Solo and Duo Acts

[chemikool]

A little over a year ago I was on a typical band gig at a typical bar. Some drunk guy tried to get on stage to sing with me (uninvited) and tripped on the way up. He fell into my guitar stands and CRUSHED my gigging acoustic guitar, literally landing his ass on my guitar.

Needless to say, I was not happy. It took everything I had to NOT beat this guy's ass right then and there.

I tracked him down via a friend, and FINALLY got compensation after about 8 months. He tried at first to say he didn't do it (I have video proof as well as a ROOM full of people that saw it) then he moved the goalposts to say he didn't have the money, ETC... Next it was "my kid will suffer" then it was that I must be an asshole for wanting money...It took me threatening to get my lawyer involved before he finally capitulated and paid up.

In the meantime, the search was on for another gigging acoustic. I've rarely/never taken out my nicer guitars (1959 Gibson J45, 1985 Martin D28, 2011 Martin D35) and have almost always taken out my Ovation POS because I don't like my guitars smelling like cigarettes, beer and bars if I can help it. My buddies always thought I was nuts, until that happened.

Well, I've gone through several "solutions" and none have worked to my satisfaction. After throwing five or six hundred bucks at the problem and still not having a viable solution, I decided to go back and get another ovation. This time I went up a model and got a better one, but it still does not compare to my nicer guitars.

So, as of yesterday, I have another guitar. Hopefully my "gigging acoustic saga" is now over. I'll find out tonight.

[rockguitar2000]

I've got a godin a6 ultra coming next week I'm hoping will be a nice gigging guitar

[Bobby1Note]

Well, I'm glad to hear you got something out of that ordeal. There's no way I'd bring my better guitars to an environment like that either.

There's a tavern here in town, where some of us would gather and play a couple of days a week. We were seated among the patrons, and there's always some loudmouthed spitting drunk, who grabs the neck of your guitar, to play a "Johnny Cash, or Elvis" tune. I've seen chairs and tables flying on many occasions. I found a decent Yamaha C-70 nylon-string guitar, for $99. in a local pawn-shop, specifically for use at that bar. No damage yet.

[Shaster]

I'm amazed the guy finally compensated you. I believe I've mentioned that years ago I did a gig where a drunk woman fell on the saxman's tenor. It was the end of the gig for him and wound up costing him $500.00 or so. He didn't get a dime from anyone, partially because it took place on a break, and the woman apparently made a hasty retreat.

As a guitarist I can do fairly well with an inexpensive Ibanez Artcore or similar, but if I was a horn player, I wouldn't have much choice but to gig with my $5000.00 and up Selmer, King... Matter of fact, I just did a gig with a guy who had his baritone, tenor and soprano saxes perched right by the club's back door. I finally convinced him to move them to the back of the stage. I've "seen" too many things fly out the door when no one is looking.

[pogo97]

Tilt Billings and the Student Prince
by Leo Kottke, Ron Nagle

Tilt Billings saw a guitar in a pawn shop window
Not much to look at but he knew that he'd found
That old Student Prince that they made years ago
So easy to play - what unbeatable sound!

Paid twenty bucks and grabbed his guitar
Still be a steal at ten times the dough
It was amazing how a mere beginner
Could play just a few notes and sound like a pro

He'd play his heart out when he was at parties
Guys would get jealous - but girls were impressed
They'd ask how he did it he'd say
"Nothin' to it, with this kind of guitar it brings out my best."

One night when he had the room captivated
He took five and set down his prince
When a drunk stumbled by and sat down where he laid it
And he's never sounded quite the same since

Ron Nagle's House Party:

So Tilt's still upset but he's givin' up crying
Just can't lift his eyes from the sad, sad ground
Time marches on with its fingers still trying
To find, once again, that Student Prince sound.

[Potts]

I really enjoy playing out with a nice guitar. Obviously I'm aware of the dangers of it but if I'm going to be performing I'd rather enjoy the experience of playing a nicer guitar. There's no way I'd take anything vintage out with me though.

[Terry Allan Ha…]

Originally Posted by Potts

I really enjoy playing out with a nice guitar. Obviously I'm aware of the dangers of it but if I'm going to be performing I'd rather enjoy the experience of playing a nicer guitar. There's no way I'd take anything vintage out with me though.

^^^ X 2, but I'm VERY careful about who can get near my gear, and I rarely play bars...around here, bars pay the least of all available gigs.

[pogo97]

I only have one acoustic guitar, a Dobro I bought new forty years ago. I hitch hiked through Canada and Alaska and around here for years. It got run over by a 5-ton truck in Alaska and I ran over it once myself--both times my own fault. Still in fine shape. Nothing like 1/4" maple plywood and lots of reinforcement. It doesn't like being dropped, though.

[moogerfooger]

dude - you need to find better places to play

I play out with my D28, and my gretsch 6120. wouldn't have it any other way.

[moogerfooger]

I know a guy that tells of the time he was at a bluegrass festival and was playing around the campfire late one night. he leaned his prewar martin against the wood pile to go get a drink. he came back to see some guy put his foot through the guitar as he held the neck. it was then the guy realized he didn't have a piece of firewood in his hand.

[Loner]

It's mostly for this reason that I use a solidbody electric with a powerbridge for acoustic sounds- a guitar on a stand invites trouble, whether it's an uninvited 'jammer' picking it up or a dude like chemicool mentioned. I bring two guitars set up like that in case I break a string. The last time I left the spare one out on a stand I'll be damned if some woman didn't come up and tip it over! (It didn't hurt it any, but I was kind of pissed).
I agree with Potts about wanting to play nice guitars onstage. I actually broke my own rule and took out my J200 to a local gig last weekend. It has an LR Baggs Dual source pickup on it and it sounds GREAT!, but I was worried the whole time about the cold, drunks and thieves.
BTW, I have a cheap Fender acoustic (my first guitar that I got at 14), and I've been wanting to put a good pickup in it so it would be stage worthy. Does anyone have experience with the Fishman Aura? From what I've read, it will make a cardboard box sound like a D35. True or false?

[chemikool]

dude - you need to find better places to play

Agreed, don't we all...but c'mon man...drunk people are everywhere.

Tried to post this yesterday, but I didn't have that much patience:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow...214634001.html

[aj_guitarist]

Hopefully this story has a happy ending. I haven't that soemthing like this happen to me but i can see it how badly it could all go wrong.

[Shaster]

Originally Posted by chemikool

Agreed, don't we all...but c'mon man...drunk people are everywhere.


http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow...214634001.html

Ain't that the truth. When my friend's sax got squashed, we were at a Gala dinner at a very high end restaurant. The people that saw her fall, said she was well dressed and in her sixties - so it can happen anywhere, anytime.