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Post subject: What determines the gear you take to a gig??
Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:27 am
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A colleague of ours recently lost what was, for him, a valuable guitar, and many of us have recently acquired new gear at serious price points.

Does it appear reasonable to have a flexible enough stable so that you can choose your gear consistent with a risk-assessment of the venue and still live up to your requirements as a perfomer?

I put this up for discussion because we are so often asked to offer our suggestions as to what guitar to choose and I am aware that there are likely budgetary constraints involved.

One guitar for all occasions? This may not necessarily be flexible enough.

There are many sides to this question.

Your thoughts.

Doc :?:

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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:46 am
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When palying a gig one should bring equipment that will allow them to play well, sound good, and yet not "break the bank" if something should hapen to it. If your favorite guitar is a $1000+ piece of equipment that cannot be easily replaced, don't take it. There are always risks involving musical equipment and taking it out of one's house. It could be stolen, broken, nicked, marred, or drenched with something. Unfortunately that is a professional hazzard when it comes to gigging. Try to play at places that offer some sort of security and never turn your back on your prized equipment.

My feelings go out to anyone and everyone who has had equipment stolen or broken. Don't let it stop you and never give up on your dreams.

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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:50 am
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Good question, Doc.

I think of the gear that I use for gigs as tools, for example, what will get the job done the best. It varies with the bandmates, venue and other factors.

A decent Strat and/or Tele and a good tube amp will usually cover the basics for me, then I'll add effects if needed. I usually bring a backup guitar to some gigs.

Also, a "toolkit" with (some or all of these) :

Small flashlight
Standard AND Metric allen/hex key sets (the fold out numbers with all different sizes)
Small, sharp phillips head for pickup adjustments
Small flat head for whatever else
Wire cutters/pliers
Pocket knife
Extra strings
Musicians ear plugs
Duplicated cords for my whole rig, instrument, speaker and patch cables.
Microphone cable at least one, for direct out as well as when we are short
50' extention cord
Surge protector
Duct tape

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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 1:39 pm
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When I was a "teenage roadie" in about 1969, we left all the gear at a club in Biloxi called the "Beach House." Bad move. When we arrived for Sunday matinee, everything but the Hammond A-100 was gone. The list included '65 Mustang, early '60s firebird, rogers gloss black drum set. two blackface Super Reverbs, Kustom Bass amp, and a Vox Cougar Bass. This was a tremendous loss, except for maybe the Cougar. This hollow body bass was probably the most feedback prone guitar I've ever seen in my life. It was actually kind of disappointing to our bass player when the equipment was recovered. so much so, he let the insurance company keep it. We never lift stuff overnight again.


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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 2:39 pm
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Well back in the old days ( the sixties ) we didn't have much gear so we just took everything we had.
Nowadays, it's the size of the venue that dictates mostly in my view.
Also the quality, if you can be forewarned of the audience, if you are playing bars in your particular circuit.
In other words, if it's a potentially volatile venue. I take one of my cheaper guitars with spare string sets. Amps etc. big enough to do the job but easy to protect i.e. can remove quickly from the premises if necessary.
I have played in some rough joints with chairs flying in an all out brawl.
On one occasion I remember a dart landing on the stage between my feet. I removed myself promptly from that place, I'll take beer mats all night but I draw the line at darts.
So I suppose, in my view, it's gear/venue relative.


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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 2:59 pm
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Biloxi23 wrote:
........ We never lift stuff overnight again.


My '61 Fender Concert Amp sat behind a curtain on the stage of the "Cafe WHA?" in NYC's Greenwich Village for 18 mos and never budged. My '58 Strat would come and go with me and sit up in the back of the coat check between sets.

The irony of all that caution is that I 'lost" it when I sent it to Fender in '69 for a refinish on the body. The story is elsewhere and has been told several times here by me. To make it short, the company swapped bodies instead of refinishing the guitar. :cry:

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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 3:02 pm
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Doc: That's worse than getting it stolen from a club. What realy made us mad, was we knew the guy who stole the gear. He was the friend of one of our guys older brothers. Eventually everything was recovered but a microphone. The Firebird had been dropped and the headstock broke almost off. A guy in New Orleans repaired and it is still being played today.


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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 3:06 pm
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zzdoc wrote:
Biloxi23 wrote:
........ We never lift stuff overnight again.


My '61 Fender Concert Amp sat behind a curtain on the stage of the "Cafe WHA?" in NYC's Greenwich Village for 18 mos and never budged. My '58 Strat would come and go with me and sit up in the back of the coat check between sets.

The irony of all that caution is that I 'lost" it when I sent it to Fender in '69 for a refinish on the body. The story is elsewhere and has been told several times here by me. To make it short, the company swapped bodies instead of refinishing the guitar. :cry:


Was that a case for the law courts Doc ?


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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 3:08 pm
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[quote="Biloxi23"]Doc: That's worse than getting it stolen from a club.

They were CBS-Fender back then with so much being different. Today, the idea of refinishing that guitar would be laughed at.

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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 3:11 pm
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I used to take my squire series, a jackson dinky and for a good while a pod v2 with floorboard and a solidstate power amp. A very cheap setup that proved to be extremely robust. Im gonna be gigging again soon and will be using the baja tele the same old dinky and a jcm800 kk.
My gigging gear has always been way cheaper than my home gear. I just dont see the sense in exposing my nice stuff to the drunks and reprobates of a Saturday night. I'm filled with horror every-time i see someone who doesn't have the wherewithal to play a guitar let alone maintain it, pull out a £1600 les paul at a pub gig. Then when they see my setup and sneer the horror changes to contempt.

There's no point in being a gear snob if your stuffs gonna get stolen or broken. If ten people in the audience can tell if your playing a £1100 strat, then your playing to a room of guitarists.


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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 3:14 pm
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[Was that a case for the law courts Doc ?[/quote]

The swap was not discovered until the mid-90's when the guitar was appraised for vintage value. Fender bodies had a different rout in the 50's.
When the 11-hole pickguard appeared, the routing required a step in its outline form to accommodate a screw in that position. I had asked to have the pickguard upgraded to a trilam without the knowledge base I have now. All of the documentation regarding that transaction had been lost.

As I said, the idea of refinishing that guitar these days, would be a joke, and I seriously doubt Fender would be in the business of doing that now either.

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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 3:23 pm
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[quote="nikininja"] If I were playing a high end venue I would consider the Clapton or the Gilmour and the guitar would come off the stage with me.

You can find some real quality Chinese Squier's (if you shop carefully) at rock bottom prices along with some inexpensive but powerful amps by Raven or Peavy's Vypyr which will give you 'roadhouse' gig gear for under $500 US.

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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 12:19 pm
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the gear I bring to a gig is what is needed, I don't hold back I bring the PA system & all that goes with it, my choice of 2 amps marshall 50 watt or my fender 75 my GSP pro 21 guitar processor, 2 other peddales at home in reserve if needed, the light show, my choice of 2 quality guitars last saturday I used my strat plus deluxe & my 61 sg custom, I have a bank of 14 guitars, there was a time when I did leave my gerar over night for a next day gig but always took home with me my guitars, peddals & other small stuff that could walk off by it's self, I've never had anything stolen & my heart goes out to the people who did.
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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 1:01 pm
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Well this is certainly a valid topic.

Guitars: I take both my 06 MIA triple fat Strat and 04 Hwy 1 Tele along just in case.
Amp: 50 watt Carvin Bel Air 2X12 (occasionally I'll take the 2X12 extension cab as well. Not really necessary but it looks cool).
Pedals: Electro Harmonix Small Stone, Boss Metalzone

Bag o' Stuff: extra strings, couple of back up tubes, extra cables, batteries, mini mag flashlight, duct tape, leatherman multi-tool, super glue, soldering iron and solder (haven't needed it yet but you never know).

First aid bag: Band aids, hand sanitizer, ibuprofen, imodium A D

As far as gear security goes, I don't leave my stuff unsecured, there are just too many unscrupulous people out there these days and I'm not made of money. Either I've got "eyes on" my stuff or my tech does. Once I'm done playing, it's secured in my vehicle.

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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 2:34 pm
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When I was playing in a band I was a drummer. So I felt very safe leaving the drum set, during a break. It's a little harder to make off with a drum set, without being noticed while in the process. And......it's much harder to bring spare drum sets, in case something happened.

I think if I were to gig with a guitar, I'd never leave things out of my sight. I'm sure I could take a break (except going to the rest room), and still make sure I always kept "my stuff" in sight at all times. I one that makes a habit of not trusting people that I don't know.

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