Gear Failure?

Bjazzman · #1 06-10-2009, 10:53 PM

Hey Justin,

Have you ever had some piece of gear fail on you during the gig? Im sure it happens to all of us. What did you do? After playing for a bunch of people this last weekend, my amp failed me(fortunately during a brief soundcheck) but i had the opportunity to play through the pa's di. Very interesting in that i've never played without an amp before.

Has anything good come out of the failing gear?

cheers,

b

jmjbassplayer · #2 06-11-2009, 10:17 AM

Of course, it happens more often than you think.

Popping breakers, cables going out, amps blowing up, you name it. Or the time earlier on the tour when I threw my P-Bass up into the lights and it landed hard, 20 feet down. Crack straight down the middle. Two days in vice grips with wood glue. Sounds and plays better than ever.

What good comes of it? Just knowing where the weak link in your chain is, really.

JMJ

jimmy rocket · #3 06-12-2009, 10:03 AM

Justin,

Ever cause bodily harm with a move like that?

One time Mike Herrera from MXPX went to toss his bass to a tech but it slipped out of his sweaty hands and cracked my friend on the head in the front row.

Sometimes gear fail = opportunity for creativity!

I used to have a hell of a time with straplocks pulling out, so I spent a lot of time playing like this:

That translated into some badass over the neck playing skills to wow all the ladies.

jmjbassplayer · #4 06-12-2009, 10:54 AM

Siiiiick!

You're an innovator.

No, I've never ****ed anyone up, but on the Beck Midnite Vultures tour in Japan in '01, I threw a bass (a red B.C. Rich Beast, mind you) across the stage, and hit our trumpet player in the back. Luckily he was wearing full football padding. (See Beck "Sexx Laws" video). No damage done. Epic.

JMJ

casio · #5 06-12-2009, 11:49 AM

I might just be more awestruck by you playing the beast than hitting the poor dude!

I had strings pop when I had a faulty bridge on one of my basses so when the E string would go for like the third time at a gig, I'd just learn to play all the songs transposed for an octave, that was a wonderful learning experience.
Most of my issues were concerning the signal chain in my pedlboard and me being a moron.
"&%$#, my bass doesn't work and everything is plugged in correctly?!?!?!"
"did you try turning up the volume pedal?"
"thanks...."

so it makes you want to quadruple check every gig!
there's no bad experience in these things, I always manage to draw something from being dumb

Broadbent · #6 06-12-2009, 12:22 PM

Let's not forget about the NIN show where the power went out. MAJOR GEAR FAILURE. And that's a funny strap lock story, I had the same problem with the screw in my Spector. I spent the last songs laying down, while doing all the footwork(playing tool, very pedal busy) so I definitely appreciate your approach.

kyral210 · #7 06-24-2009, 02:48 AM

Quote:

I threw my P-Bass up into the lights and it landed hard, 20 feet down. Crack straight down the middle

Lol! Silly JMJ

FreaqyFrequency · #8 09-15-2009, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmjbassplayer

Or the time earlier on the tour when I threw my P-Bass up into the lights and it landed hard, 20 feet down. Crack straight down the middle. Two days in vice grips with wood glue. Sounds and plays better than ever.

This question probably deserves its own thread, but I felt it was safer to post in an existing one.

Why do you do it? I know a lot of people do or did, but I couldn't fathom destroying an instrument in good, functioning condition, even as a release of energy.

And please don't read that as an insinuation that I think you're horrible for it, I'm merely curious. Thanks.

jmjbassplayer · #9 09-16-2009, 12:55 AM

Why did I do it? Silly adrenaline-induced "rock fury" and bravado. Nuthin' intellectual or even rational about it. Just for kicks. Plus, I don't utterly destroy my guitars like Trent does. My guy can usually put 'em back together, and they get kewl-lookin' war wounds!

Break stuff!!

JimmyM · #10 09-16-2009, 07:21 AM

I find it odd that people who object to guitar smashing will go see a movie where cars get crashed and ruined and not say a word. Guitar smashing never bothered me for some reason...it's not like they would have given me the guitar if they hadn't smashed it, so what do I care? They bought it, they can do what they want with it.

jmjbassplayer · #11 09-16-2009, 09:58 AM

Trust me: I will NEVER f*(k up an instrument of the vintage variety. The worst thing I've ever done is seriously thrashed my circa 1998 Fender Jazz '64 Custom Shop Closet Classic during a beck show in '99 where I threw it into the drumset from about 20 feet back.

That bass has been "upgraded" from Closet Classic to Relic.

J

thudstaff23 · #12 09-16-2009, 10:11 AM

It's pretty funny that you would hit the guy wearing all pads! I remember that tour fondly. I saw it in Seattle with Cafe Tacuba opening. Reminded me of James Brown meets Frank Zappa!! Thanks for the memories : )

Earwaxsculptor · #13 09-21-2009, 10:10 PM

I have dents in the headstocks of all my basses from pushing them into the cabinet for feedback, and I love it.

Funny thing is, I got a Ltd. Ed. 2005 Buttercream Sterling a few years back and I was like "Aw man I'm gonna be careful & not mess this headstock up cause it's all pretty and colormatched and stuff...blah blah blah...." and not even a month into owning it I smashed it into a cymbal and chipped the paint on it on accident........moral of the story.........just "be"......at least for me. Another thing I don't mind is buckle rash, pretty much because I never realized it was happening until it was too late.

I mean, you gotta play your instrument, ya know?

jmjbassplayer · #14 09-21-2009, 11:03 PM

YES.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earwaxsculptor

I have dents in the headstocks of all my basses from pushing them into the cabinet for feedback, and I love it.

Funny thing is, I got a Ltd. Ed. 2005 Buttercream Sterling a few years back and I was like "Aw man I'm gonna be careful & not mess this headstock up cause it's all pretty and colormatched and stuff...blah blah blah...." and not even a month into owning it I smashed it into a cymbal and chipped the paint on it on accident........moral of the story.........just "be"......at least for me. Another thing I don't mind is buckle rash, pretty much because I never realized it was happening until it was too late.

I mean, you gotta play your instrument, ya know?

Remsouille · #15 09-28-2009, 01:44 PM

When i got my 1968 Jazz bass, i was like "wow, this is an actual relic bass". 5 years later, it looks more like a 1876 bass... But the more I "relic" it, the more I like it, and people always say "man your ax looks so cooool!!!"
And since I build my own basses, I really have no problem throwing them across the stage.... Rock n' roll is a visual music style, so the show has to be visual.... Plus it's lots of fun....

Justin, i remember that NIN picture where you're doing stunts with your Aguie cabs..... Were you actually trying to grab it and throw it on Trent?.....that would have been cool....