians want insurance in the first place.

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If a company is offering insurance specifically for musicians, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect them to at least offer one policy that covers musicians for the very situations that make them want to insure their gear.

Most bands will be put in positions where they have to temporarily leave gear in less than ideal places. If a company is trying to flog insurance specifically for musicians, I rather naively hope that they would realise that this is exactly why musicians want insurance in the first place.

Totally. It'd be like car insurers not paying out if you hit an oil patch and spin off the road. Not being provided with storage is out with your control as a musician playing unknown venues. It's obviously not an ideal situation (like hitting an oil patch and wrecking your car) but people take out insurance to cover against such misfortune and pay handsomely for it.

The Musicguard home page says it covers against loss, theft and damage. If gear is kept in a locked cupboard or secure car how can it be possibly be lost? Surely it can only be stolen??

Sorry to rant on but these guys pissed me off severely.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Actually not all that simple. Leaving a 2 grand Les Paul in your car down at the harbour isn't that great an idea.

And taking it home would mean turning up at EXACTLY the time you are due to play then fucking off straight after without listening to the other bands.

It is a personal decision though. What's more important - ensuring your gear is secure, or watching a band on the same bill as you? I make that decision everytime I do a gig.

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Actually not all that simple. Leaving a 2 grand Les Paul in your car down at the harbour isn't that great an idea.

And taking it home would mean turning up at EXACTLY the time you are due to play then fucking off straight after without listening to the other bands.

It is a personal decision though. What's more important - ensuring your gear is secure, or watching a band on the same bill as you?

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It is a personal decision though. What's more important - ensuring your gear is secure, or watching a band on the same bill as you?

Indeed, but my point is I would rather not have to make that choice. Poor form pissing off as soon as you have finished your set but sometimes it can't be avoided.

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