Why I carry a spare guitar to gig.

ICBM

simonhpieman said:

There is one other option...

You can get one of those G-force/robot sets. Everyone hates on them for some reason so they're cheap. I got mine off here for a decent price. A set of replacement Gibson Deluxes (I couldn't find anyone selling a single) will cost far more than the robots and I quite like them, too.

Even if you only use them as a built-in string winder, I've really liked using them and they took minutes to fit. Plus it's completely reversible if you change your mind - no screws or drilling required!

Given that the only two sets of these I've tried on a guitar were at the shop because they'd broken, that's a very definite NO.

Ossyrocks said:

On a gig, our singer once managed to break the headstock clean off a Gretsch I had at the time, and not a cheap Gretsch either, it was a Malcolm Young Signature model.

And given the use Malcolm gave the original, that's quite some going!

Sassafras

midlifecrisis said:

newi123 said:

I never take a spare guitar. Strat (trem flat to body) or tele for me. So a string break wouldn`t mean a hard stop. In saying that, I have never broken a string at a gig............ probably until this weekend! :-)

I do take a EHX Magnum 44 as a spare amp solution. Again, never yet needed.

i think thats brave. My concerns are that even if strings/tuners dont break there are other things ie jack socket could fail, switch or wiring could fail, all things easily fixed in the comfort of your home and a soldering iron but wouldnt want to be dealing with that at a gig scares me.  8 years gigging now, never had a guitar fail apart from occasional string break and last weekends machine head fail, ive always taken a spare guitar. Im actually considering taking a 3rd (cheapy guitar) to leave in the car just in case (something like a used £100 job that wouldnt be earth shattering if it got nicked, but would get me through the gig in the unlikely event of two guitars failing.

That's why maintenance is essential. I often checked the wiring, pots and jack sockets on my guitars as well as tuners and other hardware. Never had a problem in over 40 years.

pintspiller

On the originals circuit where there's generally at least three bands any night, I've borrowed a bass due to broken strings twice.

On the cover circuit I broke a string on the bass in the last bar of a song during sound check. I had a spare set with me.

midlifecrisis

Sassafras said:

midlifecrisis said:

newi123 said:

I never take a spare guitar. Strat (trem flat to body) or tele for me. So a string break wouldn`t mean a hard stop. In saying that, I have never broken a string at a gig............ probably until this weekend! :-)

I do take a EHX Magnum 44 as a spare amp solution. Again, never yet needed.

i think thats brave. My concerns are that even if strings/tuners dont break there are other things ie jack socket could fail, switch or wiring could fail, all things easily fixed in the comfort of your home and a soldering iron but wouldnt want to be dealing with that at a gig scares me.  8 years gigging now, never had a guitar fail apart from occasional string break and last weekends machine head fail, ive always taken a spare guitar. Im actually considering taking a 3rd (cheapy guitar) to leave in the car just in case (something like a used £100 job that wouldnt be earth shattering if it got nicked, but would get me through the gig in the unlikely event of two guitars failing.

That's why maintenance is essential. I often checked the wiring, pots and jack sockets on my guitars as well as tuners and other hardware. Never had a problem in over 40 years.

not sure how you can maintain a tuning key, it works fine one minute and breaks the next., same with switches

Danny1969

I was a gig once where the jack socket on the guitarists Les Paul fell into pieces internally. He had no spare and all we had to hand was a steak knife and some gaffer tape. So I cut the end off his guitar cable, bared the wires and taped them inside to the hot and earth that were on the disintegrated socket. That got him through the gig. 

I've seen a bass player try to prise the battery off the clip in his active bass and pulled both wires off the PCB, luckily that was a rehearsal rather than a gig. 

The unluckiest thing I've ever seen guitar wise was with my own band. A boom mic stand with no clip attached fell forward and the end went straight through the top of the 4K Taylor 12 string acoustic ! 

fendermadlewis

The latest warning sign for me was last year when i did a behind the nut bend on my tele's g string half way through the gig. It literally cut the nut in half and sent the two pieces flying, one of them hitting me in the face mid solo... ( fyi never let a somebody install a corian nut on your guitar)

impmann

I wish the venues we used to play had space for a spare guitar on the ‘stage’. 

I used to gig a single Les Paul in a high energy punk band - no back ups, no issues, 237 gigs. 

Whatever works for you.

Voxman

I always take a spare guitar, and I also keep a back up mfx in my car (A little Tonelab ST)...just in case.  

Sassafras

Voxman said:

I always take a spare guitar, and I also keep a back up mfx in my car (A little Tonelab ST)...just in case.  

You drive a little Tonelab ST?
Petrol or diesel?

midlifecrisis

impmann said:

I wish the venues we used to play had space for a spare guitar on the ‘stage’. 

I used to gig a single Les Paul in a high energy punk band - no back ups, no issues, 237 gigs. 

Whatever works for you.

apparently the odds of anything happening are 1 in 238 so you were very lucky.


seriously ive done hundreds of gigs and this was the first time something happened other than a string break. but for me its peace of mind.

stratman3142

Spare guitar, spare multifx unit and (in effect) I've got a spare amp because I play through two combos (an HRD IV and a Blues Cube Artist). Also, I keep an overdrive pedal close by on stage in case I need to do a quick mid-song changeover if my main multi fx goes down.

I've never had to use any of my backups .

midlifecrisis

stratman3142 said:

Spare guitar, spare multifx unit and (in effect) I've got a spare amp because I play through two combos (an HRD IV and a Blues Cube Artist). Also, I keep an overdrive pedal close by on stage in case I need to do a quick mid-song changeover if my main multi fx goes down.

I've never had to use any of my backups .

but if and when you do you will be eternally thankful. i know i was. 

Johnnyseven

I've never broken a string or a guitar in all the gigs i've done. These days I take 2 guitars but that's due to having at least one song in the set in open G so it saves time retuning.

Jalapeno

A few string breaks through the decades (less so since using a stiffer pick) - far quicker for me to swap guitars rather than replace string - takes me ages, with locking tuners and trem re-balancing forget it.

Arjailer

I've always taken a spare guitar (since I owned more than one). Can't remember ever breaking a string at a gig yet.

I also take spare strings. Loads of spare plectrums. Twice as many cables (guitar, patch, speaker and power) as I actually need. Spare batteries for anything that uses them (Smoothhound transmitter and active pickups) and any pedals that could use them if the pedalboard psu dies. And 2 sets of earplugs.

I used to take my Pod HD and a couple of XLR cables so I could keep making some sound through the PA if the amp or cab blew up, but these days I've switched to a Palmer Pocket Amp as it's much smaller and can run from a 9v battery or the pedalboard psu.

Basically, as much redundancy as I can think of 

Never had to really use any of it yet    (apart from plectrums and wireless transmitter batteries, and lending our other guitarist a cable a few times)

I have a checklist on my phone for all this stuff (and more), that I go through before every gig to make sure I've got it all.

simonhpieman

Not to derail the thread, but for those who never break a string, how often do you change them and how "exuberant" would you say you playing and performance style is?

midlifecrisis

simonhpieman said:

Not to derail the thread, but for those who never break a string, how often do you change them and how "exuberant" would you say you playing and performance style is?

up until about 3-4 years ago i used 9s and regualrly broke the high e  but since changeing to10s ive never boken a string. i change them when the wound strings stat feeling lumpy and uneven, i dont sweat much so my strings probably get changed once or twice a year/

Jalapeno

simonhpieman said:

Not to derail the thread, but for those who never break a string, how often do you change them and how "exuberant" would you say you playing and performance style is?

Mild exuberence, used to snap G string (!) most often.  New set every gig, not that it is a frequent occurrence.

Jazz guitars new set every year, whether they need it or not

newi123

simonhpieman said:

Not to derail the thread, but for those who never break a string, how often do you change them and how "exuberant" would you say you playing and performance style is?

I have d'addario 10s on strat & tele, either standard tuning or Eb depending on the band. I gig probably 5 or 6 times a month, and also help run a jam night every week. My guitar acts as house guitar, and typically everyone plays that rather than bring their own.

I play with heavy picks and I don`t have a particularly heavy touch - some of the younger players on a wed night are a bit more `enthusiastic`! :-)

I change strings every month or so I guess - as soon as they start to feel a bit grimy and tired. Literally can`t remember the last time I broke a string once they were on and bedded in. I`ve prob had 1 string broken at the jam by someone else in the past 3 or 4 years this iteration has been running.

robinbowes

simonhpieman said:

Not to derail the thread, but for those who never break a string, how often do you change them and how "exuberant" would you say you playing and performance style is?

I never (well, hardly ever) break strings these days, and I rarely change strings - certainly not with any regularity. I am not particularly exuberant, and have Graphtech nuts/saddles on a lot of my guitars.

I take multiple guitars to my gigs because I like to play different guitars

I got myself one of these, so I can easily take three guitars to a gig, and it also doubles as an on-stage stand.

Not my picture: