Anyone else like to swap instruments during the set?

[Plain Old Barry]

There wasn't time to change basses and I ended up having to play several disco numbers (including one that involved some slap passages) on a semi-hollow fretless with tapewounds. Ugh, never again.

Why was there "not time"?

All of my instruments are tuned and ready to go before the first set. They each have properly adjusted straps. I know how where all of them need to have my compressor input set. How much time does it take to unplug and plug a cord or transmitter?

 

[mike buzzetti]

ah the prima donnas are out in full today !!! Just Kidding

 

[J-Bass RMR]

I would.
Always carried both fretted and fretless.
Depends on the situation, and the timing had to be right.
I use a wireless through a belt loop (so the cable would always be handy - kind of like retrieving a scuba regulator), and I'd usually have a bass hanging off my stack- so if I felt like switching, and there was even a quick lull, it was pretty seamless. Or maybe certain songs called for it.
If the timing wasn't right, so be it.

I've had the privilege of playing with an artist who had a following, and people were there for the music.
He was good at engaging the audience, introducing a song, or telling a little story. He'd often switch between Acoustic and electric guitars, and we often had another member join us who was a multi-instrumentalist.

His old standby; "Hope our show isn't too fast paced for ya all!"

If you're in a cover-band or just there for entertainment- "keep the floor packed" - it may be a different story.

 

[NZBassman]

a few years ago (2010?) my band picked up a last minute Friday gig.... regular drummer was busy so guitarist got this guy Geoff in - I knew Geoff because he played bass and keys as well as drums
We played 2 sets then in between set 2 and 3 I said to Geoff "wouldn't it be funny if we swapped places"
So we did
We went on for the 3rd set and singer looked at me and Geoff and said "Hey what's going on"?!?!
There were a couple of songs where Geoff looked at me and asked "what key is this one in"? but apart from that we had a blast
The main thing I remember is that his drum stool was actually an office chair minus the seat back - and it was on wheels so it wouldn't stay still!

 

[bass12]

Why was there "not time"?

All of my instruments are tuned and ready to go before the first set. They each have properly adjusted straps. I know how where all of them need to have my compressor input set. How much time does it take to unplug and plug a cord or transmitter?

There wasn't time because we went directly from one song to the next with no more than a four count in-between. The original plan was for there to be a break between sets, but as sometimes happens on corporate gigs the plan changed last minute.

 

[60bass]

Years ago in one of my bands, I swapped with one of the guitarists (my wife at the time) and we did a whole set where I played guitar and she switched over to bass. We also both did vocals so it was fun. We always did the switch for a full set right after coming off a break. That way we didn't have to stop to switch instruments during a set. It never ceased to amaze me how many club patrons never noticed we had switched. I believe it was because we were both still at the same spot onstage. Only the instruments switched.

L to R Jeff - lead, rhythm, vocals. Susan - lead, rhythm, vocals, harmonica. Al - drums. Carl - bass ,vocals, lead, rhythm.

 

[Pilgrim]

Not me. I play bass and that's it.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

There wasn't time because we went directly from one song to the next with no more than a four count in-between. The original plan was for there to be a break between sets, but as sometimes happens on corporate gigs the plan changed last minute.

Having played corp and society gigs, can't you wave? What if you broke a string or had some other technical detail?

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

My old band (3 piece) had a plan to play our last song with everyone switching instruments — none of us were proficient on anything other than our own, so we played something really simple, like Surrender by Cheap Trick. We gave it a shot a few times, and it was a hysterical disaster.

 

[Liam Wald]

I always take two instruments to a gig and one of them never leaves the case.
I only take the second one as a back up. In more than 50 years of gigs I have never broken a string or had any type of instrument failure but I always take a back up anyway because I am absolutely convinced that the first time I do not take one some sort of bizarre failure will occur. I have totally psyched myself out about that!

 

[Plain Old Barry]

It never ceased to amaze me how many club patrons never noticed we had switched.

Were they interested in the show?

 

[60bass]

Were they interested in the show?

Yeah we always had a decent stage show. But it was the 70's and 80's bar scene. All everybody really wanted to do was get drunk, dance, have a good time. Maybe get laid.

Of course! So did we but naturally without the dance part because we were the ones playing the music.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

I always take two instruments to a gig and one of them never leaves the case.

If you're going to bother to physically carry both, why would you not tune both and have them ready to play? It seems to me the hard part is actually bringing both. Putting a tuned instrument away at the end of the show takes what? 30 seconds?

In the case you'd need the second, do you really want to have to get it out, strap it, and tune it while the band stands around?

 

[bass12]

Having played corp and society gigs, can't you wave? What if you broke a string or had some other technical detail?

On some gigs that could be a possibility. But with some of the corporate gigs everything is run extremely tightly. On that particular night the pressure was on (it was a big event) and by the time I realized there was no way I was going to be able to switch basses the sequences and the band had already kicked in. If I'd broken a string then I'd have had to make do with whatever strings I was left with. Luckily I haven't broken a string in around twenty years (knock on wood).

 

[Liam Wald]

Started guitar in 1963 and bass in 1964. Many Jr. high and high school gigs.

If you're going to bother to physically carry both, why would you not tune both and have them ready to play? It seems to me the hard part is actually bringing both. Putting a tuned instrument away at the end of the show takes what? 30 seconds?

In the case you'd need the second, do you really want to have to get it out, strap it, and tune it while the band stands around?

For me getting a bass out of a case (it already has a strap on it) plugging it in and tuning it up would likely take me less than a minute anyway. The band is pretty creative and can easily take up a minute or two no problem. Besides, it is not the end of the world to have a short break IMHO.

 

[Sam Dingle]

At the moment no. I did it once on my main gig switching between two basses tuned differently (BEAD and DGCF). Now I just keep it DGCF and play drop C on 1 song. On a higher profile gig (sounds fancy, just a fest of all original music) I just used one bass and the lead gutiar switched between Tele and Les paul for the different sounds. Other than that I understand it for different tunings if needed like standard and half step down, I personally just learn everything in whatever tuning is lowest and adjust.

 

[mrjim123]

IMO, unless you're switching for tuning related considerations then you're just being self-indulgent. The audience simply doesn't care.

 

[CryingBass]

^ in fact they probably prefer to not wait for the switch. Most switches take time, some too much.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Only if the sing needs it, and can be done without disrupting things.

 

[tothemax]

In most bands I've been in there are always few songs I sing better playing guitar, so I'll swap out with a guitar player for those songs. Mostly classic rock songs that I'd learned on guitar before switching over to bass. If I don't need to sing lead, then bass is fine.