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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Musician »

Permalink gadgets and things you must ALWAYS carry when you play live

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I think I am not wrong if I say that I have been searching the site and I have not found anything about this topic. So I would like to launch it now.

When you are playing live sometimes the worst can happen and one should be ready to solve problems that arise without warning. As it is usually said, 'shit happens'. Sometimes these problems can be solved easily if you have anticipated that they can happen. For example, a broken string in the middle of the gig can be easily solved with a spare guitar.

Many of you usually play live so... could you share advices to be well equipped to deal with these situations. What must be always in the musician's bag? What should be always carried to a live show?

I was thinking about a spare guitar, a tuner, lot of batteries, cables, cords, plectrums, strings, american tape ... what else? What has happened to you in the middle of a gig and what have you done to solve it?

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American tape? What is that?

No idea what American tape is, but I'd add duct tape to the list for sure.

Also, a spare amp. My band had a gig two years ago where my amp fried itself. Smoke coming out the back and everything. If we weren't playing with another band whose guitar player let me use their amp, we'd of been screwed.

Now I bring a solid state fender amp whose model name escapes me at the moment as a spare. It's not big, and it's light. Just one 12" speaker, but loud enough to get the job done if my Dual Showman shits the bed.

Sorry. I mean insulating or adhesive tape.

https://lospipelines.es/
Find us on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and all other music platforms.
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I should add, I don't think there is much point in bringing spare strings. If you have to re-string mid-set you might as well just leave and never show your face again. Spare guitar is the way to go. As for spare picks, does one not keep 5-10 picks in their pocket at all times? I never carried batteries with me, AC adapter for the pedal board.

I am going to add powerstrip to this list, that is the most important thing you can carry.

Duct Tape
Power Strips
Extra Strings
An extra amp(not always possible)
Spare guitar
extra tuner
extra cables
Wire cutters

this list could go on and on..

THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.

www.thekbk.com
http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/
www.reverbnation.com/thekbk
www.facebook.com/thekbkal

SPARE FUSES that has saved my ass many times!

screw driver

wire cutters

extra patch cables

extra tubes

strings

at least one backup guitar

-Zanti

Instagram:

My IG

Combo Tezeta IG

Condoms.. you never know!

A spare drummer Laughing

I was at a non surf show a couple weeks back and in the middle of the set the drummer figured he would go to the bar and get a beer during the slide guitar solo.
The rest of the band just looked at each other then kept on playing, while he was there some folks started buying him shots.
The band had to keep playing so they did a few more songs without him then one of the guitar players went and drug him back on stage.

The crowd loved it...

"Maybe there aren't any surf bands; there's only surf music?" Tuck

crumble
Condoms.. you never know!

Oh, to be single again!

I carry a multi FX unit with amp and speaker modeling in case my amp blows. I use 6 and 12 string electics, so I bring one of each and my Dano 6/12 doubleneck. Pretty much covers everything.

elreydlp

crumble
Condoms.. you never know!

Oh, to be single again!

I carry a multi FX unit with amp and speaker modeling in case my amp blows. I use 6 and 12 string electics, so I bring one of each and my Dano 6/12 doubleneck. Pretty much covers everything.

I should have mentioned that in spite of all these contingencies, on Saturday night, we were playing a new venue, and right in the middle of "Walk, Don't Run", there was a power outage affecting the entire area. I figured maybe God didn't like The Ventures-look how long it took them to get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!
Since we use a drum machine, we couldn't rely on the old standby-extended drum solo. However, when we threatened to unveil "The Fabulous Woodies Unplugged, A Capella Comedy Hour", power was quickly restored-proof of The Almighty's intervention.
Guess I need to carry an acoustic or add a Pignose to my gig bag.

Did I see extension cord on the list? forgot one last time and ended up with my pedal board against the wall.

I'm more of a minimalist. Spare strings & winder, picks, extension cord. I definitely see the point of a spare guitar, but I've only got one. It's good to plan for all events, but I tend to only worry about the most likely stuff.

re: the not changing strings midset thing--not that I'd be capable of this, but i saw a great blues band in Chicago years ago. singer/guitar player broke a string. got a new one out & started changing it during the verse. didn't quite finish by the next break, so kept singing "baby, baby, feel so bad" kind of stuff while he wound it. played one note, saw it was about a step flat, gave one turn & started into the next solo. Clearly a guy with some practice of NOT letting there be dead time onstage!

Matt Heaton & the Electric Heaters
"Dick Dale meets Dennis Lehane"
http://www.heatonsurf.com

How about this guy, his name's Dick:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljAo_JGIaUo&feature=related

Turns out he DID have an extra guitar, he just chose to try replacing the string, while entertaining the crowd, 2 songs or so before the end of the set. A chance to tell his stories I guess, but still, that's stage confidence, man.

9 volt batteries
extra cables
picks
duct tape
multi tool w/ bottle opener
allen wrench set
small flashlight
fuses
superglue - for a host of things including diy sutures.

The Exotics 1994-Current
The Chickenshack - www.wmse.org
www.thedoghouseflowers.com
www.uptownsavages.com

jp
multi tool w/ bottle opener

coming from an Exotic, I am not surprised by this at all.
those boys like to drink a lot.
Wink

jp
superglue - for a host of things including diy sutures.

gigs can be like war I hear,
Shocked

Jeff(bigtikidude)

I prefer gaffer tape to duct tape. It's more expensive, but it doesn't leave behind that sticky residue stuff.

50-100 foot extension chord with power strip.

and one thing i learned from the Insect Surfers... always bring go go dancers with you! It really livens up the set!

matt
re: the not changing strings midset thing--not that I'd be capable of this, but i saw a great blues band in Chicago years ago. singer/guitar player broke a string. got a new one out & started changing it during the verse. didn't quite finish by the next break, so kept singing "baby, baby, feel so bad" kind of stuff while he wound it. played one note, saw it was about a step flat, gave one turn & started into the next solo. Clearly a guy with some practice of NOT letting there be dead time onstage!

I saw something similar 4 years ago. The blues singer/guitar player broke a string but kept on playing as he could until the turnaround. Then he started telling stories about girls, the blues and so and so while the band was playing and he was changing the string. He tuned and went on playing and singing until the end of the song. All looked really natural. No nervousness, nothing odd, just a drummer and a bass player giving musical cover to a guitarist/singer who was telling pleasant stories while changing a string. Really really professional. And the crowd was delighted. It was so good that I even thought that it was a trick 'a la Paganini'.

https://lospipelines.es/
Find us on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and all other music platforms.
https://www.youtube.com/@LosPipelines
https://www.instagram.com/los_pipelines/?next=%2F
Los Pipelines - Facebook

i'm so awful at changing the strings on my jag, especially in high-pressure situations like the middle of a show, that extra strings don't matter. a back up guitar is ideal but not always around. mainly though, i HAVE to have a pedal tuner or i get freaked out. i use to not tune at all during shows and now have done a complete 180 and compulsively tune whenever i have a second of not playing.

ghostscorpion.com
btdoags on facebook

+1 on the superglue... as a bass player i rely on non-split fingertips.
...also a bit of white medical tape often comes in handy.

When I was gigging, I had been known to keep a soldering iron and solder in my gig bag. One time it saved the gig. When the bass player plugged in his bass it was dead. It had a loose wire that I soldered in about a minute, and the show went on. i was a real hero that night!

Bob

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