Why Do So Many 'Giggers' Not Play Their Good Guitars Live?

[6L6]

I've never owned a Hanger Queen. All of my guitars get played out in non-pandemic times.

[lkingston]

My home guitar is a Martin D15. My gigging guitar is a Godin Multiac Steel. It’s not a matter of one being better than the other. The Martin sounds better at home. The Godin is better live. It is optimized for that.

[bufflehead]

My good guitars don't have built-in pickups, and if I need to gig with them plugged in I have to use a sound-hole humbucker. However, I have a stage guitar with a built-in pickup I bought initially to play for outdoor gigs. It sounds as good as any of the more expensive guitars I own at such gigs, so why not use it? It's a guitar I can carry in a gig bag without worries, and I can leave it backstage at a festival without worrying about it getting pilfered.

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

I guess the bigger question is, why do you own guitars that are not good guitars? Why do you own guitars that don't have your preferred tone and you don't like their aesthetics or playability?

I don't. I value the tone, aesthetics and playability of all my guitars. But some are still more suitable for gigging than others. My sets usually include a variety of genres, so a "jack of all trades" style (e.g. GA-size with Fishman Aura pickup) works better than my more expensive custom 00 or HD28. Now, if I were doing a more "specialized" gig, I'd take the guitar that suited it.

[edward993]

Originally Posted by Tnfiddler

... I have friends who have a FORTUNE tied up in vehicles that just sit in their garage because they’re too afraid to drive them. I just can’t wrap my mind around that train of thought. You’re only here for a short time on a one-way ride. Make the best of it.

It's someone's forum signature line: life is too short to use your B rig.
Right on and Amen!

I drive my lovely 911 daily, tracked it extensively, and enjoy it behind the wheel as much as staring at its timeless beauty. Got 180k miles on it now. Ain't nothing wrong with polishing a beauty so long as you can hurl it sideways into corner!

Same with guitars and gear. 100% the same. This "waste to plug in a fine acoustic into a PA" thing utterly confounds me. Nothing "wasted" here except another moment forever lost that you could have been enjoying what you've worked hard to acquire. Folks want to forever preserve their precious whatevers for what purpose, posterity? So someone else can enjoy the pristine guitar that I didn't use on stage? Or monetary value? Because if I sell it that ding will cost me how much? Or admiration of its beauty? Because it sure does sound great while it sits on that stand/in its case all pretty and shiny?

Do what you do best with your gear, to be sure. If keeping a museum-quality piece is your gig, then that's cool for you. But for anyone dismissing the genuine use of a fine instrument in a performance setting as any kind of "waste" is absolutely missing the point on many levels. Yes IMO ...because I am talking

If you love it, use it. Better to be dinged and loved than never to be dinged at all ...or something like that

Edward

[buddyhu]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

All my guitars are 'good guitars' …..

This ^.

And not all my guitars have pick ups (in fact, only three have pick ups installed, one of them being a 12 string). i choose to take the least expensive 6 string guitar that has a pick up when I have a gig or attend an Open Mic ( and take the 12 if I intend to play something calling for the 12). But the less expensive 6 string is still a “good” guitar in every way that matters to me.

[tbeltrans]

Funny story...

When I was gigging back in the early 2000s, I was playing a Gibson Johnny Smith archtop. It was in a bit of rough shape. I had bought it used and sometime in its life it had been stolen and found again.

Anyway, these are rather expensive (at least to me...) archtop guitars. I didn't want it to get broken, since gigs are often on small stages that barely fit the musicians and equipment and things are always getting knocked over.

I called Robert Conti and bought one of his guitars that he was having made to his specs and importing from Peerless at the time. I started using that on the gigs and it turned out that I actually preferred that archtop over my Johnny Smith, so I sold the Johnny Smith and still have the Conti.

Tony

[dreamingOM]

I play my expensive ES-330 just as much as my cheapest Sigma JM-SG45 at gigs.. I just take care of my guitars and watch it like a hawk on it's prey.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Paleolith54

The late Glenn Fry immediately comes to mind: played a Tak live. Martin Barre played for years with off-the-rack Strats. I think you'll find the Joe Bonamassas or Mike Campbells of the world, who take their vintage stuff on tour, are the exception.

And basically every other star you saw playing an Ovation, Yamaha or Tak during the 80's and onward. Just off the top of my head Neil Diamond and Paul Simon would fall into that category.

[leew3]

I have gigged with all my guitars that have pickups in them. Like others have said, it depends on the gig, and frankly my preference at the time. Like Doug Young also admitted, I've chosen the 'wrong' one on occasion.

My least expensive guitar is ironically the easiest to get a great amplified sound out of. It's a Larrivee L03 with an Anthem SL pickup in it. Not a cheap set up to most folks and it works great. I take one of my Taylors when I prefer to have some EQ potential available to me right on the guitar. To be honest though, I'm typically a 'set it and forget it' guy once the sound check sounds good.

Finally, it would be irritating if a guitar was damaged or stolen but all of my gear is insured so it's not a life changing event.

[jp2558]

I own a $3400 Martin and a $600 Takamine. Both go straight into a Mackie 808S.

98.5% of an audience won't care or know the difference as long as the performance is good.

I'll take the Takamine to the top rated dive bar in town.

I'll take the Martin to the private parties and not open to the public events.

But playing and recording the four chord intro to Uncle John's Band, on both guitars, and after listening the playback, the Martin just kills the Takamine.

[Paleolith54]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

And basically every other star you saw playing an Ovation, Yamaha or Tak during the 80's and onward. Just off the top of my head Neil Diamond and Paul Simon would fall into that category.

Absolutely. I think it's hilarious how many people who don't gig (based on their own comments) are weighing in to tell those who do what their choices should be.

For the record, I do gig both my Tom Andersons ($4K plus each): they sound better, feel better, and though I love them both they're just tools. I bought them to be played. But I certainly understand why others would choose not to do so, and to brag about "not understanding" that is to advertise a lack of imagination and some pretty serious presumption.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by edward993

It's someone's forum signature line: life is too short to use your B rig.
Right on and Amen!

I drive my lovely 911 daily, tracked it extensively, and enjoy it behind the wheel as much as staring at its timeless beauty. Got 180k miles on it now. Ain't nothing wrong with polishing a beauty so long as you can hurl it sideways into corner!

Bought a '79 911SC coupe garage queen w/40K miles back in '03. When I finally sold it in '08 it had a full cage, fire suppression system, fully tweaked suspension (stock motor for my class - still street legal too), and had raced all the main tracks in CA. Never quite fit in with the Maguiars crowd...

993s are awesome - last of the air cooled.

[Tnfiddler]

Originally Posted by nostatic

Bought a '79 911SC coupe garage queen w/40K miles back in '03. When I finally sold it in '08 it had a full cage, fire suppression system, fully tweaked suspension (stock motor for my class - still street legal too), and had raced all the main tracks in CA. Never quite fit in with the Maguiars crowd...

993s are awesome - last of the air cooled.

It wasn’t a Porsche, but my C5 Corvette was modded to the hilt and was fast and obnoxiously loud! I didn’t fit in with the Meguiar’s crowd either. I preferred cruise-ins to shows, but took it to them anyway. Always wanted a Porsche and if I were to get one now, I’d go for the Cayman GT4 RS.

[edward993]

Ahhh yes, my brother car geeks!

Love the vette, the C6 being my favorite but a bud who tracked his C4 was always in good company. I had tracked the 993 avidly for years, but then went full nuts and got an 82SC and went at it! Half cage and completely gutted. Stock drivetrain but good suspension and R comps, so not very modded as much as emptied; more like adding lightness. Whittled it down to 2550lbs just by gutting whatever I could unbolt, except the radio mind you. Everyone has their limits

Guits and amps, yeah, play them to enjoy them, home or out. Gig the “good stuff” because it makes ME smile. Why have it if I can’t enjoy it in its native environment!

Edward