Teardown?

[Potts]

If you guys are anything like me you probably attempt to tear down as quickly as possible. I've always subscribed to the idea that the safest way to begin tearing down is by putting the guitars away first. Obvioulsy it keeps them safe and out of the way. Sometimes it just doesn't happen though and I just start packing up without thinking about it . Thoughts?

[Bajazz]

Always the most expensive and fragile stuff first.

 

Remember one guy talking about guitars and stuff and said he loved my Gibson Hummingbird and the sound of it. He was sober and sounded like a guitar lover and I let him check it out. He strated playing like a pro, so I went on packing down. Some friends of him came over and suddenly he just threw the guitar in the air rotating and catched it for whatever reason, I guess he wanted to impress some girls.

 

NO ONE plays my guitars, NO ONE!

[daddymack]

Always: power down everything, case the guitars, pull all connectors, pack amp/PA, roll cables, pull/pack mic, pull/pack harmonizer and looper, collapse stand (this is the main barrier between me and the audience, so it stays up as long as I need it, plus it is the easiest to take down), assist other player if needed. If some one wants to 'check out my guitar'...the answer is 'oh sorry, I just packed it...'

[tlbonehead]

yes, always the guitars first. Then I unplug everything from the board in case other members start pulling on their cables. Then I unplug all my personal cables (amps, pedalboards, etc) then all the cables to the mains/racks. That way everything can be taken off the stage and I can roll up all my cables and sort them to their perspective places. Then everything gets carried out.

[Jimbo_Keys]

Yeah, sax (or guitar or bass if that's the gig) gets put away first.  (I've discovered too often the results of pulling on a cable that's wrapped around an instrument stand.)  Then i go around my rig and unplug every cable out of every jack and go from there.

[Mike McLaughlin]

first thing, turn down channel 1 of the Bose PA

shut down computer, case the guitar, then unplug everything except the iPod in channel two. Laptop is done shutting down by then and is second thing to go in the case. Then cables, mic, and Voicelive GTX

The iPod plays break music as everthing is put away. the last to go is the iPod and then the Bose PA.

Could be finished in about 10 minutes, but usually talking, finishing beer, etc.

[Vito Corleone]

More of a band story, and even a bit off the topic, but I remember a night many years ago when the band I was in was playing a dive bar that was emptying out early, and the road crew decided to start packing up the gear during the last set.   Including removing gear on stage while we were still using it.

It quickly became a bit of a joke, and by the end of the set we were reduced to the drummer playing with just a kick and snare with no throne, the keyboard player reduced to one keyboard he could strap around his neck and the guitarist playing acoustic.   

Needless to say, we got out of there pretty quickly that night!

[Shaster]

I usually pack up my guitar first, unless it's in a relatively safe place, and something else is not.  So for instance if I'm set up on the floor with my mic stand and pedals in the way, then I'll quickly move or pack those up first. Then the guitar, then cables and so on. Basically whatever I figure will get wrecked, stepped on or stolen first, gets my immediate attention.

Speaking of stolen... I do like to get the guitar out of the way first, but I've seen guys pack their guitar and then put it somewhere that's accessible to the general audience - that seems like an invitation to walk off with it. So as I said before, it depends.