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[E. Lee Dickinson]

Just a quick thought: I know at least 3 bands who rent monthly self storage units for rehearsal. That would be my starting point for pricing and sizing.

Value-added services are really, really hard to sell to most bands. "Yours comes with carpet, water cooler, air conditioning, free cable rental, a lounge area, a security system, and a drum riser? that's cool. But I can get a storage unit for like $50 less, so I think we're going to do that."

[trace knight]

How about "I can get a storage unit for $50.00"

tk

[(BJ) Benjamin Fisher]

Adam - I've got to say, I have been eying your website, since you are from Ohio as well, and it kind of intrigued me about the equipment rental.    $200 was kind of where I was thinking. Or maybe offering two different size rooms for different budgets...


Art - I guess the insurance is something I am going to have to look into and get some estimates. Seems that could make this unworthy right off the bat.

I have a licensed electrician (2) as good friends who would do it for next to nothing.

Maybe I have my hopes up, but I'm kind of hoping that I dont need 60 bands -- I mean I hope I have repeat clients for more than one month. Again, I'm banking on something I guess I have no control over.

I appreciate the input, it gives me something to think about. What do you have to say about the equipment rental?


Ned - From my research thus far, I believe there are only 2 in Phoenix that I have found. One only rents by the hour. To me, this means one of two things and only one is good...there isnt a market for it, or, I could potentially have the upper hand. This isnt something I am going to jump right into when I get there in June, so I will have to start networking and talking to the actual bands around there to see what I'm working with. The goal of this thread is to compile a game plan for when I decide this will be a profitable business.

Good idea on the videos, and I've thought about the recording. This is something I would like to use the larger "live" room for. Being able to fit some private guests in there would be nice as well, as you said. Thanks for the input, I am chewing on everything!


Trace - Finding out the cost of buildings in Phoenix, and all of the legalities will have to be determined first. I know location is a big factor. Hopefully I will be able to get a better idea of this stuff once I get out there. But I do understand the necessity of good isolation.


Tony & Art - Theres gotta be rules enforced!


E. Lee - I know what you mean. I'm aiming toward more serious bands. If you are content with practicing in a storage unit in Phoenix, go for it! Hahaha. Here in Ohio, I had a 10x10 storage unit when I moved, it had metal walls, no lighting and no electricity....for $75/month. Most of them around here are just like this.


Thanks everyone, keep it coming. Anyone that knows of bands currently renting, if you could pass on some info (price, size and location) it would be of great help!

[Adam Schaible]

benjamin fisher wrote on Mon, 04 January 2010 18:20

Adam - I've got to say, I have been eying your website, since you are from Ohio as well, and it kind of intrigued me about the equipment rental.    $200 was kind of where I was thinking. Or maybe offering two different size rooms for different budgets...

I probably do 1 or 2 rentals per month and they are all fairly minor.  $100-$250 I'd say.  I admit this is not a full time thing for me and I'm not trying to make a living off of it, so this offsets the cost of my "hobby".

That said, I have a pretty solid contract and always require bare minimum $500 deposit.  I try to collect 25-50% deposit depending on what goes out.

On my typical speakers on sticks/small mixer/mic rental, I get $500 and every time it comes back in good shape.

80% of the time people want the absolute cheapest thing so if I was trying to make money at renting, I'd have a set of crappy gear I could rent for close to nothing (even though I'm renting decent gear for close to nothing now).

[(BJ) Benjamin Fisher]

Adam Schaible wrote on Mon, 04 January 2010 18:37

I probably do 1 or 2 rentals per month and they are all fairly minor.  $100-$250 I'd say.  I admit this is not a full time thing for me and I'm not trying to make a living off of it, so this offsets the cost of my "hobby". That said, I have a pretty solid contract and always require bare minimum $500 deposit.  I try to collect 25-50% deposit depending on what goes out. On my typical speakers on sticks/small mixer/mic rental, I get $500 and every time it comes back in good shape. 80% of the time people want the absolute cheapest thing so if I was trying to make money at renting, I'd have a set of crappy gear I could rent for close to nothing (even though I'm renting decent gear for close to nothing now).

Yeah, I agree, your prices are very reasonable. Does the $500 deposit deter alot of clients? I know if I were renting, I couldnt just come up with that much. Just wondering.

[Adam Schaible]

No, it's actually never stopped anyone.

I take it on a credit card, or I'll take a check and just give it back when they return the gear.  If I only took cash I'd guess it would stop people.

[(BJ) Benjamin Fisher]

Adam Schaible wrote on Mon, 04 January 2010 18:52

No, it's actually never stopped anyone. I take it on a credit card, or I'll take a check and just give it back when they return the gear.  If I only took cash I'd guess it would stop people.

Oh ok, good stuff. If you have any tips or suggestion regarding equipment rental feel free to let me in!  I promise not to steal your business haha

[Art Welter]

Unless the room rental at $200 is really small, and you are paying next to nothing for the space yourself, you will make hardly any money and you will have some of the biggest headaches you can imagine, even at full occupancy.

In the days before everybody and their monkey could afford to record themselves, rehearsal halls as an adjunct to a recording studio made sense, an act would book some time in the rehearsal hall before laying down the big bucks in the studio.
Now there is some guy on every block ready to record a band for $15 an hour.

Enforcing rules and being a house keeper for slob musicians (most non-slob musicians generally will have a house or garage available for a rehearsal place) for a few dollars a month (if you meet expenses) is not my cup of tea, but you are young and eager and perhaps like that kind of shit.

Art Welter

[(BJ) Benjamin Fisher]

Yeah I know what you mean about everyone recording. I used to do that, for $20/hr. Just wasnt my thing at the time.

I will have to figure out what my rental cost will be and factor that into what I need back out of it. Between that and getting in contact with local Phoenix bands, I will have to better feel out the situation. I was just looking for some ideas and tips on here. As it seems before, I was a bit discouraged from another thread I had posted when receiving posts saying that running sound for bar bands and running "small" rigs is worthless. This is what I want to do. But I cant make money from that apparently, and I cant afford "big boy toys", and I cant get a job with an already established sound company to make money. So I guess what I'm getting at is that I'm trying to find my place in the music business, wherever that may be. And make money. I'm young, and willing to work hard to make these things work. What gives?

[Art Welter]

benjamin fisher wrote on Mon, 04 January 2010 18:43

Yeah I know what you mean about everyone recording. I used to do that, for $20/hr. Just wasnt my thing at the time. I will have to figure out what my rental cost will be and factor that into what I need back out of it. Between that and getting in contact with local Phoenix bands, I will have to better feel out the situation. I was just looking for some ideas and tips on here. As it seems before, I was a bit discouraged from another thread I had posted when receiving posts saying that running sound for bar bands and running "small" rigs is worthless. This is what I want to do. But I cant make money from that apparently, and I cant afford "big boy toys", and I cant get a job with an already established sound company to make money. So I guess what I'm getting at is that I'm trying to find my place in the music business, wherever that may be. And make money. I'm young, and willing to work hard to make these things work. What gives?

What gives is unless the bar is doing a lot of business, like 250+ persons per show, the revenue stream is not large enough to provide much income for a sound person.

Bars can be a good place to learn, but there is a definite and rather low ultimate ceiling working with bars and bar bands.

The trick is moving up the ladder without falling off.
The rungs are quite slippery in the sound business.

Art Welter