Probably the same guitarist who tells everyone else to shut up while he tunes his guitar.
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Does your guitarist bring backups?
- Thread starter MultiScaleMale
- Start date
Probably the same guitarist who tells everyone else to shut up while he tunes his guitar.
All the guitarists I play with bring at least one backup, though it's usually in the case but ready rather than on a stand.
I once played with a guy who used to bring five guitars or so and had them on a rack in front of his marshall stack. I was annoyed at the time but look back fondly and laugh at it now.
I once played with a guy who used to bring five guitars or so and had them on a rack in front of his marshall stack. I was annoyed at the time but look back fondly and laugh at it now.
A guitarist with two instruments? Sure, pretty standard, on occasion a third like slide or 12-string. No biggie. I usually have two basses, although most of the time it’s a fretted/fretless duo. Sometimes a 5 with a different feeling 4. Sometimes two different feeling/configured 4’s. I can never understand what the big issue about all of this is for some people.
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Well, not every one of us does what Rinus Gerritsen of Golden Earring did for decades.
Because this twin neck bass combined two VERY different basses into one instrument.
The top neck is a long scale Fender and the bottom neck is a short scale Danelectro with a Kahler whammy bar. But that lower neck also was hollowed out, so there's this swimming pool rout underneath that pickguard. The pickups went to different amps in stereo. With the soapbars for the low end and the lipsticks for the high end.
Note also that it has only Master volume and tone and selector switch to switch necks. There was no way to select individual pickups on this bass.
He'd use this twin neck for decades as his main stage instrument, never even bothering to have a back-up. Because what's the point if the back-up is already there in his hands. One half of the twin neck goes bad, just switch to the other, DONE! You don't even need to take the instrument off.
Well, good for him. But maybe not everybody digs Danos. Maybe not everybody likes to deal with two necks, let alone the neck weight/dive potential. Maybe, if one is satisfied with long scale, they have no use for short scale. Maybe a player doesn’t feel comfortable with a body that extends downward like that. All sorts of reasons why that’s not a prevalent trend.Well, not every one of us does what Rinus Gerritsen of Golden Earring did for decades.
Because this twin neck bass combined two VERY different basses into one instrument.
The top neck is a long scale Fender and the bottom neck is a short scale Danelectro with a Kahler whammy bar. But that lower neck also was hollowed out, so there's this swimming pool rout underneath that pickguard. The pickups went to different amps in stereo. With the soapbars for the low end and the lipsticks for the high end.
Note also that it has only Master volume and tone and selector switch to switch necks. There was no way to select individual pickups on this bass.
He'd use this twin neck for decades as his main stage instrument, never even bothering to have a back-up. Because what's the point if the back-up is already there in his hands. One half of the twin neck goes bad, just switch to the other, DONE! You don't even need to take the instrument off.
Guitar players in my band always bring 2 guitars, mostly for tone reasons -whatever it's a LP, a Strat or a PRS-... One of them breaks strings EVERY GIG, but he prefers to put a new string in the middle of the gig than take the other guitar and play -yes, yes... I know!!!-
In my case, I never bring a backup, but I guess I should use one. I have a headless that I was thinking to work/update, and use it as a backup.
In my case, I never bring a backup, but I guess I should use one. I have a headless that I was thinking to work/update, and use it as a backup.
My lead guitar player has no backups. Rhythm guy does sometimes. Lead arrived without his Helix last Saturday. He was freaking out so I took my HX One off the board and let him use it so he could have at least a few effects and wouldn’t stress as hard. He still has his small analog pedal board and I told him he just needs to put it in his car and leave it so he’ll have a backup.
I asked what would he do if he ever broke a string, does he have a spare set? He said no. SMH.
I asked what would he do if he ever broke a string, does he have a spare set? He said no. SMH.
My lead guitarist brought no less than 6 guitars to every gig and enjoyed using different ones for different songs. Our rhythm guitarist brought 2 electrics and an acoustic. They had backup amps too. I, on the other hand, brought one bass and no backup amp. I did have a DI though.
I went to see jazz guitarist John Scofield n a large concert hall last week and his guitar was acting up. Every time he adjusted a control (which he did a lot) a loud crackle came out. He apologized and soldiered on. He did not bring a second guitar. I was really surprised he tours with only one guitar.
What would Willie Nelson do if Trigger starts acting up?
What would Willie Nelson do if Trigger starts acting up?
Pet pieve. I dont run boards or stack 3 plus gtrs, plus 2 for the 2nd gtr...but I'm at fault for bring two basses..
My guitarist brings 3-4 to every gig. Not sure why so many. Tone I guess.
Yeah, no fault there. Had an input jack break on a gig - box of NOS '60s Switchcraft jacks at home, but gigs aren't so conducive to unplanned breaks and soldering fumes. Backup bass is much easier.
On guitar gigs, my younger self would bring at least 3 - for a backup and to get different tones "appropriate" for different covers. Yeah, pretty ridiculous. The other night, I was asked to sit in on guitar - I played Santana's "Oye Como Va" on a mostly clean Telecaster & it worked fine.
Earlier this year, I was one of many featured guitarists at a local blues fest - I brought only 1 guitar for the first time since the late '70s. I figured I was among friends and could borrow a guitar if I broke a string on stage.
A string breaking is the least of my concerns. Stopping mid set to change a string and rearranging breaks is a pain but the show goes on. Its other failures that can't be fixed mid gig are the real issues. Having a spare for a broken string is just gravy
I once went to a show where the guitarist for the headliner had either 6 or 8 guitars.
And had to use EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
Lots of pausing between songs, no real flow to the show, and I wasn't super excited about the songs to begin with(we went for the opener). I guess that's not the same as a backup guitar, I'm just saying it could be worse.
And had to use EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
Lots of pausing between songs, no real flow to the show, and I wasn't super excited about the songs to begin with(we went for the opener). I guess that's not the same as a backup guitar, I'm just saying it could be worse.
