Do you bring a backup bass to gigs?

[Scottkarch]

Well DUH...
Thanks. Didn't think to look.
Looks like NO and NO I RISK IT = 97
Looks like the 3 YES answers = 146
Seems that also the YES players are more passionate in their belief.

Probably because many of them have been burned, or know someone that was burned and don't wish it on other players.

 

[MNAirHead]

Spare mics, a spare amp for the P.A., anything small enough to be loaded within reason, absolutely.

But I don't pack two complete P.A. systems, no.

But before you keep going with that train of thought, let me elaborate: I also don't bring a spare automobile, wife, brain, oxygen tank (in case a natural disaster sucks all the oxygen out of the room), or digestive tract (in case a wild boar attacks and disembowels me on stage).

It can get pretty ridiculous going down that rabbit hole of logic.

It's not practical or possible to bring a spare for many things. A second bass guitar is arguably not one of them.

I was half joking... half serious

It's amazing the number of players that will spend all the effort bringing spare gear when the PA is kind of more important...

I do carry a spare active monitor in my car 365x per year... can become just about anything needed on a stage.

Spare bass -- I break the .020 strings... never the bass strings... out of 3000 some times I've gigged.. dropped bases... knocked them over... etc... never have I needed a spare.

 

[electracoyote]

Seems that also the YES players are more passionate in their belief.

This probably doesn't apply to you, but one of the reasons I'm kind of passionate about this issue is I've seen too many musicians going off half-cocked and the sometimes disastrous results. And I'm not just referring to the often embarrassing and reputation-tarnishing potential of having an instrument fail and no back-up, but everything you can imagine, cables, straps, picks, sticks, you name it. So many times, either a member of my band, or another band on the bill, created a major amateur-hour scenario because of an easily-preventable oversight or negligence.

I have seen human error in judgment cause some real heart-breakers. Drunks and clumsy people on stage knocking things over. Theft. Acts of nature. No spares. Audience members, staff, and owner/managers pick up on this stuff. I've seen it cost bands future gigs at not only that venue, but any venue within earshot of the manager.

Yeah, I know that music is a hobby for most of us. So is stamp collecting. So is piloting a single-engine aircraft on the weekends. I think being a musician and entertainer is an endeavor much more like piloting the plane, and the goals are the same: Take off, fly the route, and land safely without crashing and burning along the way.

Weekend musicians love to complain about the low pay and how bar and club managers are ripping them off. These are some of the same musicians who think bringing a $90.00 spare bass to a gig is an unreasonable and unnecessary burden. The stuff I've witnessed at the weekend warrior level, I'm not surprised at all that club managers don't want to cough up more money.

 

[tbplayer59]

Most Guitar players I work with do. Not Keyboardists.

I think of it this way: The reason a car has a spare tire and not a spare engine is that the latter would really not do much good, and it would be a REAL hassle when looking for grocery space.

What about trombonists, trumpeters, flutists, etc.?

 

[Broke]

I've never had a string break but then again I don't play enthusiastically

 

[electracoyote]

What about trombonists, trumpeters, flutists, etc.?

I have a three-piece horn section in my band.

They bring spares.

I know a lot of horn players at different levels, and if it's not an unreasonable burden, they bring spares.

 

[electracoyote]

Most Guitar players I work with do. Not Keyboardists.

That's interesting. I'm playing keys in my current band. I have a nice Korg machine, but I started wondering what would happen if it got lost, stolen, damaged, or otherwise failed at a gig.

I found a nice Casio student keyboard on Craig's List for $20.00 in a gig bag. It has all the basic sounds. It rides along to every gig. It's not my expensive Korg, but it will do the trick if necessary.

 

[Robroy]

That's interesting. I'm playing keys in my current band. I have a nice Korg machine, but I started wondering what would happen if it got lost, stolen, damaged, or otherwise failed.

I found a Casio student keyboard on Craig's List for $20.00 in a nice little gig bag. It has all the basic sounds. It's not my expensive Korg, but it will do the trick if necessary.

I think that's a good idea. I've actually been at gigs where the keys never worked and the gig went on without them.

 

[Robroy]

What about trombonists, trumpeters, flutists, etc.?

They're not electric. There is little to go wrong. And most sax players have extra reeds in their bag/case.

 

[electracoyote]

I think that's a good idea. I've actually been at gigs where the keys never worked and the gig went on without them.

Sure, guitar(s) can step it up and make an attempt to cover piano, organ, string, and synth parts, with varying degrees of success.

For $20.00 of prevention, I don't have to worry about that.

 

[therealting]

I think that's a good idea. I've actually been at gigs where the keys never worked and the gig went on without them.

I've played gigs where the keyboards didn't work, I managed to cover the parts fairly effectively on guitar, and... the keyboardist gradually got phased out of the band.

Awkward.

 

[Robroy]

I've played gigs where the keyboards didn't work, I managed to cover the parts fairly effectively on guitar, and... the keyboardist gradually got phased out of the band.

Awkward.

I LOVE playing in a band with a really good keyboardist. But if they are not really good, the opposite is true.

 

[therealting]

I LOVE playing in a band with a really good keyboardist. But if they are not really good, the opposite is true.

Absolutely. I've made a living out of being able to craft a big sound from one guitar (a bonus to bands trying to split the band fee more efficiently), but playing with a cracking keyboardist, horn section, vocalists, percussionist and rhythm section is REALLY good fun.

 

[deste]

Gigs no. Tours yes.

+1

 

[Watchootognbout]

I bring two.But not for a backup in case one fails.
One is fretless.For fretless tunes.
Fretted for fretted tunes.

 

[svtb15]

Sometimes.

 

[Vic Winters]

When I played original gigs, it was just one. One 30-45 minute set on an already cramped stage that requires lightning fast set up and tear downs isn't conducive to bringing back ups. On cover gigs it's always two. Usually a jazz and an ATK.

 

[jwilson67]

Same here but it's over 40 years for me. Never even had a battery go bad on a gig back when I used actives. Knock on wood.

The gig bag that stays in my car has items useful to bassists and guitarists such as cables, straps, strings, a tuning fork, some tools and some commonly used instrument screws, a set of chopsticks for repairing stripped strap button screws (seems to happen to my guitarists with some regularity), ear plugs, a flashlight, first aid kit, a small sewing kit, gaffer tape, eyeglasses screw kit, and other sundries. Not to leave the drummers out I also carry a couple pairs of sticks and a drum key. I used to carry a spare amp head but I stopped years ago when I started DI-ing.

Hi,



I've been playing over 45 years and I will admit that is has occurred to me very rarely, only a few times in all those gigs. But it would have been an absolute disaster had I not had a backup with me.

Granted, when I was first starting out I could not afford a spare bass but as soon as I could I bought a second and brought both to my gigs. Even if you don't have a spare bass you should always have spare mic cables, speaker cables, instrument cables, etc. I have a strap for each bass, plus a spare. I usually carry four guitar stands with me, a pair of drum sticks, picks, extension cords, a couple of spare mics, maybe an extra mic stand, mic clips, and other paraphernalia (batteries) that could be forgotten by other bandmates. I just keep it all in my gig bag, just in case.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

You guys left off three important gig must-haves! Ibuprofen, Tums, and Liquid Bandage.

 

[jwilson67]

And don't forget backup beer! You never know if the venue is going to give you a band discount.

 

[mongo2]

You guys left off three important gig must-haves! Ibuprofen, Tums, and Liquid Bandage.

Covered in the first-aid kit I mentioned.