I'm not a musician. I was wondering how most people who play guitars feel about other people handing their guitar. How does it compare to a firearm. If I'm on the range and someone asks about one of my guns, I usually offer them a chance to shoot it. The reason I am asking is I saw a YouTube video where a street musician was ask by a tourist if he (the tourist) could hold the guitar for a photo. The musician wanted no part of that even when offered money. Maybe he was afraid of the guy running off with it. Is it a breach of etiquette to ask to handle someone's musical instrument?

Let me start off by saying I’m not even very good, but the question gives me anxiety!!

Stranger, absolutely not….. someone who I know that plays guitar and is better than me, more than likely okay with it. However, the more expensive the guitar the less likely I am going to be okay with letting someone “take a look”.

Also, I’m sure a street musician doesn’t want to risk their livelihood.

I would be more concerned with someone dropping it, really scratching it up, or damaging it by doing something stupid while playing.  It's more like someone saying they really like your car and want to just drive it around the parking lot to try it out.

FPNI, I don't have anything considered expensive imo as guitars go, but not likely to let strangers fondle them.  Then again, I'm unlikely to be out playing beyond my own home or a friend's, non-issue for me.

Attached File


I don't let random strangers handle my firearms, my vehicles, or my guitars.

I wouldn't let a random stranger handle one of my guitars, that being said I just play at home so I don't think that situation would ever happen. I would be perfectly fine with one of my friends picking up and strumming on a guitar even though they don't play.

I have let strangers at the range shoot one of my guns, but only after I watched them handle their own firearms. One of my favorites was letting a Korean war veteran shoot my M1 carbine, he was very grateful and appreciative of a young guy letting him shoot the gun he served with. I enjoyed spending the afternoon shooting with him and listening to his stories.

Not a public range. I belong to a fairly small club with a few hundred members. The club is pretty serious about competitive shooting. Most of the people that I run into, I have seen around, but may not know well. The applicants seem to be pretty well vetted before they are granted a membership.

I held Nancy Wilson's Takamine guitar.

I have carried the guitars of several major musicians. Although they were in the case at the time, my biggest fear was I would drop it. On the other hand, none of them seem to care how I handled it. I guess they had dropped it so many times it did not matter.

Hmmm, the rest of the story?

I don't play on the street but I imagine it would be a bit like asking a cop if you could hold his gun for a picture.

I mainly play at church, and I play my own guitars (custom full-builds); so I'm always happy to let people hold them and ask questions.  On one hand the things I've made are precious to me because I made them, but on the other hand I already know how deeply flawed they are and I'm pretty confident there's nothing they could break that I couldn't fix.

Notice how people like Dave Grohl (not really a fan though) usually slip the strap over the head of amateurs they have on stage when giving them a guitar to play? To keep guitars from being dropped. Then there are douchenozzles like Prince that will borrow an heirloom guitar without asking and smash it, thinking a check will replace it...fuck Prince.

This. I have a room full of guitars and I’ll let new players only play a few. The majority I’ll let experienced players play out borrow, knowing if they damage they’ll fix/replace.

I have a couple expensive or heirlooms I hardly touch myself and would never let anyone else touch.

Example: Grandfather’s 1948 Gibson L-48

Bassist here.

Nothing irks me more than someone handling my basses, especially if they don't ask and just proceed to pick them up.  Several things factor into this..First is I know that no one else cares about my stuff as much as me, so I always expect them to handle things poorly.  Second, I don't know if their fingers are clean, dirty, full of fried  chicken grease, etc...and the last thing I want to do is get my bass back with gunk on it.

I have some nice basses, and unfortunately there are some gigs I play as a fill-in or guest where I know the band leader will have another bass player he knows come in and play a song, so I bring what I've come to consider a beater bass to those gigs.  Its still a 2k bass, but is already dinged up and another few dings won't matter.  

Gigs where I bring one of my nicer basses like my Alembic Series 1 ?  I'll still bring the beater bass as backup and if I am caught in a situation where the band leader insists on someone sitting in, they will play the beater bass.

In general I really just don't like people touching my stuff...period.  It really doesn't matter what it is.  Books, guns, guitars, etc..In return, I never, ever ask to pickup an instrument that belongs to someone else or a gun for that matter.  I've really never felt the compulsion to pickup and look at crap other people have..I know it's natural curiosity, but I've always restrained myself from that instinct.

If I am talking to someone and they seem sane and clean, I will probably end up offering to let them check something out.

I guess it depends. No strangers unless I know they know what they are doing. Absolutely no untrained children. I'm actually more freaked out handling someone else's gear than them handling mine.

Depends on the guitar.
Solid no on my acoustic guitars, likewise on my one and only semi-hollow body.
Maybe yes on some of the solid body electrics.

I have a nice acoustic that no one touches but me. I've had it for almost two years, it's ding-free...and I want to keep it that way.

My other, cheaper acoustic has some dings, so I don't mind if others handle it.

Nobody touches my guitars except for my Mexican fender that cost $300 bucks. All my others are $1500+ dollar guitars, that's why I have the Mexican fender to noodle around on and play at gigs.

Letting your friend hold your guitar, or gun, is generally ok.


You dont hand your gun or your guitar to some random asshole on the street.

A friend or an acquaintance sure, some dude on the street while I'm trying to earn money? Get fucked.

My road series Martin D10? Have a go, bud.
My 1937 OOO-18 Martin, keep yer mitts off.

Dennis Agajanian handed  me this beauty the other night.



It’s the one he famously played the William Tell Overture on while riding a motorcycle back in the 70’s.

VIP Meet and Greet.  Got a pic with the sisters, and a backstage tour.  They offered, and I played a couple of chords.  I have a pic somewhere. Cool ladies.

Have done it twice now, the latest was just a picture, so I was a little disappointed.



eta; found it:

Nice, thanks for digging those up and sharing!