Your Own Equipment

[Jonathan Mellor]

I own the following:

 

 

In a specifically fitted flightcase:

Allen & Heath ZED436 mixer with mixer stand

 

In a 6U flightcase for main speakers:

2 x Crown XLS602 Amps

Behringer Super-X Pro CX3400

Samson PS10 power conditioner

 

In a 4U flightcase for monitors:

2 x Crown XLS202 Amps

 

Speakers:

2 x JBL JRX 125

2 x JBL JRX 118S

 

Monitors:

4 x JBL JRX 112M

 

Mics:

2 sets of Thon DC500 for drum and guitar amp miking

 

Cables:

30m 16/4 mulicore in flightcase

various other cables

 

Misc

Behringer Ultra-DI8000

 

Computers:

Dell Dimension 9150

Macbook Pro

 

I can also borrow equipment from my church like mics and mic stands etc if needed. I always hire what I dont use often.

 

The above list of equipment has been bought by having been patient wit my parents and saving. And the main bulk of my equipment: mixers, speakers, amps etc were bought with money from a trust fund my grandad set up before he died 9 years ago. He set up a trust fund for me n my brother n sister so that when we were old enough we could use the money to do things we would never have been able to do otherwise, and I hope I've used the money in the right way.

[tokm]

I hope I've used the money in the right way.

Well, there's a few questions to ask yourself here. Would a car have been more useful? Car's & learning to drive often being the most important, major investments for people around your age.

 

To me it seems, in situations like these, there are a few things to consider when trying to work out 'was it worth it'. Questions such as: Are you ever going to make a return on the investment or was all this gear purchased for you to just have some fun with...

 

If the answer to the former is no, then either your happy with the latter situation (discussed below), or the answer is unfortunately, no, you've not used your assets correctly TBH.

 

If its the latter though, is having the gear at least putting you in the position where you get the gigs/chances to practice engineering? Even if your not making any money from the gear, if having it gives you opportunities to enhance your skills, then that IMO makes it a valid investment, even if its a costly one :D.

 

Just some points.. hopefully other younger members will read this and actually take some time to think, ' Is it really worth me buying any equipment'.

 

T

[Jonathan Mellor]

If its the latter though, is having the gear at least putting you in the position where you get the gigs/chances to practice engineering? Even if your not making any money from the gear, if having it gives you opportunities to enhance your skills, then that IMO makes it a valid investment, even if its a costly one :D

.

 

Seeing as I'm starting univeristy, and doing a industry-related degree (Fda Live Music & Theatre Production) and have already been working in the industry for 4years voluntarily and some paidtoo, mainly to gain more experience, I feel I will make money out of having this gear.

[PYROmaster]

Unless you are 18, PLI is going to be nigh on impossible for you to find. You'll need to talk to an insurance broker for concrete advice, but the "Usual Suspects" mentioned in every other BR PLI thread should at least be able to offer that. They may just even be able to suggest some kind of solution - but it would probably involve one of your parents being registered as the actual Owner (and Holder and Hirer) of the equipment and the one having to answer all those awkward questions if anything went wrong.

 

you can get PLI from 'liability guard' if your 16.

 

I managed to get PLI at 16 as the named one on the contract, aswell as insuring all my equipment. Musicguard are the one's who sorted it out.....<snip>

 

Hey guys and gals,

Are these guys from Music guard and liability guard any good, because I dont understand any of the legal jargon on thier policy docs....?

http://www.musicguard.co.uk/documents/2008...licyBooklet.pdf

any help apprieciated.

Thanks guys!!

[david.elsbury]

Um, ring them and *talk* to them?

[cedd]

Hey guys and gals,

Are these guys from Music guard and liability guard any good, because I dont understand any of the legal jargon on thier policy docs....?

http://www.musicguard.co.uk/documents/2008...licyBooklet.pdf

any help apprieciated.

Thanks guys!!

 

I'm with them and whilst I've never had to claim, my parents and brother have their instruments insured with sister company "orchestralguard" and seem reasonably happy after a recent claim.

I suppose you get what you pay for, for the time being I'm happy with the cover I receive. One thing that has worried me slightly is the "wooly" method of describing reasons for leaving kit in a car overnight. They insure you if gear is stolen from a car overnight outside your own premises if you arrive home too late from a job to pack away without causing disturbance. Is it me, or does that sound like it wouldn't stand up in a court?

 

I've paid the extra for insurance away from home overnight (left in a venue) and I think I also paid extra for in vehicle cover.

 

I got quotes from other, slightly higher brow companies and the quotes were phenominally higher. As I said above, you probably get what you pay for.

 

There are lots of threads on here about PLI and other insurance, but I thought I'd address that question directly as it seems to be an issue for quite a few next generation members.

 

As for PAT testing, I'm lucky, I fall under the "competent person" Umbrella for carrying out PAT testing through my work and training, so have my own PAT tester. It isn't always the best idea, calibration can be a nightmare, but counting up all my extension leads and other odds and sods, I'm still saving money over 3 years. Plus I'd never be able to get everything in need of a PAT in the same place at the same time for it to be done.

[Neil Hampson]

You can discount this if you wish, as I am nowhere near 'The next generation', but I have been down the route of I want all my own kit...

 

Some years ago I started out aquiring kit, my first buy was a set of Pat123 shells that needed quite a lot of work to get in a working state, it all started off as a bit of a hobby, I bought a couple of Tempus Dimmers and some old PARs and away I went, thinking I was going to be the next Northern stage at 14 years old...

Since then, (to my wife's despair) I have amassed over 40 convetional lanterns, a small 700W PA, Scroller and I have just bought a practically new flightcased jester48 for £700. the stuff is literally all over the house. I have bought the desk as a long term investment, I expect it to take at least 3 or 4 years to get a return on that £700

 

Although there are a few items where I have made a good return on my investment, most of the equipment is now only ever used by me at my daughters school, as when I started to work professionally I could no longer service the small church hall type productions that my kit fleet was catering for, nowadays, I would say that only the Lx desk and the scrollers are bringing me in any sort of revenue that would outweigh the storage and maintenance costs. There are some items that I reckon have never left the house in 3 years

For most of my kit I have been in the right place at the right tme, paying less than £400 for a set of 4 M2 scrollers with PSU and cable, I have re-couped this money in hires many times over, but in the main if I were to start again I would be hiring, rather than having the stuff to hand.

After I went to Uni, the direction of my life changed suddenly, I was no longer drawn to a lifetime of the theatre and am now based in a completly different industry, at the time I was buying this kit I thought I was going to be using it week after week, now it's just gathering dust.

 

My advice, if you want to play with some great kit, join a theatre as a casual, you get to play with the kit, and walk away at the end of the night with a bit of cash in your pocket, not worrying whether or not if Joe Blogg's Am Dram are going to return your kit in the same number of pieces as it went out for...

 

Sorry this turned out as a bit of a rant.

[cedd]

To add to some very wise words above, I'd also say that life isn't always about "I need that now". I have listed my kit list in this section, perhaps hoping I'm not too old to be "the next generation" though I probably am!

You don't always have to buy everything new, everything at once and everything at the retail price. I have a pretty comprehensive little setup, it does most of the jobs I ask it to do, but it has been built up as and when things turned up cheap. I buy items that need some tlc, are ex-display or aren't the current model. By taking time and being patient, you can get far better quality equipment for far less money.

Knowing the right people is paramount too. Work in local theatres, meet people, strike up a relationship with your hire company. Not only will you be known as a likely sort of person if they need some work doing, but if they are getting rid of some equipment.

 

One man's junk is another man's treasure. I've picked up a few flight cases, some projectors and even some radio mics that weren't in use, were in the bin or were on their way to the bin.

Skip surfing is good fun, but remember taking items from a skip without the owner's permission is illegal.

Or, learn some basic electronics, and woodworking skills and build your own stuff. Cue lights, intercoms, flight cases, they are all very buildable, they tech you good skills and they are very useful afterwards, plus you can mend them again when somebody breaks them!

[AV Ian]

As this topic has moved into the 'Own your own gear debate', here's my tuppence worth.

I started out renting a small disco rig from a friend. Every time I used it I put all the money into a pot and eventually bought that rig. I carried on discoing and putting every penny into more gear, slowly amassing a colection of kit. So the disco gear only cost me a lot of free work/experience. Living with parents at the time provided free storage. A few years later I struck a deal to provide a PA for band work in a local venue. I invested all the profit from those gigs into that gear and now have a PA which dos the small band and theatre gigs I occasionally book. I'm happy with my gear, I can store it at home and I'm aware that if I were to invest any further it would start to cost me money. What I need occasionally I now hire in.

I don't use any of it on a regular basis, I often lend it to my workplace free of charge, rent it cheap in exchange for making contacts or use it for fun

It hasn't cost me anything more than time and experience to buy and it now costs me nothing to keep. I can cover the insurance from a disco or two each year and do all the PAT myself.

I don't believe a big investment is wise at a young age, build your kit up as deals come along or you can see a route where the item will repay itself easily. Finally, don't buy beyond what your storage allows. Family and friends will help for a while, but if you can't store it yourself, will it earn enough to cover it's keep for a year?

[whitelightlampy]

I don't believe a big investment is wise at a young age, build your kit up as deals come along or you can see a route where the item will repay itself easily. Finally, don't buy beyond what your storage allows. Family and friends will help for a while, but if you can't store it yourself, will it earn enough to cover it's keep for a year?

 

Thats a very good bit of advice. Talking from experience?

 

I'm almost 17 (December) and I started all my gear collecting just after turning 15. I started off with a budget from the money from my birthday to buy 4, 4 channel scanners and I then started to work with a DJ. Two gigs a month he paid me a good wage for me to save up and begin to invest in bigger, better things.

 

Now, I run my own bussiness where I have a mix of generic and moving heads and still got the scanners that I started off with, which I'm planning on selling on soon.

 

If I was to give some advice that I've learnt, being big headed and full of yourself gets you no where. Saying stuff that isn't true just annoys people and most importantly, RESPECT YOUR ELDERS. They are the ones that'll get you places. I can only say that because I have the experience to back it up. I may be just almost 17 but please don't think I'm patronising and all that jazz :P

 

EDIT: typos - inevitable

[david.elsbury]

No, that doesnt sound right. I'm sure you can't run a bussiness [sic] when you're under 18 years old...

[paulears]

It is possible to run a business, however, you cannot get loans, or accept any legal responsibility. You can get a bank account, but not have a debit card - so on-line transactions could be tricky.

 

I just had a poke about through the Tax system and age does not seem to be a problem at all - there are some areas that won't work for under 18's but these are mainly to do with legal stuff and grants and loans - you can register yourself and your business, National Insurance isn't a snag either because an under 18 bank or building society account can do direct debits.

 

I suspect we've had this a bit wrong before - I reckon that with a bit of care and advice - getting it set up properly would actually not be too difficult.

[Ben Langfeld]

The problem is that most banks will not setup a business account with under 18s as sole signatories. Until next month (October 2008 - Companies Act 2006), it is also possible for a minor under the age of 16 to be a company director (in England & Wales, not Scotland). Tax issues are all fine. Under 18s with personal accounts can also get Maestro cards, but again, convincing a bank to open a business account for a minor can be a sticking point, even without credit facilities. HSBC are a definite no, Natwest were a yes last time I checked (early 2007) and Barclays are a maybe.

[whitelightlampy]

All points being taken above, it's a business to me in the way of I have gear, it's wet hired and taken to gigs, and I earn my money and save it into my own bank account which I can use online. It's as business-like as I can make it at my age, but I don't want to then make it sound like its a cheap attempt compared to a proper job of a proper company. I am as enthusiastic as I can be with what I do and what I own.

 

Of course there are loads and loads of pitfalls in the way I have to rely on my very supportive parents to be the logistics and then all the legal stuff. I would call it a company, but that would mean it'd be legal...and it's not...yet...

 

Hope that makes a bit more sense now

[tokm]

Not trying to put you down whitelightlampy, but you've not seemed to mention anything about insurance.. PLI or for damage to your gear.

 

In the case of PLI, having that really set you aside from all the 'wannabes' IMO. Anyone can start a 'business', but its showing your taking the responsibilities of it all seriously, that seems to be the hard bit for others .

 

Just a note... hasn't seemed to have been mentioned yet.. Well not in this particular case anyway.

 

Apart from that, well done. Good to see your treating this as more than a chance to amass a load of kit for you to just show off and not do much with. You've gone out, got a bit of kit, made the kit earn you money which interns got you other work because of it, and so on. Again, stuff like that sets you aside from the other young business owners around/on here, should be congratulated for going about things sensibly and building up your business.

 

T