Guides

Practical, experience-first guides for gear owners and working bands. No fluff, free to read.

• How to prove you own your gear

  Serial numbers, purchase records, and photos: how to build proof of ownership for your instruments before you ever need it.

• Buying used gear without getting burned

  A practical checklist for secondhand instrument buying: serial checks, meeting safely, spotting stolen gear, and paperwork worth keeping.

• Planning a DIY tour that doesn't fall apart

  Routing, day sheets, money, and the unglamorous logistics that keep a small tour on the road: a working checklist for bands doing it themselves.

• Your gear was stolen: the first 48 hours

  A calm, ordered checklist for the hours after an instrument is stolen: reporting it, spreading the serial, watching the marketplaces, and giving yourself the best chance of getting it back.

• Getting your band booked (without knowing a promoter)

  How unsigned bands actually get shows: building a local draw, approaching promoters and venues the right way, taking support slots, and jumping on last-minute dropouts.

• Insuring your gear, and making a claim that actually pays

  What insurers really want when a valuable instrument is lost or stolen, how to value your gear honestly, and how to keep the evidence that turns a claim from a fight into a form.

• Buying a used valve amp without the nasty surprises

  Valve amps hide their problems better than guitars do. Here's exactly what to check — tubes, transformers, hum and hidden repairs — before you hand over the cash.