Who plays their prized instrument live?

D-tox · 2012-10-10T13:42:59+00:00

Okay, recently I came to the conclusion "what were you thinking" when we played a live Gig, Some clown (on her bachelorette) got onto the stage after we played and nearly knocked over my 78 P-Bass.. after that I put it in the hard case in between brakes.. I was thinking if I should rather get n SX or Squier, do some upgrades and use that... but I would seem like such a waste...I just wont be the same.. Who plays his/her pride and joy on every gig? and how do you protect her? Not all gigs are rough, but you just need that 1 time...

eric-vaxxine

My 1962 Strat has been my workhorse.
I've never treasured it as a valuable relic, it was crafted to
be played and I play it.

I still own it because of two simple rules....
It was never ever in a car without ensured
personal presence and isn't insured.

Nitebob

DonRoos wrote I only have 3, my Cort is the main guitar and I also use my vintage Ibanez '87 540R and '76 12-string. I also use a Hercules tripple stand and position it in a safe place and only bring it on stage for my performance and remove it after. Guitars get cleaned and put to bed in hard cases as soon as possible.

+1. I usually set up about an hour and a half before the gig starts, when I am done playing, I pack up everything and put it within sight, before I go have coffee...

singemonkey

It is a responsibility with a valuable instrument. Essentially the only thing you can do is not let it out of your sight. But it is worth it to use them. There really would be no point for me in owning such guitars if I was never going to gig them.

sharonzaz

I feel differently about each of my guitars due to time I have it and
how many gigs Ive done with it, but at the end of the day they are nothing
but a piece of wood that is likely to outlive ME unless something drastic happens.

they are meant to serve me and my musical\professional needs, and not sit at home and collect dust.
it will sadden me should something happen to one of them but at the end of the day
it is ME responsible to how the sound, and not the other way around.

owning an expensive\rare\woteva guitar without putting it to use
is like owning a huge 4x4 but taking it to the shops only.
what's the point? ☹

Nitebob

sharonzaz wrote
owning an expensive\rare\woteva guitar without putting it to use
is like owning a huge 4x4 but taking it to the shops only.
what's the point? ☹

Yet it happens daily....

Squonk

singemonkey wrote It is a responsibility with a valuable instrument. Essentially the only thing you can do is not let it out of your sight. But it is worth it to use them. There really would be no point for me in owning such guitars if I was never going to gig them.

what he said!

Even though I am nowhere near a gigger or good guitarist but when I have played live it's always been with my Takamine which was a top of range in 1994. I wouldn't think of using a lesser guitar. Stays in tune, sounds good, makes me sound good!

I have gone the other way in buying a lesser guitar to accompany me on camping trips etc. I used to take the Takamine with me and I would always worry about damage or dirt, but now it's all cushty ?

sharonzaz

Nitebob wrote
sharonzaz wrote
owning an expensive\rare\woteva guitar without putting it to use
is like owning a huge 4x4 but taking it to the shops only.
what's the point? ☹
Yet it happens daily....

i know it does.

Cannon

eric vaxxine wrote My 1962 Strat has been my workhorse.
I've never treasured it as a valuable relic, it was crafted to
be played and I play it.

I still own it because of two simple rules....
It was never ever in a car without ensured
personal presence and isn't insured.

Exactly!!!
8)

Bob-Dubery

sharonzaz wrote owning an expensive\rare\woteva guitar without putting it to use
is like owning a huge 4x4 but taking it to the shops only.
what's the point? ☹

As an investment.

Another reason for not taking these instruments on the road may be insurance. If you've got a 1959 Les Paul and you get insured for what it's worth and keep the valuation up to date at some point the insurers may insist that you don't put it in the baggage hold on planes, may not leave it in a car, may not take it to gigs etc etc. Or the premium may be more than you want to pay.

nick

Don't think I have a prized instrument, I've either gigged or taken every one of my instruments to practice numerous times. If you don't use the things.. whats the point?

singemonkey

X-rated Bob wrote
sharonzaz wrote owning an expensive\rare\woteva guitar without putting it to use
is like owning a huge 4x4 but taking it to the shops only.
what's the point? ☹
As an investment.

Another reason for not taking these instruments on the road may be insurance. If you've got a 1959 Les Paul and you get insured for what it's worth and keep the valuation up to date at some point the insurers may insist that you don't put it in the baggage hold on planes, may not leave it in a car, may not take it to gigs etc etc. Or the premium may be more than you want to pay.

At that level everything changes. But bear in mind that some orchestral performers who are not earning shedloads of money but have invested heavily in an historic instrument, use it for performance rather than keeping it in a safe. The prices for some of these instruments make electric guitar prices seem a joke.

Someone I know has as her main instrument a cello that is worth more than probably any electric guitar owned by any regular member of this forum. She uses it for all her performances and work. Looking after it and transporting it is simply an assumed part of performing with an instrument of sufficient quality.

studmissile

It depends on the venue doesn't it? The crowd at an orchestral performance is vastly different to the herd of drunken idiots at a club. When was the last time you saw a stage dive at classical performance? It’s all-relative. At smaller venues you wonder if it’s really worth it, the worry of a high-end guitar (or any instrument) getting damaged or stolen.

Bob-Dubery

studmissile wrote It depends on the venue doesn't it? The crowd at an orchestral performance is vastly different to the herd of drunken idiots at a club. When was the last time you saw a stage dive at classical performance? It’s all-relative. At smaller venues you wonder if it’s really worth it, the worry of a high-end guitar (or any instrument) getting damaged or stolen.

Certainly in Johannesburg there are very good cellists with very good instruments that end up playing non-classical gigs in small venues. Last time I saw Laurie Levine she had a cellist with her. OK, that was that Jo'burg Civic Theatre, but Laurie Levine also plays places like the Radium. Also we sometimes get string quartets playing in shopping malls, and it seems to me that also sorts of alarming things that could happen in such an environment.

So yes, concerns do vary with venues.

studmissile

uhh the horror, some kid spilling his/her happymeal on my amp, but I would like to see some stage diving at mall. From first floor down to the ground.

singemonkey

Don't people usually stage-dive off the stage?

AndyInnes

I play my good guitars on gigs. I don't buy guitars that I don't intend playing.

Arno-West

Instruments are made to be played, whether it's in a dodgy pub, garage or bedroom. They are not built to be ornaments. If I owned a $200 000 '59 Les Paul, I would play it at every gig and use it what it was intended for.

I play my favourite Strat at every gig. I have used it at every gig since 1996. It has taken a few knocks, but generally it's fine. I personally like the road-worn battered Strat look, as long as it is me putting the scars on it. The worst "ding" happened 2 years ago when we set-up early for a gig at Monte Casino. It was an outdoor affair and the chops who organinzed the event didn't provide a shaded stage.

We weren't in the mood to get hammered by the sun for 3 hours, (it was during November), so we took along 2 of those 5mx5m gazebo things and put them up. After set-up and sound-check, we went home and when we got back 3 hours later, the guitar was on the floor along with one of our PA speakers and the gazebo's were blown into the Piazza...the speaker cab took the most damage...

There were some serious chips on the fingerboard of my Strat, but I still managed to play it and get through the gig. Took it to Andy McGibbon's the next week and it got sorted (R1200 later). This whole incident was my own fault, but I will never let anybody touch my gear at gigs and any punter invading the stage is politely guided to the bar. (Sometimes, after repeated politeness and no co-operation, not so politely booted off the stage.)

I don't get the point of drunk wannabe-muso's or even drunk real-muso's jamming or doing a few numbers when it is not their gig. Yes, we gotta be nice and accommodating to everybody, meaning the audience, not wannabees, but there is a line that should not be crossed.

Nitebob

Arno West wrote
I don't get the point of drunk wannabe-muso's or even drunk real-muso's jamming or doing a few numbers when it is not their gig. Yes, we gotta be nice and accommodating to everybody, meaning the audience, not wannabees, but there is a line that should not be crossed.

Something thats hard to say when you're drunk: Nkosi sikilele Africa

Something thats IMPOSSIBLE to say when you're drunk: No really, nobody wants to hear me sing Karaoke.
Please can you drive me home I'm drunk
No really I've already had one too many

Think it's the same type of situation: I can play like that, watch this...tomorrow you wake up with a boot print on your forehead and a missing molar...

sharonzaz

yeh, sadly i had resorted to using my fists just to teach some drunk respect
of my gear.

once i stepped so hard on a guy's hand, it broke, cos the dude kept on
changing my presets while im playing, and worse, the dude turned out to be a player but was drunk and idiotic.

thats why im loving the theatre these days....

Nitebob

sharonzaz wrote yeh, sadly i had resorted to using my fists just to teach some drunk respect
of my gear.

once i stepped so hard on a guy's hand, it broke, cos the dude kept on
changing my presets while im playing, and worse, the dude turned out to be a player but was drunk and idiotic.

thats why im loving the theatre these days....

Don't wanna tell you your business, but your rock covers are too good to waste in theatres...imho

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