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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2023 9:16:40 GMT -6
When you gig, do you use all your top of line gear? Or do you use your cheaper gear?
For me, when I used to gig a lot, I started to gear down. When I first started out, I only had one amp and one guitar. That amp and guitar I used for a lot of my youth. It was not until, the 80s when I got my first combo amp. That was a Rolland JC120. Used that amp for a lot of years. It was soon after that I bought my first Fender Start.
I started to use the Strat more and more. One reason was I did not want anything to happen to my 71 LP custom. It was well into the 90s before I had more than one guitar and amp.
Over time, I found myself not wanting to use my good stuff on stage. I did once in a while depending on what I was doing. I did a lot of outdoor concerts. In them times, I would take my less expensive gear. Only because you never know, who is around and about. I knew of some people in that time that had their guitars stolen, even amps.
Some events I played at, kids would be running all over the place (even on stage) I had a guitar get stepped on from a kid running across the stage. I had just put the guitar in its gig bag and laid it down next to me, so I could put the cable in it, and the next thing I knew this kid came running across the stage and ran right on to my guitar. He wound up braking the center pickup of my fender Start. I did confront the parents, but as usual they did nothing to the kid or offered to pay to have my guitar fixed.
So after that I stopped using my upscale guitars. I started buying off brands or Squire guitars. I was already setting up my guitars by this time. This was long before I started making guitars. But I found out the cheap stuff worked out just fine. Unless one is play to impress, you don't need to play your good gear out.
But this is my experience, What say you all? What do you all use?
EB
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Post by antares on Apr 13, 2023 17:13:04 GMT -6
Since my earliest forays in the 1970s with a three piece when I used a Columbus S-type, I can count on one hand the numbers of times I've played for others. I recall once was my 1973 Fender Strat at which venue I also played my Takemine dreadnought, and at another venue it was my Yamaha Pacifica 904 which is a far superior instrument to my Strat. Nowadays I'd go for the Yamaha SA2000 as an all-rounder I could count on (if not one of my Teles) but it looks less and less likely to occur.
Sniff!
でつ e&oe ...
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Post by dnic on Apr 13, 2023 17:59:55 GMT -6
When I was gigging fairly regularly I just took what I had. Usually my latest build and my Peavey classic 50 4/10s. We played the coffee house three or four times a year. We played at the park festival once a year and at the county fair once I think. Other local city gigs. But I always keep a close eye on my gear or lock it up in my car. Once I got my Eli 5 watt stack I started using it at gigs just because it was lighter. Never had any bad things happen with gear.
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Post by antares on Apr 14, 2023 2:24:26 GMT -6
You know that family life and work gets in the way. 'Twas ever thus for me. Those folks who spend their whole life gigging are lucky but also maybe not so fortunate in relationships? Something somewhere has to give. Maybe I shouldn't generalise but looking back I have no regrets over such choices. They have always appeared to me to be pragmatic decisions.
The nearest I came to anything successful was an audition with a Beatles tribute band in the 1970s. My Dad put me onto them because one of them was a business associate of his. I was completely blown away by their vocal harmony skills and professionalism and they offered me the gig there and then. I have no idea why- I was a long haired hippy and I knew it wouldn't work with them all decked out as The Fab Four so I declined. Maybe it was just my AC30? ;<D
As the great bard Yogi Berra (maybe) said "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
でつ e&oe ...
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Post by dnic on Apr 14, 2023 7:20:58 GMT -6
That's very cool Steve. Prolly wasn't the amp. You're way to humble. I didn't start in bands until my kids were a little older, off doing their own things. But you're right it's though making it all fit with family and work and church in my case.
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Post by GuitarAttack Forum on Apr 14, 2023 8:31:17 GMT -6
When you gig, do you use all your top of line gear? Or do you use your cheaper gear?
Eddie -- I hate to take my nicer guitars into some of the places I play, but sometimes I do. Guitars are meant to be played. When I started gigging in the 70s I was in high school and didn't have a lot of gear. I was playing in a cover band with these college guys, and I was using my Traynor Guitar Mate Combo and my Les Paul Special with P-90s. The only pedal I would normally use was my good old gray box DoD Overdrive Preamp 250. Soon after we started playing the overdrive conked-out and DoD replaced it with a yellow box version, which I didn't like quite as much. I know - pretty simple rig, and it fix into my car. One amp, one guitar, one pedal. Note: I still have all of this stuff. When I moved into my metal phase in the 80s I was using a '73 Marshall non-master volume head, two Sound City cabs with Fane speakers, and the same Les Paul and an Ibanez Paul Stanley Iceman. The Iceman was incredible and I no longer have it. Sad face. Effects were pretty simple - the same overdrive for solos, an MXR analog delay, and an old Ibanez yellow box flanger. I used an Altair attenuator with the amp, and eventually upgraded to a Scholz PowerSoak to make the volume manageable. I eventually went to an Ibanez dealy and chorus, but still used the DoD overdrive. By this time I had bought a '68 SG with P-90s. I upgraded it with a Gibson Dirty Fingers humbucker in the bridge, and a Dimarzio PAF in the neck. I miss playing gigs with that Marshall/Sound City rig. As I've said before, playing something that loud and great sounding really affects the way you play. You cannot be reserved on stage with that behind you! Once the dream kind of played out (code for had to get a job) I still did a lot of one-off gigs and jams. The last regular gig I had was with a Pink Floyd tribute band. A great band, and I really enjoyed it right up to the time when Covid stopped the fun! I used mostly Strats and Line6 pedal boards to get all of the different sounds. I used a small monitor on stage but we ran in ear montiors and most of my signal was direct to the board. Our monitors were set up with a digital board so we could build our own mixes with an iPhone app. We practiced with our in ears, and the sound guy saved the mixes on a USB stick. It made set up incredibly easy. Am I the only one who hates four hour sound checks? Lol I also played some gigs with a local cover band. I used my Traynor combo, took a Les Paul and a Strat, and used a True Tone dual delay, Route 66 overdrive, and booster. My pedal board was pretty small but it allowed a lot of different tones. No direct feed, no in ears....good old volume and wedge monitors. These days I do gigs with an original band in the Nashville area. I use a small rig and run a feed direct with a small stage monitor. I normally use a rotation of a recent SG, my Jeff Beck Les Paul, or a Strat based on the set list. The stage volume is pretty low and we use conventional monitors. I still like the JHS Bonsai distortion and I still have a working EP-3 Echoplex I will mess with. Most of my playing these days is done during the process of recording. That is a completely different setup! I think the journey of finding the right rig for the gig is incredible, and I am still trying to get it right. John |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2023 9:12:08 GMT -6
Wow! Now that is what I am talking about! What cool story's!
I know there are some others on here that should share as well. I hope they will chime in.
You all said some things that really got me thinking. I was 15 years old in 1969. That is when I got started playing in a paying rock band. We did a lot of covers too. I had to learn 3,000 songs, in a short timeline. The band had a lot of bookings, and they were on their way in so many ways.
All I had at that time was my Glitter guitar, and a borrowed amp. I think it was a Fender Bassman. Too far back to remember what I borrowed. LOL! I did have a custom amp made 6 months after joining the band. I was making good money and the lead guitarist also mad custom amps. So I got one from him. Used that amp for a lot of years!
We played all over CA. All up and down the coastline, and a lot of NCO clubs. Some of you military know what an NCO club is. HA!
I was under a heavy chaperone kind of thing, and I could only be on stage or in the dressing room, unless we were eating dinner. It was still a lot of fun. When we did tours, we would sometimes change costumes in the car on the way to the next gig. Pretty hard on the girls in band. We were a show band. There were go-go dancers that went with us. I wound up-dating one of them when I was 16 years old. We dated for only a year, then I met my wife at 17.
But, it would be the 80's before I got that first combo amp. But you already know that story.
Thanks for all the cool input! EB
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Post by GuitarAttack Forum on Apr 15, 2023 14:48:38 GMT -6
We played all over CA. All up and down the coastline, and a lot of NCO clubs. Some of you military know what an NCO club is. HA! |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2023 15:48:29 GMT -6
We played all over CA. All up and down the coastline, and a lot of NCO clubs. Some of you military know what an NCO club is. HA! WOW! Yes, they did rock. I also made a lot of money playing in them clubs. They also fed us good! LOL! We would also at times get to stay in some nice places that they would provide for us for free! One place they put us up in was like a 4 start Hotel. WOW! It was awesome! Got to stay there for 3 nights! Free food too! HA! Hey, I was a teen, and I was always hungry. EB |
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Post by GuitarAttack Forum on Jun 25, 2023 10:46:05 GMT -6
 I played a gig with this rig last night. The cab is a Port City cabinet that I put a Kemper Kone speaker in. The previous Celestion quit during a gig and completely locked-up! The amp is a Seymour Duncan 170...all solid state and really, really loud. The board is a Line6 Firehawk -- discontinued but still great. The reason I like this one is that it has Bluetooth and I can adjust it with the iPhone. It sounds a lot like a POD, and the models are very solid. Finally, the Black Strat. A MiM body, my pickups, a collection of different hardware, and a far-East neck. I sprayed and relic'd the nitro finish - that is why it sounds so good lol. We played on a bill with about four other bands. Got a lot of "dude, how are you getting that killer tone?" questions. I got this rig dialed in and it is sounding good. The real reason I like it is that I can get it in the trunk of my Subaru BRZ and I don't need help moving it! UPDATE: I got several DMs asking what the handwritten #54 represents on the top of the board. These Firehawks have Bluetooth, and when you connect to the iPhone or iPad, the number shows up in the list of devices. My other board -- the backup -- is #70. Anyway, I like to take notes to keep from getting confused during gigs! For what it is worth... John |
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Post by dnic on Jun 25, 2023 13:48:33 GMT -6
Great tone is in your fingers John. And of course the relic Strat helps!
Almost forgot it has your pups in it. Say no more.
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Post by antares on Jun 25, 2023 15:59:00 GMT -6
You have an unfair advantage with those pick ups by all accounts John ...
でつ e&oe ...
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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2023 6:28:15 GMT -6
Liking the look of the rig. It all has a MOJO to it. I look at it all and I can hear the music. LOL! EB
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Post by GuitarAttack Forum on Jun 27, 2023 14:52:08 GMT -6
You have an unfair advantage with those pick ups by all accounts John ... でつ e&oe ...I do like pickups, and they are key to the signal chain. However, I think the most important thing is having a guitar that plays great, is intonated properly, and is easy to operate. A good playing guitar will inspire the player in you, and no matter what guitar it is - a 59 Les Paul or a 57 Strat or a recent Ibanez - it takes some adjustment and work to make it play great. Also, change your strings often! Lol John |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2023 6:31:11 GMT -6
You have an unfair advantage with those pick ups by all accounts John ... でつ e&oe ...I do like pickups, and they are key to the signal chain. However, I think the most important thing is having a guitar that plays great, is intonated properly, and is easy to operate. A good playing guitar will inspire the player in you, and no matter what guitar it is - a 59 Les Paul or a 57 Strat or a recent Ibanez - it takes some adjustment and work to make it play great. Also, change your strings often! Lol John I once had someone come up to me after playing a set at a gig. That person said to me, “Boy, that guitar sure sounds great!” I set the guitar in its stand and said, “Oh, how does it sound now?”
Yes, a nicely set up guitar is one thing, and the pickups can add to one sound. But the guitar itself cannot make a sound without the player. LOL!  |
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