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Who gigs the "good stuff"?


carfish7

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Gonna get into another gigging cover band. With inexpensive guitars being as playable and toneful as the seem to be (with a minor tweak or 2, sure), is there any reason, beyond "cred" or simply loving the damn thing so much, to gig your Hamers or other gear you would be gutted to lose or have otherwise diminished?

Prolly been discussed befor multiple times but cheap axes just seem to be getting cheaper AND better.

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Yeah, I've posed this same query, in some fashion, before. My take away was: it's predicated on two things:

The venue/audience- namely, is it safe to bring out the "good stuff"?  Small, cramped and obstacle-ridden stage  in a smoke filled room?  Rough part of town where a nice Hamer or Gibby would go a long way to paying for someone's next smack fix? Biker bar where the patronage is prone to displays of drunken, territorial aggression?

Comfort. If you're more comfortable playing the good stuff, and you're like me, where you subscribe to the notion that any advantage I can bring to bear in offsetting my stage-specific ineptitude, is a good thing.

I've been exceptionally lucky in that I've had maybe one time in 7 years where I had to consider leaving my prized Cali's and custom axes at home. Sadly, bringing the good stuff didn't do much to offset the stage fumble finger and clam-itus from which I suffer grievously. 

YMMV

 

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2 hours ago, Dana_V said:

Life's too short to gig with crummy gear. ^_^

True, but it is also too short to even contemplate replacing a prized Hamer or similar, considering the mourning period, hunting down thieving bastards, etc....

 Besides, it seems like there really isn't too much truly "crap" gear these days if you look around.

leaning heavily towards cheapo import stuff  it seems to find me fairly readily 😋 

Come to think of it, that Crate I have fs might be an awesome gig rig! Hmmm.

 

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I think it depends on each gigging situation. Anyone would prefer to play the best gear possible, but not all venues offer the type of security that the typical amateur musician would need to keep watch over disproportionately expensive equipment.

Case in point: my band mate who had his prized and near-new '94 Studio deftly lifted while we were breaking down and loading out after a packed show at The Attic in Greenville, NC. Until that moment, we never considered that club a risky venue. He played every gig afterwards using his backup--a MIJ Epi Les Paul Custom with Dimarzio double creme PAFs. He still has that Epi.

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36 minutes ago, Biz Prof said:

I think it depends on each gigging situation. Anyone would prefer to play the best gear possible, but not all venues offer the type of security that the typical amateur musician would need to keep watch over disproportionately expensive equipment.

Case in point: my band mate who had his prized and near-new '94 Studio deftly lifted while we were breaking down and loading out after a packed show at The Attic in Greenville, NC. Until that moment, we never considered that club a risky venue. He played every gig afterwards using his backup--a MIJ Epi Les Paul Custom with Dimarzio double creme PAFs. He still has that Epi.

This is why it pays to get a TKL Les Paul case with an Epiphone logo on it, and NOT one that says 'Gibson'.  Multiple 'Peavey Powered' bumper stickers are good camouflage for gear, too.  B)

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The "Good Stuff"?  I think all my gear ranks as "The Junk", so that's what I gig.  MIM Tele, MIM/Korean partscaster, DIY amps.  The only thing that's mildly difficult to replace is the Sunburst, and I'm counting on the word "Slammer" its "Hamer Slammer Series" logo to keep the thieves at bay.  (Don't tell 'em about the Gravelins, Schallers, and CTS/Switchcraft guts.)

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5 hours ago, carfish7 said:

True, but it is also too short to even contemplate replacing a prized Hamer or similar, considering the mourning period, hunting down thieving bastards, etc....

Part of gigging is keeping a trained eye on the inventory. I've never come close to having gear stolen, and I've played some of the worst shitholes in my area. "Chance favors the prepared mind."

 

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As stated above,  if I know the place,  I'll take the Shishkovs, Hamer COs, whatever. I bought them to use them, not hide them. 

If I'm going to a rough part of town to a new place, I would think twice. 

Either way, have insurance. 

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My Old Man always said, "Never gamble with anything you cant afford to lose".

With insurance I found out the hard way that my car insurance didn't cover a total loss of all my gear across 4 lanes. It was transported in the vehicle but my policy only covered the vehicle itself. And they only gave me a small percentage on the van that i had just finished paying off, due to my deductible choices. That was a big lesson on several levels. I have since become far more scrupulous with my exact terms on my car insurance, and covered what I need to travel with through a mobile rider on my renters insurance. For the studio, my lease requires a *million* dollars in liability, so it's comparatively cheap to cover the actual gear. But I digress...

I fly pretty regularly for gigs and never take anything I'd truly miss if it got crushed, god forbid, i was forced to check it. I have had good luck with artist sized hamer hard case, and lots of gig bags. Choosing good airlines and being super nice to flight personnel goes a long way.

I live in the NY area so I gig frequently in the Bronx and the other boroughs. For van trips and gigs that I drive to in the tri-state area, I always consider my Old Man's advice. I make sure there's nothing I'm leaving in the vehicle (Like other instruments, or my PA, or a drum kit, or any shiny things that say "steal me") and that if I have to make more than one trip its locked and double checked before i walk away. I had an insurance adjuster once tell me "off the record" that if someone ripped me off in between trips to smash a window because the number one thing nobody will cover is an unattended unlocked vehicle, and you have full glass, LOL.

For instruments, I wont take CO's, vintage or sentimental instruments anywhere but a studio, or somewhere I know even the dressing room has security. My friend Kofi Burbridge had a laptop stolen out of the dressing room at a very recognizable venue and I was spooked. I'll bring nice instruments and leave one on the stage, and keep the other one with me at all times (even out to dinner between soundcheck and show, haha), but i wouldnt risk losing something special. With whatever I bring- I try to look out, especially festivals (knock on wood),

I used to use a ski lock, about the size of a pack of cigarettes, with the wire wrapped around the handles and bodies of my guitar cases, and the handle of my amp, and pedalboard case. A ski lock - is a simple combination lock and a long metal cord, that im told by rich friends, is used to keep someone from walking off with your skis, haha. So once stacked neatly in the corner, you'd need either a pair of Iron cutters, or three people to move it. But easily unlocked and quickly mobile. Definitely a deterrent when among many loose cases...That was useful in the Greenwich Village clubs that had 5 bands on a night, etc.

In any case, Rob hit the nail on the head with the comment about a watchful eye. Planning to travel light with serviceable gear, and an ounce of prevention, will always avoid a pound of regret. :D

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I always gig my good guitars. I don't have any inexpensive stuff. I always have an eye on my equipment. Sure, I don't always bring my Cali to every gig, but then it is probably a Chap or Steve Stevens, depends on my mood. It also can be just a regular Strat. A US Strat is no inferior guitar, but far easier to replace in case something might happen. My Chap Bass is my main gigging bass.

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I have a couple that are in such good shape that I avoid taking them out much, but I don't exclude them completely.  And that wasn't intentional - I got them online so I didn't know they were pristine until I received them.  I know I will cringe and have some remorse when I put that first good ding on them, but I don't have a single guitar that I bought to be an art piece in my house (though some certainly could be).  I prefer buying used and slightly dinged so I don't feel any protective instinct not to hurt them.

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I have gigged or rehearsed with most of my Hamers.  My Snakeskin Virt however won't leave the house. It could pass as NOS.  

My most used "good" Hamer in band situations is my Cali Custom.  Not only is it uber playable but it adapts well to any situation.  Hell if the lighting suffers I can still play with its LED inlays!

 

 

IMG_0063.JPG

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The priciest stuff I own would be considered beater gear by some folks, I guess because I buy and play the cheapest equipment I can find that meets my needs. If I own it, I'll gig it.

Really inexpensive stuff, like Squiers and SX guitars are decent, playable instruments but at that price point I do genuinely feel a difference and prefer the more upscale stuff. After about $500 for an amp or guitar though, it's a geometrically diminishing return on investment. I guess I kind of split the difference: I'd be pissed off if I had a $1000 guitar damaged, but its not like I'm in a bar playing a '54 goldtop Les Paul (which one local player does: it was her only guitar for ages.)

I only fly with the cheapest stuff though. A $125 Applause if it's acoustic, and something like this Monoprice Strat I just ordered for electric. I had a duotone reduced to splinters in Paris Charles de Gaulle once.

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I always take the gear I love to play, I never worry about scratching or degrading a piece of gear, since I play it, it's gonna get scratched and degraded, or as I like to call it, "better." Gear is to enjoy, some people enjoy looking, some people enjoy using it.  Either way, someone is getting some pleasure out of it.

 

Cool Beans

Gene

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18 hours ago, diablo175 said:

The venue/audience- namely, is it safe to bring out the "good stuff"?  Small, cramped and obstacle-ridden stage  in a smoke filled room?  Rough part of town where a nice Hamer or Gibby would go a long way to paying for someone's next smack fix? Biker bar where the patronage is prone to displays of drunken, territorial aggression?

Comfort. If you're more comfortable playing the good stuff, and you're like me, where you subscribe to the notion that any advantage I can bring to bear in offsetting my stage-specific ineptitude, is a good thing.

^^^ This ^^^

Plus, all my "good" stuff is insured thanks to a great thread in Ask the HFC Experts through Heritage/Travelers. All of my gear is replaceable or substitute-able; it's the arthritis and tendinitis that I'm REALLY concerned about and I want to enjoy playing/gigging as long as I can.

 

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18 hours ago, Dana_V said:

Life's too short to gig with crummy gear. ^_^

I agree though none of my gear is anything close to new.

 

Having said that the venue (and by venue 99.9% of the time I mean a bar) does effect my gear choice. When I am playing a place that I know is cramped I will go with my Steinberger Spirit because it lessens the change of smacking into a wall or another guitar. I think this is a bigger problem for me than most given my left handed playing in a right handed world. :-)

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My acoustic was quite expensive (for me) about $2,500. But it's a Boucher, which isn't a super well known brand.

Similarly, in my neck of the woods, my Hamer Studio doesn't get too much attention. I think there's more risk of theft with "big" names, Gibson, Fender etc.

I keep a close eye on them at shows for sure but think I'd be more paranoid playing a Martin or a Les Paul.

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