Backup Guitars

[metropolis_4]

@Eagle ’s comment in the other thread made me think about this. I’ve never been able to find a backup guitar solution that I like.

I’ve tried the path of having a backup that is as close as possible to my main guitar, and he’s right, it always feels like wasted money because I never want to play it. And it’s never exactly the same.

But if the backup is too different it’s annoying how much change in tone you have to deal with when changing.

I suppose maybe the best answer is just get something really cheap that is the same type of guitar?

Then again, in all the thousands of gigs I’ve ever played I can count the number of times I’ve actually needed to use my backup on one hand

I don’t know, what’s your approach?

 

[JiveTurkey]

Great thread. One that hits home. Bonus aggravation for needing to bolt a borg pickup on to everything for it to work as a main or a backup. I currently have my BumbleBee as the main and my Ibby V as a backup. They feel very different but both are super comfortable to play and I can change between the two without an issue.

The wasted money observation is real. I did need a backup for the first time in forver here this past summer so I know that 'oh crap' feeling that happens when you are live on stage and put on the spot. Ugh.

 

[Baba]

I can understand where both of you ^^^ are coming from, but I take a different approach. I have several #1's, so, it's a collection, and whatever one I feel like playing that night, another one becomes the backup, and I rotate depending on string shape and mood.

So, a #1 can and will be a backup, but it wasn't bought with that role in mind, so no money "wasted".

 

[dk_ace]

I quit doing backups for much the same reasons. If I feel the need for a second guitar, it’s because I want the different thing that guitar does and in a pinch I can probably cover the rest of the set with it. Home for me tends to be the PRS McCarty. The second guitars I’m most likely to use are a Gretsch Jet with filtertrons or a strat. Boost the input volume on either of those and roll the tone knobs back and I can get through a set fine. Obviously those guitars are more suited to cleaner sounds which is what I bring them in for, but short of super high gain they can hang ok if I boost the volume and roll the tone off.

Lots of times, I just take one guitar. I haven’t broken a string in ages and I can change a string at the gig if I have to or just work around the missing string.

D

 

[JiveTurkey]

I can understand where both of you ^^^ are coming from, but I take a different approach. I have several #1's, so, it's a collection, and whatever one I feel like playing that night, another one becomes the backup, and I rotate depending on string shape and mood.

So, a #1 can and will be a backup, but it wasn't bought with that role in mind, so no money "wasted".

I have tried to get better about the need to justify owning everything I do. It's tough sometimes, certainly.

 

[Baba]

I have tried to get better about the need to justify owning everything I do. It's tough sometimes, certainly.

I think I got that way, at least with guitars, BECAUSE of what you're going through.

Gear, (as you know), is different. I'm not about to have 2 full Helices here, one of them in a closet collecting dust, lol.

As far as gear is concerned, I go with the, "it just has to get you through the gig, you'll be back to the #1 for the next gig" way of thinking, and just deal with it.

I think for you guys, just go with the cheaper #2, because if you think about it, you'll rarely, if ever, need to play it.

 

[Baba]

Lots of times, I just take one guitar. I haven’t broken a string in ages and I can change a string at the gig if I have to or just work around the missing string.

Having wrote what I wrote, I'm kind of coming around to this way of thinking, recently.

I agree, I haven't broken a string in like, a year, and when I did, I only had one guitar with me, and my band was fine playing a song without me, while I changed it.

 

[the-trooper]

I’ve never been able to find a backup guitar solution that I like.
I can count the number of times I’ve actually needed to use my backup

That's why you don't need to like it. It's a backup. A functioning, reliable instrument that does the job.

 

[laxu]

I would just use whatever is in the ballpark. E.g if you play humbuckers, your backup is also a humbucker guitar at minimum.

You can of course consider deliberately swapping to use the backup if there is a suitable time to do so, just to get good use out of it. Likelihood of breaking strings on both guitars in the same gig is not that big.

I wouldn't want to have e.g a cheap or mediocre guitar as a backup, at most it would be nice if it's relatively light weight as it's extra stuff to carry.

 

[Achilles]

We're talking 'worst case scenario at a gig' guitar, right? If that's the case, who really cares? As long as it can get you through the set without the crowd heading out the door it's a win. I once had to play the last few songs of the night without a D string! I would have taken a K-Mart $99 strat knockoff at that point rather than finish the night without a D.

 

[itchyfingers]

No backup for me. I'm with Baba & dk, I'm constantly rotating thru a killer set of guitars that could all be considered a #1. I keep a set of strings in my gig bag, but its been in there for like 2 years *goes and swaps out to a newer set*. I always throw a fresh set on the day of the gig, and I'm less heavy handed than I used to be. Haven't broken a string in years.

 

[woody]

I guess there is no "one size fits all" solution.

Firstly, it depends on the stakes.
If the worst thing that can happen is just another chorus of Blues in G soloing from your other guitar player while you change your broken string at "Ye ole dog bark" in Ottumwa, Iowa, you might not need a backup.
If a guitar mishap might derail the festival schedule at Coachella, you'd might wanna bring a spare.

Secondly it depends on the program.
If you have a myriad different patch changes in your show with meticulously gain staging developed for a certain signal chain, then picking up an entirely different guitar will possibly alter your show in ways you don't want or can adjust to.
If you have leeway when it comes to guitar changes, you might just throw another guitar into the van.

For me, I don't usually have high stakes gigs with tight stage scheduling that are painstakingly programmed around a certain guitar.
For higher paid gigs I usually plan some redundancy, otherwise I deal with a short brake during the show. I don't need my back up to be exact.

 

[woody]

...to clarify: "Breaking a string in front of people" may be a high stakes scenario for you no matter what.
Bring a spare.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I have 6 #1s and 0 backups

I've also only ever brought a second guitar to a gig once...

 

[Achilles]

I have 6 #1s and 0 backups

I know, right? It's like someone asking which is your favorite child? My stable days are gone but man those times were a blast.
Holding the morning coffee and wondering which one is calling your name that day.

About 10 years ago:

 

[Baba]

Lol, so funny, this topic comes up, right as I REALLY need to replace my Mono Dual electric gig bag, and I've been putting that purchase off, because they are expensive, and it's not a sexy purchase, AT ALL.

Their (Mono) single bag options aren't much cheaper than their dual options

I'm partial to Mono because:

1. My Dual bag has lasted like, a decade, with heavy gigging over the years
2. My Stomp XL and exp pedal fits in a mono tick bag, which attaches to their guitar gig bags . . . etc

 

[sleewell]

i used to bring a backup guitar but now i just bring one and put a new pack of strings on my amp.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Lol, so funny, this topic comes up, right as I REALLY need to replace my Mono Dual electric gig bag, and I've been putting that purchase off, because they are expensive, and it's not a sexy purchase, AT ALL.

Their (Mono) single bag options aren't much cheaper than their dual options

I'm partial to Mono because:

1. My Dual bag has lasted like, a decade, with heavy gigging over the years
2. My Stomp XL and exp pedal fits in a mono tick bag, which attaches to their guitar gig bags . . . etc

I got a Mono gigbag with my tele and it is KILLER

 

[spawnofthesith]

i used to bring a backup guitar but now i just bring one and put a new pack of strings on my amp.

Yeah with locking tuners I honestly think I can probably pop a new string on in the heat of the moment in the same amount of time putting down and picking up another guitar would take

 

[DrewJD82]

My SZ320 was bought as a backup for my JEM. Totally different type of guitar, hard tail, 22 frets, it was cheap and I figured going with a fixed bridge would be a safer bet. I was snapping a lot of strings on my JEM at the time, not because anything wrong with it, just 21-year old bull in a China shop stuff.

Now I practically have doubles in some form or another I can just grab a similar guitar, 2 Strats, 2 LP’s, 3 Ibanez w/ Floyd’s and 24 frets, etc. Whatever I’m bringing to a gig as a main player would have a fairly similar backup, just different pickups.