Guys who change guitars after every song

[csm]

 

I take three to shows. Main, backup for main, and one for alt tuning.

 

 

My set-up exactly ... fortunately, I haven't a stringbreak on stage since we started the band ... for some reason, it's only ever happened at rehearsal.

[jimlp]

Is it a photo of Paul McCartney on that first guitar from the left?

 

Yes it is a Hamer with a paint job that is a tribute to the Beatles.

[Toto99]

 

I'm sure the artist on stage doesn't give a toss what you think. Let me guess.. you play Metal? How much of your post is posturing?

 

 

How is metal more posturing than any other style? It's more honest in my opinion. If you want to bang your head and show off, I find that less posturing than a guy who is constantly being handed

[GilmourD]

I gig with a minimum of three guitars -- a Tele, a Strat, and a Wolfgang. Some songs just require different sounds. I've even played gigs with another Tele on top of that just because I have a particular Tele that gets sounds that my other Teles don't get.

[metalheadUK]

Depends.

 

I can see the need for a few.

 

In a Blues setup, if you use Standard tuning, open G, and open E, thats 3...throw in backups and you are up to 6.

 

Even in the situation I am in playing Metal in one band, I can see the need for 2 6 strings, and 2 7 strings, and thats assuming you drop the E to D for the drop D stuff on one of the 6 strings.

 

If I dont want to fiddle with tuning at all, I'm up to 6 again.

 

I am a big believer in having backups for as much as possible...

 

[BoneNut]

How is metal more posturing than any other style? It's more honest in my opinion. If you want to bang your head and show off, I find that less posturing than a guy who is constantly being handed

[Hulston Prickle]

 

The majority of the time it's for different tunings. I'm surprised it took this long to be posted.

 

 

Yup. Plus some guys switch off rather than tune between songs.

[Toto99]

Sorry I hurt your feelings kid.

 

Nice, intelligent response. Couldn't you think of a clever reply?

[Ralph onion]

Star {censored}ers love their dilitantes. "Oh Dear, I saw a drop of sweat fall onto Yingwies guitar, wish I could lick it up." Those ass holes have egos that are in outer space. The multiple guitar changes have come about only in the last few years. That {censored} never used to happen. Changing guitars is like R Plant putting a {censored}ing cucumber in his pants so all the little girls would think he has a humongous cock. "Stagecraft." Elmore James and Slim Harpo in blues and rock and rollers used the same {censored}ing guitar during a whole set. I know, I was there. As I have said in here before, a real guitarist can make a 50 {censored}in' dollar guitar sound like a state of the art high dollar guitar. Can retune in a heartbeat right there on stage in front of everyone. There is a differnce between generations I see. Much more flash and ego now, {censored}ing show offs! Yingwie or whatever his first name is should change his name to BOB! Or BILL. Saw Eric Johnson in Austin and he was satisfied with one guitar, but I suppose some of you in here would think that is archaic. "Just a thought."

[_pete_]

 

Star {censored}ers love their dilitantes. "Oh Dear, I saw a drop of sweat fall onto Yingwies guitar, wish I could lick it up." Those ass holes have egos that are in outer space. The multiple guitar changes have come about only in the last few years. That {censored} never used to happen. Changing guitars is like R Plant putting a {censored}ing cucumber in his pants so all the little girls would think he has a humongous cock. "Stagecraft." Elmore James and Slim Harpo in blues and rock and rollers used the same {censored}ing guitar during a whole set. I know, I was there. As I have said in here before, a real guitarist can make a 50 {censored}in' dollar guitar sound like a state of the art high dollar guitar. Can retune in a heartbeat right there on stage in front of everyone. There is a differnce between generations I see. Much more flash and ego now, {censored}ing show offs! Yingwie or whatever his first name is should change his name to BOB! Or BILL. Saw Eric Johnson in Austin and he was satisfied with one guitar, but I suppose some of you in here would think that is archaic. "Just a thought."

 

 

Why does it bother you so much?

Take a breath. Relax. Life's too short.

[zantor9]

Some people can get really outraged on forums haha :poke:

[Rich4Once]

Star {censored}ers love their dilitantes. "Oh Dear, I saw a drop of sweat fall onto Yingwies guitar, wish I could lick it up." Those ass holes have egos that are in outer space. The multiple guitar changes have come about only in the last few years. That {censored} never used to happen. Changing guitars is like R Plant putting a {censored}ing cucumber in his pants so all the little girls would think he has a humongous cock. "Stagecraft." Elmore James and Slim Harpo in blues and rock and rollers used the same {censored}ing guitar during a whole set. I know, I was there. As I have said in here before, a real guitarist can make a 50 {censored}in' dollar guitar sound like a state of the art high dollar guitar. Can retune in a heartbeat right there on stage in front of everyone. There is a differnce between generations I see. Much more flash and ego now, {censored}ing show offs! Yingwie or whatever his first name is should change his name to BOB! Or BILL. Saw Eric Johnson in Austin and he was satisfied with one guitar, but I suppose some of you in here would think that is archaic. "Just a thought."

 

This is a riot! Thanks!!!!!!!!! :lol:

[m90guy]

Im actually glad Sonic Youth tours with like 60 guitars. Becuase of the tunings it would be impossible for them to tour otherwise. Its also fun to see what the {censored} they are all using from song to song as all 3 of em switch up constantly.

[SerpentyneXIII]

It's funny how people often complain that someone has alot of guitars and nevers plays them except in their bedroom and then we have the opposite discussion here. A good carpenter could probably build a house with just a hammer and a saw but with all the other tools available the job is done much better. If you have the access to the perfect tools for each job there is no shame in using them.

[Muddslide]

 

It's funny how people often complain that someone has alot of guitars and nevers plays them except in their bedroom and then we have the opposite discussion here. A good carpenter could probably build a house with just a hammer and a saw but with all the other tools available the job is done much better. If you have the access to the perfect tools for each job there is no shame in using them.

 

 

Building a house is one thing; slinging guitar in a rock band at a crowded club full of drunk people is another. Poor analogy.

 

I don't really care how many guitars a person whips out on stage. To a gearhead geek like me, I dig seeing, say, Tom etty and Mike Campbell move through a fleet of cool vintage instruments during a show.

 

But non-gearhead geeks (the vast percentage of the audience) don't care and won't be able to tell the difference.

 

For people who are playing small clubs in local hero bands, even less of a {censored} is given. At that level, if you need a dozen different "tools" to play a 45-90 minute show, then it's the "builder" and not the "tools" that have a deficit of utility.

 

Again, though, I can see if a guitarist is playing in different tunings, etc.

 

But for the most part, meh.

[eurotrashed]

Sonic Youth changes their guitars alot. But they use lots of different tunings.

 

When I saw Weezer ages ago, Rivers changed guitars every song. I think he used 3 or 4 guitars. All Strats with twin humbuckers. But I think he just handed them off every song to be retuned and to switch between the half step down tuning for the good songs.

[fretmonster]

 

This kind of thing really is about the guitarist displaying his collection. Disguised under whatever made up bull{censored} "reason". lol

 

 

That may be a reason for some but certainly not all. I've got tons of videos from the Stones to the Eagles to Gary Moore and they all do it to some extent. And it's not all altered tuning either. I'm always amazed at how a certain guitar lends its particular voice to the vibe of a song.

[stevemcb]

I don't really like switching guitars when I'm playing for people, but it's often necessary!

 

My usual playing situation is in a church, trying to cover a broad range of styles from pipe-organ driven hymns to pop and rock styles, in a small group (drummer, pianist/violinist/occasional bassist, me (lead vocal/guitar/bass), acoustic guitarist/occasional bassist, and sometimes a pipe organist). We tend to play about 25 minutes of pretty continuous music in a set. The fact is, I'm the most experienced/solid bassist in the group (and definitely the worst drummer), but also the only electric guitarist. So I do what serves the songs and the service best.

 

Often that means:

- 5-string bass - for standard bass lines, going low with the pipe organ lines

- 12-string bass - for covering rhythm guitar territory as well as bass

- Guitar with humbuckers - for the rock-style stuff

- Guitar with single-coils - for the cleaner pop stuff

Occasionally added into that, special effect stuff for a particular song - electric 12 string, altered tuning, slide or lap steel.

 

You have to keep the flow going in the service - there's no banter with the congregation, often no time to retune between songs - IMHO a quick change of instruments from a well-placed stand (usually and ideally I don't have to take a step away from where I'm standing) is less disruptive than stopping to retune. I have an AB switch on my guitar and bass boards so I can switch instruments without replugging etc. and it works really well.

 

Steve

[Muddslide]

 

- 12-string bass - for covering rhythm guitar territory as well as bass

 

 

 

In my years of playing, I have played bass at least as much as guitar, and gigged behind bass much more than guitar. I consider myself far better and more creative at bass in many ways.

 

I have been through 5 strings, 6 strings, 8 strings...but have never tried a 12. I am very intrigued by them.

[stevemcb]

 

In my years of playing, I have played bass at least as much as guitar, and gigged behind bass much more than guitar. I consider myself far better and more creative at bass in many ways. I have been through 5 strings, 6 strings, 8 strings...but have never tried a 12. I am very intrigued by them.

 

 

I started on 4, moved to 5, added a fretless 4, then on a trip to the US managed to grab the 12. It's quite similar to an 8, but just sounds that little bit fuller with the unison strings, particularly on the high G's. Although I wish I could find a set with wound G's - the plain ones stick out like sore thumbs unless you roll the treble down quite a bit. Hard to get around on when I started, slows you down a bit (which can be a very good thing). Actually, 12 string bass is what I play the most when I play in church (when I'm not on the other side of the world as I am right now). They come up for reasonable prices from time to time on ebay or talkbass. /ends threadjack - return to railing at the excesses of guitar-switching, people :poke:

[dachuckster]

For "jumping jack flash" i love the original sound, so i won't use my MCP equipped ESP Eclipse...I'll break out the tele with the twang kings....sounds soooo much better.

 

When we play "black shuck" my WCR Godwood equipped LTD EC-400AT gets whipped out....nothing sounds cooler than that guitar for that song.

 

Peter gunn? Out comes the gretsch hollowbody with dynasonics. totally cool with reverb.

 

My jet king with a BKP-91 (P90's) for old ac/dc tunes is just awesome, ....

 

i still have a recording of a college dance we played back in 89 where i played my kramer beretta for the whole gig,.....that was four sets of 45 minutes. Through quite a few songs, although gain was lowered, dynamics were changed to accomodate the song, and the songs were played accurately, effects, etc., they still sounded like crap to me...to me. I play for fun, and i want things to sound good to me, to sound right to me...using the same guitar all night bores the {censored} out of me...heck, when i play at my house, i break out all of them...that's what it's all about right?

 

Personally, when i go see live bands, i don't want to hear the same guitar sound over and over all night.......i like variety.....

[dangordan]

I'm not reading all the posts so forgive me if the following has already been mentioned. When you go to an A act show who's switching every song your wife or girlfriend gets the impression that's how the pros roll so they're helping you justify MORE GUITARS! +time is precious at a concert and it's not great stage presence to be looking down at a tuner.

[grape]

 

Trail of Dead change guitars almost too much, and its multiple members of the band each song too. They use a bunch of odd tunings and they have a ton of awesome instruments plus their shows are phenomenal, but I was a little distracted by the hardly concealed guitar tech working on the next song's guitar during a show at a small venue.

 

 

That's weird, when I saw them a couple years ago, they used two guitars between three guitar players and just passed it back and forth. I think it's just in standard tuning.

[geek_usa]

Neil Young has like a whole family of acoustic guitars sitting around him sometimes...

 

to be fair, some are 12 strings, but i mean come on...

[Alecto]

Star {censored}ers love their dilitantes. "Oh Dear, I saw a drop of sweat fall onto Yingwies guitar, wish I could lick it up." Those ass holes have egos that are in outer space. The multiple guitar changes have come about only in the last few years. That {censored} never used to happen. Changing guitars is like R Plant putting a {censored}ing cucumber in his pants so all the little girls would think he has a humongous cock. "Stagecraft." Elmore James and Slim Harpo in blues and rock and rollers used the same {censored}ing guitar during a whole set. I know, I was there. As I have said in here before, a real guitarist can make a 50 {censored}in' dollar guitar sound like a state of the art high dollar guitar. Can retune in a heartbeat right there on stage in front of everyone. There is a differnce between generations I see. Much more flash and ego now, {censored}ing show offs! Yingwie or whatever his first name is should change his name to BOB! Or BILL. Saw Eric Johnson in Austin and he was satisfied with one guitar, but I suppose some of you in here would think that is archaic. "Just a thought."

 

:lol:

 

However do you manage to use a computer keyboard with your arms in a straitjacket? Do you type with your nose?