Renting your gear out...

[ajmogis]

How well do you know the people making the video? How valuable are the mics you're talking about? If they're valuable and/or hard to come by, I personally wouldn't rent them out at all.

Think about it. It's one thing when you're a rental company, and your world is organized around making money by having your gear in other peoples hands. However, if your world is organized around making money by having the gear in YOUR hands so that you can use the gear, why spend the time giving it to someone else?

But, if the money thing doesn't apply to you or mean much to you, or you just want to help some friends out, go for it. Inquire with a local PA rental company how much they rent their mics for and base your rate on that, baring in mind the relative value of your mics to the rental company's mics. Just make sure you have a you-break-it-you-bought-it agreement with the people.

It's a judgement call as to how much - if at all - you should be willing to slide the price down. If I owned valuable vintage mics and actually did decide to rent them, I probably wouldn't slide an inch.

And, as an aside, I think that 57's and 58's have been around since at least the late 60's. I'm not sure. Anyone know the story on that?

[hiwatt33]

so if i'm to rent my gear out to be used in a video... what would guys take for it?

it involves microphones and accesorries.

it's all pre-'69 microphones/cables and stands.
i want to be there while they record so nothing tampered with or set up "wrong".

so.. definetely want myself mentioned in the screentexts at the end.

but.. if they don't use my gear, htey're probably gonna look ridiculous - being a 60s-like band with all vintage equipment themselves, except then the microphones will be the normal 58, 57 etc..

so what's a guy to do?

rent it out to them (for ???$ a day, being on location, + end credits) or just don't give a sh+t, if they don't pay enough or won't "give in" to my demands. ????

help please.

As well as having a studio, we rent out gear. Some pointers:

1. Unless it's a well known company w/a good track record of paying bills on time, EVERYTHING IS C.O.D.!!!

2. You have to set aside any concerns for how the gear will or won't be used. All you need to do is hope it comes back the same way you sent it out.

3. Kill any dumbass that rents a drumset and loses the fucking throne.

4. Kill any dumbass that rents a keyboard w/a stand and seat, and then loses the seat/throne.

5. If you are delivering the gear: Confirm start and end times at least twice. I charge by the fucking minute when shows run long and I have to wait. We have a rubber stamp that says: "If event runs over specified end time, CLIENT WILL BE BILLED for labor overtime". That little stamp usually works.

6. Understand who you are renting to: Cheap people (usually) who are by thier nature are finicky. I quoted some company X amount of dollars for the myriad of shit they needed. The guy on the other end of the line says "Cut that price in half and we'll be in business!" My response was "You'll be the only one in business if I rent it to ya for that." Be polite, but take no shit.

HTH!!!

[Piotr]

No shit, indeed.

Calculate your costs of doing business, including insurance and taxes. Figure out what your mics are worth to you. Maybe add a clause in your contract that guarantees replacement/repayment if you can't get insurance for your gear.

Have a contract ready.

[hiwatt33]

No shit, indeed.

Calculate your costs of doing business, including insurance and taxes. Figure out what your mics are worth to you. Maybe add a clause in your contract that guarantees replacement/repayment if you can't get insurance for your gear.

Have a contract ready.

Lemme know if you need a generic rental contract. I will be happy to scan one for you Cedric.

Oh yeah-Don't have the credit thing at the end of the video be a deal breaker. Outta all the stuff we've ever rented(for vids, commercials, etc), I think Wilco was the only band to credit the use of our stuff.

[justinf]

I would charge 1K and get it in writing.

[hiwatt33]

hi flamethrower/hiwatt33.

please scan me one of those contracts. i could always add in my own clause.

1K sounds like a lot for one day - but probably isn't. i know the total budget for the video (one day shoot + editing etc...) is 10K.

i need the end credit though.

Hey Ced,

Tried to email that to you and it came back. Is yer mailbox full?

You can get it from here:

www.prayerfurnace.org/contractrental.JPG

HTH