How many guitars do you take to a gig?

I take two.

I remember crazy guitar guy would bring at least 4 with one being his pyro guitar. Remembering his antics makes me laugh now.
 
Gary Blanchard said:
I have been just bringing one guitar and the banjo, but it looks like the Luna Safari will be coming to gigs now, so I'll actually have two. I don't remember the last time I broke a string. idn_smilie
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In 30 years, I've never broken a string on my acoustic during a performance.

On the other hand, I've broken more strings that I can count on other peoples' guitars. Pretty much guaranteed, actually.
 
Usually two. Main guitar is usually always the Surh S3. If it's a rock or funk gig, 2nd is the Variax or MusicMan Silhouette. If there will be country, 2nd is usually the Telecaster.

For the church gig, I only bring one. Only ever got close to being bitten on that once in 12 years, and I fixed the problem in between services with a screwdrive and needlenose pliers (which I always have handy). I'm pretty sure either Mark Wein or Bionic Muffins will yell at me for this, but I'm not sure which one. :embarrassed:
 
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Way back when, I would take 2 guitars to a gig, but I stopped that. In over 200 gigs, I never needed a backup, so I stopped taking one. the last 4 years I gigged with only 1.
 
MonkeyZero said:
42 is the answer to life and everything as we know it. Where my nerds at?

Sent from The Nether
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robinson0415.jpg



now, what was the question that prompted the answer?
 
dmn23 said:
Two. I'm not looking for different tones or anything. The second one is only a backup.
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This is me as well.

I long ago realized that swapping guitars for the "proper" tone only mattered to me and was a waste of time. I bring a backup ax, tune it and set it aside in case I break a string.
 
Right now, I'm bringing the Tele and the Reverend, depending on whether the song needs a b-bender or a Bigsbsy. Virtually every song ever written needs one or the other.

Then there's the banjo. And the mandolin. And the fucking pedal steel. And the fucking 6-string bass. I love being the utility player.
 
Usually only 2. Right now it's the McFeely and the Reverend for the cover gigs. Not sure what my original music is going to be although the McFeely will probably be one of the two.


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Interesting that only 2 of us actually use guitars for alternate tunings on gigs.

This begs the question...do you guys actively avoid songs using those tunings, or do you insist on playing songs wrongly?
Fwiw I used to belong to camp #2, and then had a revelation when starting to play certain songs in their right tuning.

And I discovered more tunes that were tuned "off-standard" that I wasn't previously aware of.
 
Dexter Inferno said:
Interesting that only 2 of us actually use guitars for alternate tunings on gigs.

This begs the question...do you guys actively avoid songs using those tunings, or do you insist on playing songs wrongly?
Fwiw I used to belong to camp #2, and then had a revelation when starting to play certain songs in their right tuning.

And I discovered more tunes that were tuned "off-standard" that I wasn't previously aware of.
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Exactly!

Everything falls naturally in order with the alternate tuning - harmonics, chords, leads. No thinking or having to restructure, just play.
 
Dexter Inferno said:
Interesting that only 2 of us actually use guitars for alternate tunings on gigs.

This begs the question...do you guys actively avoid songs using those tunings, or do you insist on playing songs wrongly?
Fwiw I used to belong to camp #2, and then had a revelation when starting to play certain songs in their right tuning.

And I discovered more tunes that were tuned "off-standard" that I wasn't previously aware of.
Click to expand...

The vast majority of tr music I play is actually in standard. The only songs that I really adapt are the Rolling Stones songs and Wonder Wall by oasis. Since my primary cover band is run by the drummer with no set lists and he tends to call the next song while we are playing the last few bars of the last song. No actual downtime to switch guitars unless I break a string...


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