How many of you guys and girls own more than one guitar, and have this need to take them all with you when you play somewhere? Sure, I can see taking more than one if you're playing a "really big show", and have a big production, and have guitar techs and stage hands. But the guys like me that play at the Dew Drop Inn on Sat nights, or at the local drunk tank on the weekends are seen hauling in the one Strat or Gibson or whatever. I think the only time I ever took more than one guitar was if I had just bought another guitar and wanted to break it in for a set or two, a little at a time. In the 30+ years of playing out, I've never broken a string while playing, and if I did, it would only take me a minute or two to change it. For me to take two guitars to a job would mean changing all the settings on the amp and the pedals between guitar changes, and that ain't worth it, plus the extra stuff to load in and load out, not to mention keeping an eye on it. Sure, it looks cool to have all these guitars lined up on stage, but I think the risks of one getting knocked over, or some drunk grabbing one is too great. What do you guys do?

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Life is like a sh*t sandwich. The more bread you have, the less sh*t you have to eat.

I would bring my main Guitar and one backup. I've no Guitar tech like the Edge or Joe Bonamassa and wouldn't have a different Guitar for each song, although that would be nice.

These two give me what I need as far as tonal range and diversity for different tracks.

I am very strict with myself that my equipment security comes before any Fanny or a beer.

As far as drunks trying to grab at my foot pedals or shetars...I have kicked some people in the head at times...even troddon on hands...but that's mainly in the pubs....

As I get older I tend to pick better quality gigs....then you are dealing with a different audience base...

anyway here is my get up....minus the Hotrod Deville 410.

For about the first 12 years of my playing "on the road", I only used/had/owned one Telecaster and it was never a problem not having a backup.

As years went by and GAS affected me, I began taking two to each gig for a change in sounds.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

i think breaking a string during a gig is a known risk.
if all you do is strum then the risk drops a great deal, but its still there.
to stop a show and restring, stretch out the string, retune and do it all again 2 or 3 times until the string is on solid would leave a negitive
impression on those watching. bring two guitars.
as far as having to reset all your pedals and everything, 63supro said it best. read my sig.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

I bring three -- a primary Strat, a backup Strat, and my Strat 12-string.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

If I'm local, just one. I've never had a guitar fail on me at home or on a gig. Even my beaters. Out of town, never more than two. I don't have a need to say to a crowd "Look how many guitars I own". I just bring the right tools for the job and that's it. Plus, it's more stuff to keep an eye on and pack up. Most people I play with don't bring "backup" guitars either. I may breing a beater for slide. The crowd usually can't tell a s Silvertone from a CS Strat anyway.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

I always bring a backup guitar when I play out in case of string breaks, etc. I play Strats and unless you block your trem, which I do not, the tuning goes so wonky you can't even strum out the rest of the song let alone as lead guitar try to play through, you just have to stop playing. With the backup guitar tuned and close at hand, and with my simple rig, I can change guitars mid song and wait till a set break to do the restring/repair work. Heck, I even bring a backup amp, though it usually stays in the car.

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“All music is folk music, I ain't never heard no horse sing a song.” Louis Armstrong

2 strats. one stock and the other is a modified "hotter" sounding guitar. both serve as backup to the other.

I normally bring 2 along, mainly in case a string breaks. I get a laugh out of the dudes who play at places like the "dew drop" and bring out 4 guitars and a huge $@! pedal board. Legends in their own minds.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

I'm new to this forum. I bring my 87 Strat for "strat songs", a Firebird tuned to open G for those songs and my Les Paul for "humbucker songs". I've only recently started gigging again after a 20 year hiatus.

I do not gig, but I take 2 guitars when I go to full practice sessions. One is my main guitar and the backup just in case there are any issues with my main. I usually am not at home for formal practice sessions.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

Only doing bass for Masses at church (202 to date) and only bring one bass. THe amp stays there.

I usually have two Strats,one for slide which is tuned to an open E or G or Dm depending on what I want to do....the main one is standard tuning,and I can play slide in that also.
I don't break strings often at all,and can change one quick,tune it and get back to work when it happens.

I bring two guitars to actual gigs, but not to open mic jams or practice. And I'm bringing two for the studio session I have coming up. I generally keep a close eye on them if I bring two, and since my Dad is usually there he does too. I've never broken a string during a gig before, but once I broke a string on my backup warming up right before a gig. It kind of defeated the purpose of bringing the backup, but then I could have broken that string on my main guitar and I would have been in trouble there.
And of course it there are different tunings that I need then I'll definitely bring two guitars.

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