Backup Guitars

[Texsunburst59]

I played out live on weekends for about 28 years.

In all those years I probably broke maybe 5 strings.

I always carried a backup guitar just in case.

When I switched over from rock to country, I started taking 1 electric and 1 acoustic to my gigs.

If I were to start gigging again and needed to play electric and acoustic, I’d take 1 electric and take a acoustic simulator pedal to cover the acoustic tones.

I’m to old to lug around a lot of gear to gigs.

 

[Eagle]

@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?

Something that covers the basics but different. I like a humbucker in the bridge so even just that will do. I have quite a lot of similar instruments though so that is pretty easy for me. If I play a Suhr Modern I could take a Vigier or a Soloist. I really don’t have a favourite anymore.

 

[Achilles]

Vigier.

Viva la France! Great guitars.

 

[TubeStack]

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.

Same. If I bring a second guitar, it's usually a Strat or something different than my LP or 594. But lately, even if I bring one, I still use the main guitar all night. Just been enjoying that one-guitar approach, less adjusting, both sound-wise and feel/mood-wise.

Only brought one guitar to my last gig and it was pretty sweet. (Of course now I'll break a string, that I've talked about it... )

 

[Jarick]

It depends on the gig. If it's just a local bar gig, nobody's going to really care about taking a couple minutes to change a broken string. For higher profile gigs, you'd want some kind of backup to get you through to a break in the set. And obviously for touring bands you'll want working backups to either get through the gig or at least until a tech can fix the issue.

I think a good Tele can cover most of the ground, especially with hotter pickups. I have the Dimarzio Area T set and the bridge is a little hotter/fatter and of course they are noiseless, and those would cover all kinds of ground that a humbucker guitar or a Strat could.

 

[Achilles]

For higher profile gigs, you'd want some kind of backup to get you through to a break in the set.

Funny, I was just thinking about Zep's The Song Remains the Same movie. Page broke a string during Whole Lotta Love and within seconds a roadie had his back-up on his shoulder. Weird looking though - red with dual uncovered black pickups.

 

[JasonE]

I have several guitars that could be number 1 for the night. I tend to grab the guitar that fits the band and music the best. I always take two with me though. I can't even remember the last time I broke a string. I also carry a couple of sets of strings with me and could throw a new one on in a few minutes. The guitar I have used as my number 1 the longest has an HSS pickup configuration and has a trem. Many times the back up guitar will have two humbuckers and a stop tail bridge. That gives me a guitar I can do drop D tuning with on the fly and another one that I have a trem on for songs that benefit from that. This gives me a wide tonal range across both guitars.

 

[la szum]

Backups are for scaredy cats and amateurs. Pros know how to live dangerous and walk the tightrope.

I kid. Sort of.

 

[la szum]

I will say when I was younger and gigging multiple times per month it was fun taking multiple
guitars out just to show them off. They need love and appreciation, too.

 

[AutomationBias]

Funny, I was just thinking about Zep's The Song Remains the Same movie. Page broke a string during Whole Lotta Love and within seconds a roadie had his back-up on his shoulder. Weird looking though - red with dual uncovered black pickups.

View attachment 14614

Yeah, that's the hardly-ever-talked-about #3 guitar. It's a 1969. He put a B-Bender on it in the 1980s.

 

[Achilles]

Yeah, that's the hardly-ever-talked-about #3 guitar.

Before a show in 77.