Guys who play out (or used to)…question

[VonBonfire]

I use the backup every 4-5 shows probably.

Generally it's because of a string break, but once in a while there's been other issues

I change my high E for every show and my B and G every 4-5 shows and haven't broken a string live but maybe once in a couple hundred gigs.

 

[DanTravis62]

I change my high E for every show and my B and G every 4-5 shows and haven't broken a string live but maybe once in a couple hundred gigs.

Yeah i'm sure if I changed out the strings in advance that would work, but I can't afford to buy 20 sets of strings every month lol

 

[VonBonfire]

Yeah i'm sure if I changed out the strings in advance that would work, but I can't afford to buy 20 sets of strings every month lol

I just buy bulk plain strings from Just Strings. I think a dozen high E's is about $3 bucks. If I am gigging nightly I would switch to changing it every other show.

 

[Catthan]

corporate and wedding functions- 1 main and a backup.

 

[alund]

3 guitars
1 main rig. Axe Fx on standby just in case. About 3 settings clean grungy. Lead. Just in case.
Could play one guitar and amp all night BUT it will happen if you play enough.

 

[VonBonfire]

Could play one guitar and amp all night BUT it will happen if you play enough.

Guitars usually show signs of problems you can head off at the pass. Crackling pots or jack. A switch going intermittent. I've mostly taken one guitar to about a thousand gigs and never had a problem. Amps on the other hand.... I've had 2 or 3 amp issues at gigs in that decade long time frame but only one where it was a complete failure early in the show.

 

[wIsEbLooD]

One

 

[romanianreaper]

I always have a backup guitar and my main one. Guaranteed I don't, I'll immediately break a string. That is just my luck.

 

[boogieman1187]

I'd bring two for cover shows, would learn how to play everything in one tuning so there wasn't constant breaks between songs switching guitars around.

 

[tementnoise]

As far needing my backup, I change strings every 3 shows on tour. Learned over the years that’s pretty much the limit for me if it’s a headlining set of an hour or more. I can get away with a few more in a shorter support slot but generally stick to 3 regardless. Back when I wasn’t constantly flying to practice I’d bring more and often just switch guitars just to play something different.

Drop pedal also saved a ton of guitar use as before we’d have to bring guitars for each tuning before that pedal existed and that was a nightmare, particularly when doing overseas shit. Flying overseas with like 12 guitars between 3 people is an extremely expensive pain in the ass.

 

[BeZo]

2 guitars
2 amps
4 cabs

 

[midnightlaundry]

Things to bring are cables, batteries a coupe extra toobs, fuses..
All the other things that will bring your rig down..

 

[Greazygeo]

I bring two. One that is like a LP tone and other is tele / strat for the 70’s funk stuff.

 

[dooredge]

I travel with 2. I hit them strings pretty hard but don't encounter much if any string breakage using .11-.56 sets. I take 2 for peace of mind more than anything. My band uses one alternate tuning and I punch the Whammy Ricochet to get there.

 

[JerEvil]

Honestly… I usually only bring one and I gig a ton.

 

[Rex Rocker]

One? I didn't think it was common practice to bring more than one, but I play/used to play mostly bar or small-ish venue gigs.

 

[DanTravis62]

I can't believe you guys only take one guitar to gigs lmfao

If I ever did that I am 1000% positive my one guitar would disintigrate

 

[stephen sawall]

1 or 2

Last show 0.
I used the other bands rig.

 

[JLR]

Never 1, always 2, never 3.

 

[vultures]

Minimum of 2, although my Quantum case holds 3. I may look into an Enki.

The first time you break a string on a Floyd equipped guitar live is fun, you can't even hobble through the song. It's rare, but made me paranoid. Pitch shift for anything weird. Guitar doesn't matter, audience can't tell the difference.