Do you REALLY gig with backups?

Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

TwilightOdyssey said:
I do not gig with a backup for EVERYTHING, as some ppl have stated. If my phase shifter fritzes out, for example, I will just do without. I do have 2 amps and 2 guitars for most gigs, tho, just in case. I do not bring a backup cab, either.
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ya, that is how I gig for bass plus I have two cabs and two amps, but my rig needs a backup amp for guitar...
 
Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

I always bring two guitars to gigs, because a lot can go wrong with a guitar.

I also bring my gig survival kit to prepare me for most gear malfunctions.

A backup amp though ... that's a bit much. Nearly every amp problem comes down to a tube, a fuse, or a cable, so if you have those with you, you're good for almost anything.

Honestly, most of the gear problems I encounter at a gig are with the venue's gear, not mine.
 
Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

stevie_bees said:
I take an old Zoom 3030 and my Plexitone prototype in a case whenever I gig so that I can always push something through the PA if my amp dies. If my pedalboard was to go then I'd just put the plexitone into the front of my amp. The Blackstar HT-Dual on my board also has an emulated output so I'm pretty much covered. Worse case scenario is that I could pull the Blackstar off my board (it has its own PSU) and put that straight into the PA. Although my guitars cover different sounds, I usually take 2 with me. My Tele bridges the gap between my Legacy and my Esprit.
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Basically my deal. I use the Vox Tonelab LE through an old Univox head. If the pedal goes, I'll use a box. If the amp goes, I'll put it through the PA. Before that though, I never brought a spare amp. Never really had one!
 
Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

nope. i probably should tho.
A couple years back i was getting out of the back of my amp and stupidly smashed a tube. So i plugged direct into the pa that night. Lucky it was a jazz gig! lol
 
Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

I bring 2 guitars. As far as amps, I have a Tech21 Blonde pedal in my bag ready to plug direct into the PA if my amp dies. My amp's fuse blew at a gig once- and I didn't know it was the fuse at the time. An audience member with an amp in the car saved the day.
 
Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

I usually carry everything that can fail in my gig bag. I mean everything. I have a pretty complete set of tools which include pliers,dykes,screwdrivers,peg winders,etc. I even carry spare fuse for my amp. I don't carry an extra strap, but I usually haven't least 2 guitars and each guitar has it's own strap so I guess I do have a spare, but in all the year I have gigged I have never had a strap fail. All my guitars have a good quality leather strap on them. I recently started thinking about tubes as a spare. My amps are usually well maintained and the likelihood of a failure Is not likely but it is always possible. I don't think I have ever carried a spare amp.
 
Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

I have a flight case with two speaker cabs and two amp heads. The main, and the backups. For effects, I am in the process of building a second pedalboard, but with an excess of 10 or 12 effects, along with a GCX unit, it's difficult to just go out a build one. Hopefully in a year I'll have a full backup rig. Now for guitars, I always take two or three for different tunings, and one for backups. Typically It's a seven string that I use for backups, as I play in Drop C#, Drop D, and Standard Seven. If the seven string goes bust, I can grab the backup, and if one of the six strings goes bust, I can adjust the strings up or down on the other, and then we'll edit the set list to include more seven string stuff and cut out the other tuning completely.

I've seen bands where if a battery dies on the EMGs, then they'll call it quits for the show, which is why I say if you're gonna use batteries, it's a good idea to replace them before each gig, or switch to passives.
 
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Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

ratherdashing said:
I always bring two guitars to gigs, because a lot can go wrong with a guitar.

I also bring my gig survival kit to prepare me for most gear malfunctions.

A backup amp though ... that's a bit much. Nearly every amp problem comes down to a tube, a fuse, or a cable, so if you have those with you, you're good for almost anything.

Honestly, most of the gear problems I encounter at a gig are with the venue's gear, not mine.
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I might just be building a kit soon.
 
Do you REALLY gig with backups?

My band does 4 hour cover gigs. I always have at least two guitars, mostly because my primary has a Floyd.

I use an AxeFX for fx only in my rig, I programmed a set of back up sounds using the modeling sounds in the AxeFX. If my amp fails I can use those sounds.

If my axe fails I just grab a delay pedal and make that work for the rest of the gig.

I also carry extra tubes and various other parts. In all its a pretty small amount of trouble and weight to have pretty much everything backed up in some way.

JT
 
Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

I did use backups, 1 guitar and 1 head. No cab because I figured it was least likely to fail.

Oddly enough, I never really could decide what was back up and what wasn't so the head flip flopped between a Framus Cobra and a Crate BV300. FWIW, nothing ever failed. I've only ever broken one string on stage and that was the last song of the night, anyway.
 
Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

I always take at least 2 guitars with me. I run mostly active pickups and have never had a battery die on me at a gig, or ever had one die without me knowing it was happening...

I use a wireless, so I make sure to keep a cable in my bag, just in case.

I'm currently re-doing my live rig and am going to be putting a second preamp in my rack that could be put into service if the main one goes down. Both of the preamps I'm using (Marshall JMP-1 and Hughes & Kettner Attax) have emulated line outs that actually sound really good that can serve as backup in the event of a power amp or speaker cab failure. I also keep a Behringer Ultra-G in my bag as an absolute last resort. It fakes an amp well enough to finish a gig.
 
Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

I bring an extra amp, but it stays in the car, no point hauling it in till it's needed. I keep an extra preamp and power tube in the back of each of my amps, never had a tube fail suddenly, but they are light enough its dumb not to keep an extra around. Otherwise just picks, strings, and an extra cable.
 
Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

Always have a backup plan for any failure, unless you are playing an unpaid gig with a set so short that there's no time for substitutions. Also, it is much better to swap equipment than it is to try to repair something. If you are heating up a soldering iron, or even stopping for long enough to change a string or a tube, you are probably not really prepared for the gig.

I bring a couple guitars (usually a hardtail and one with trem) so in a pinch I can always make do with the other axe to finish a set. I don't always have a second guitar amp, but I am always ready to run direct into the PA should my rig fail. Carry extra cables, but keep your main set separate so you don't have to sort through a whole pile of stuff to set up your primary rig.

Any working band should be prepared for PA failure. I find a good backup is to have a powered mixing board in the trunk of the car. Yamaha has a whole line of inexpensive, lightweight, durable boards and can sit in for either a board or PA amp failure. I have an EMX5016C that has 2X 500W power built in; larger boards are available as well.

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Regardless of the size of the gig and whether you are being paid or just playing for fun, you'll be more professional and have more fun if you are prepared for the worst. Anything can happen, and it usually does!
 
Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

Dr. Vegetable said:
Always have a backup plan for any failure, unless you are playing an unpaid gig with a set so short that there's no time for substitutions. Also, it is much better to swap equipment than it is to try to repair something. If you are heating up a soldering iron, or even stopping for long enough to change a string or a tube, you are probably not really prepared for the gig.!
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ya that is the thing, most bands I watch have 35 minute sets, so running to the car to get the backup is a problem, and carrying too much gear on and off the stage is a problem. I definitely do not like the idea of trouble shooting cables and amps when time is so short... In austin there was an outlet I saw two bands plug into, and both their amps were dead, it was at emo's indoor stage wall socket...I have a furman now...I would rather run to the car though if I had to, then put my guitar on my knee for instance if the strap broke catastrophically :banana:

...gassing for the EHX magnum 44...
 
Re: Do you REALLY gig with backups?

I always bring at least 2 guitars and spare cables to a gig. I typically don't carry a backup amp or spare tubes as sets have typically been in the 30 minute range.
 
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