Working guitarists: How many guitars to you bring to a gig?

[Bob Zaod]

Lately I have been bringing 3 because even though I think the poly pitch in Helix is PFG, it still comes up a little short in the latency department. Same with the Drop if you are playing clean. The cover band I am in has recently dropped the only full step down song we had and now we use 3 tunings instead of 4. E standard, half step, and Open G. I do have a Tronical+ loaded strat and can actually handle as many tunings I want in just that one guitar but no matter what I do the pups wont sound and feel like P-90's or Gibson 490 series, which is a sound I go for in at least 12 of the songs we do.


So how many do you bring and why?

 

[JiveTurkey]

One. Two at most. I would not have songs in E AND E flat. Pick a tuning and go with it, imo. The open G is a perfect excuse for the GP10.

 

[sleewell]

one, but we dont play any covers

 

[Alex Kenivel]

One and maybe a backup for a high profile or far away gig. If I can't play it transcribed to standard I'll not play it. Fuck a capo. I can usually transcribe anything so it hasn't been a problem.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I've only ever brought one, and have a pack of strings sitting in front of me in case of emergency. May bring a second to some upcoming shows here though

 

[Will Chen]

2, but I'm not exactly "working" and am very selective in gigs I take. Zero chance I'm taking any gig asking me to to change guitar tunings between songs.

 

[Baba]

I bring two to every gig, and have been, (since the 80's), forever. We usually play in E flat, and I use the HX Poly Capo to go up or down, just a 1/2 step for just a couple/few songs a night.

 

[TSJMajesty]

One. Two at most. I would not have songs in E AND E flat. Pick a tuning and go with it, imo.

To my ears, songs played a half step from how they were recorded don't sound right. I always felt that Eb songs imparted enough of a different sound, that the songs sounded fresh, even if they were based around a very common chord progression.

Van Halen in E std doesn't sound right.
To me. YMMV

We'd always start in Eb, group those songs in the 1st set, then tune up to E for the remainder of the night.

I used to play my LP and my PRS live, using the LP for songs that needed more balls, and the PRS for everything else.

 

[Will Chen]

To my ears, songs played a half step from how they were recorded don't sound right. I always felt that Eb songs imparted enough of a different sound, that the songs sounded fresh, even if they were based around a very common chord progression.

Van Halen in E std doesn't sound right.
To me. YMMV

We'd always start in Eb, group those songs in the 1st set, then tune up to E for the remainder of the night.

I used to play my LP and my PRS live, using the LP for songs that needed more balls, and the PRS for everything else.

If you have perfect pitch maybe, or are in a tribute band where authenticity is of utmost importance. If you think the audience on average has anything better than rudimentary relative pitch I think you are giving them way, way too much credit especially if you are moving between genres and different band's repertoire. Hell, I've seen a local party band in high demand which makes big money that purposefully changes the keys of songs in order to chain together a long melody of 5-6 songs in a row without stopping and have it sound smoother. The crowds absolutely love it.

 

[yeky83]

Depends on how much it pays

Usually one cus usually I'm playing for free. But I've had some high paying gigs where I felt obligated to bring an extra one for backup

 

[HotRats]

When I was gigging I used to bring 2 guitars most of the times.
One was for back up or for alternate tunings or was a very different one, like a Les Paul and a Stratocaster (when I had one) or LP and the explorer with high output pickups.

It depended in the he band/setlist.

 

[metropolis_4]

Never less than 2. As many as the gig calls for.

I think the most electric guitars I’ve brought to a gig was 5.

The most stringed instruments I’ve brought to a gig is probably 7-8

 

[Eagle]

2 is minimum imo and if you have a floating trem you really shouldn’t go with one.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

2 is minimum imo and if you have a floating trem you really shouldn’t go with one.

Totally this. Breaking a string on a prs with a floating trem is a f*cking nightmare when you don't have a backup. This only ever happened once and I've had a backup ever since.

Also we switch between standard and drop d which is another ballache on a floating trem and requires a second guitar.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Also we switch between standard and drop d which is another ballache on a floating trem and requires a second guitar.

I don't know if you've thought of this (and not saying it could mean not bringing a 2nd guitar to a gig), but when I go from std to drop D on a floating trem guitar, I just start by de-tuning all the strings, since it's faster to bring them up to pitch, then to think you have everything in tune, only to find you've still got 1 string still sharp, and have to start all over again.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

I don't know if you've thought of this (and not saying it could mean not bringing a 2nd guitar to a gig), but when I go from std to drop D on a floating trem guitar, I just start by de-tuning all the strings, since it's faster to bring them up to pitch, then to think you have everything in tune, only to find you've still got 1 string still sharp, and have to start all over again.

That's what I normally do too but I'd never do it at a gig. I keep one guitar in standard and one in drop d to switch to. If I break a string I'll just retune the other guitar.

If I was going to risk one guitar it'd be a les Paul or tele and my prs would stay at home.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Tuning a guitar to a completely different Tuning is not something I would ever do on stage at a gig. Drop D? Sure. Going up or down a half step? No.

 

[Baba]

If you have perfect pitch maybe, or are in a tribute band where authenticity is of utmost importance. If you think the audience on average has anything better than rudimentary relative pitch I think you are giving them way, way too much credit especially if you are moving between genres and different band's repertoire. Hell, I've seen a local party band in high demand which makes big money that purposefully changes the keys of songs in order to chain together a long melody of 5-6 songs in a row without stopping and have it sound smoother. The crowds absolutely love it.

1,000%

We do this. We have a medley that is all in the same key, and I don't know if ANY of the songs are in F, the way we play it, lol. We also change keys to songs, to help our singers out. Nobody is the wiser.

 

[2112]

I've never taken more than 2 guitars to a gig.

 

[la szum]

Tuning on stage in between songs is not "professional." Ever! It's damn near the equivalent of not having a setlist
and hemming and hawing about what to play next.

It was ok for Jimi to do it in 1960 whatever. We are not Jimi. None of us.