I constantly hear how bands lose their gear in shipping / flying and am I the only one who think it’s a better idea to travel with an inexpensive Squier that has decently upgraded electronics and a nice set up instead of a 1500 Fender?

Also, if I were to ever travel I would definitely bring a Surfy Compact instead of an actual reverb tank.

Thoughts?

Yep, pretty much. I don’t tour, but even local gigs are full of danger.. drunks, wet floors, the potential for theft, and drunks. Some multi-band or festival situations are pretty sketch. You might soundcheck early and expected to leave stuff in an unattended “green room” ha ha.

Kitten and The Tonics

https://kittenandthetonics.com/

TallTenor wrote:

Yep, pretty much. I don’t tour, but even local gigs are full of danger.. drunks, wet floors, the potential for theft, and drunks. Some multi-band or festival situations are pretty sketch. You might soundcheck early and expected to leave stuff in an unattended “green room” ha ha.

I’ve always had a policy of never being out of sight of my guitar. When we would pack in as a band, we did a three man trade off, which is to say one band member on stage, one at the parking area, and one schlepping gear in between.

Bango_Rilla wrote:

For me, it's a few factors, but top of mind is always theft. Believe it or not, this ape has a rather rare DiPinto (I can hear you chuckle from here) and it previously has only been out to shows locally where we have already have played and I have a pretty good idea of where gear will be stored, etc.
Since it actually gets way less gig time, but I love playing it, I'm committing to playing it all year as my primary guitar - but that just means I get to be extra paranoid about it. (Come see us at Surf by Surf East 2024 in Austin!)

My pedalboard is easily worth more than my guitars, and recently bought some clones so that if it walked off, I wouldn't lose anything vintage.

All that said, I could go either way - if I was playing a Jazzmaster, I wouldn't have a problem taking (or losing) a nicer mid range model if I really liked it, but I'm also not against buying a budget guitar and getting it set up.

Most of it has to do with your tolerance to risk, and how you/your band handles gear when it's not in the hotel room with you at night.

You make some good points. Like yourself, I have certain guitars that I treasure, and don’t want to expose to gigs. I doubt that anyone in the audience would appreciate, or even notice my Guild T-400, or know that it was a very limited reissue of the Duane Eddy Guild. It sounds great, and might see some recording time, but it’s not going to a gig, unless the venue is very tame.

My gig pedalboard is relatively small, but to replace it would be over $2,000, probably closer to $3,000 with recent inflation. It’s not insured like my guitars and amps, but it would easily grow legs if I left it unattended.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

Last edited: Jan 24, 2024 07:28:17

Aside from clumsiness theft is the main reason I don’t play vintage instruments. A big part of what swayed me toward Quilter amps is that it allows me to make one trip to and from the car. I can carry my amp in one hand and my guitar in the other with my small pedal board and Surfy Classic in a bag over my shoulder. I don’t go out with a spare guitar or extra pedals. My rig is compact, mobile and secure (not to mention consistent and dependable). And it’s alleasy to keep an eye on.

The guys who have it the worst though are drummers. Even with cases a small kit is a big pile of stuff to schlep around and keep track of. There’s not a Squier option when it comes to cymbals. I mean there is, but you don’t want to listen to them.

The Vicissitones
Diesel Marine
The Rasputones

ElectricLimnology wrote:

Aside from clumsiness theft is the main reason I don’t play vintage instruments. A big part of what swayed me toward Quilter amps is that it allows me to make one trip to and from the car. I can carry my amp in one hand and my guitar in the other with my small pedal board and Surfy Classic in a bag over my shoulder. I don’t go out with a spare guitar or extra pedals. My rig is compact, mobile and secure (not to mention consistent and dependable). And it’s alleasy to keep an eye on.

The guys who have it the worst though are drummers. Even with cases a small kit is a big pile of stuff to schlep around and keep track of. There’s not a Squier option when it comes to cymbals. I mean there is, but you don’t want to listen to them.

I’m a big fan of the one-trip approach. I carry a guitar, a small amp, my pedalboard on a shoulder strap and a backpack with cables, microphones, etc. I try to stay within arm’s length of my guitar until we take the stage, and once we’re setup, at least one band member is on stage at all times. The best thing about traveling light is that you can break down rapidly after we’re done.

revmike wrote:

As I age the smaller my rig gets too…coincidence?

Same here. I have my big amp and my tank on consignment, because I’m tired of schlepping them.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

I was always nervous about my pedalboard and $2000+ Fenders and Gretsches so it was a period I giged mostly with cheap japanese strat and Zoom MS50
It was surprisingly good and I just could leave it after sound check and go drinkin)
I think nowadays I will go with my Squire Jaguar, Quilter and Surfybear compact if I am to gig.

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

I no longer gig, but for the 20 years that I did, I always used my best gear, which was my only gear. It's just gear and it's replaceable.

This guy (Mikko of Laika & The Cosmonauts) was touring with a Squier in 2008, and it sounded magical!

https://youtu.be/lqxlrOXgYkk?si=KGFzXHBl1USXFN0P

• Surfbeatnik

Have you seen the incredible videos of Surfer Joe's travel situation? he takes the neck off and packs an insane amount of stuff in a suitcase (like I think a guitar, a bass, surfy bear and a couple quilter amps) If only he could figure out how to fit a drum set in there!

Matt Heaton & the Electric Heaters
Boston's Premier Surf/Noir Combo
http://www.heatonsurf.com

synchro wrote:

If I were going to tour, that is exactly what I would do. My Squier Jaguar is an excellent instrument, sounding and playing as well as guitars costing much more. If I were going on the road, I’d probably get about three of these Jaguars, do complete setups, and that way I’d have a hot spare for my hot spare, and not that much out of pocket.

I have some nice guitars, but usually, when I play a gig in these parts, I select something tough, that isn’t going to get wonky if it’s out in the elements. I have a nice carved top Guild, but I’m not about to take that out on a 110 degree day.

So you buy the good stuff only to play at home? And you play the shows with bad gear because you are scared to break it?

Lorenzo "Surfer Joe" Valdambrini
(www.surfmusic.net)