Gonna Try Something a Little Different...

chilipeppermaniac said:
Anyway, how this applies to Smitty's quest is that I got to see a concert where the band had a lead guitarist who not only played more than one electric guitar on stage, but also acoustic guitars, banjo and keyboards. He is as close to a Robert Herndon type player as our forum could have. Taking Robert's "Gunslinger for hire" type abilities and holding it up to the light as a similarly skilled player, the bottom line is there are more than one way to achieve the bottom line. In other words, " more than one way to skin a cat."

So, to make my point, Kathy took me to see the band, America. I recognized about 6-7 of the songs in their set and recognized the voices of the 2 main rhythm guitarists. But, I have never heard of the main players or the lead guitarist. So, I guess the bottom line is similar to what I have said to Robert in prior discussions. Professional auto mechanic's have more than one wrench/socket in their tool box. To me, it would be nearly impossible to be a pro mechanic with only 1 set of tools...
Click to expand...

I'm just a hack that happens to have a reputation as a dependable team player and i believe that is what has kept me steadily employed all these years more than skill.

A mechanic and a session player are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Steve Lukather - the world's most recorded guitarist - played only a Valley Arts guitar for many, many years, on a variety of recordings, across multiple genres.

It is this guitar that you hear on the rhythm for Michael Jackson's 'Beat It.'

Ok...

Now, i have played in many projects - to include live music projects - where i was asked by the band leader to use specific guitars on certain songs.

In some cases, this was due to alternate tunings. I have played acoustics that were mounted to a stand, that allowed me to play an acoustic intro, then step away and take over on electric guitar.

I think my general point is this.

If the bandleader says, "play a Tele on this song, then switch to a Stratocaster for this song, then switch to a D-Standard tuned guitar for this song, a 12 string for Hotel California and then an acoustic for the last song in the set," then, that's exactly what i did because i was being paid to give

Ive dabbled in playing keys for some projects, though i do not claim to be a virtuoso...

- To Be Continued
 
Last edited:
Session 5 said:
With having 5 guitars I have a wide range of tones, I can cover any genre of music And even though I have two Strats, they play and sound totally different, and most of all, they get played , no collecting dust on these beauties..
Click to expand...
Hey Norm,

I see you said you have 5 guitars. If you sell 1 will you change your name to Session 4? Or conversely, if you get another one, will you be Session 6?
 
In 2011, I was hired by Visalia First Assembly to play on their worship team. We played 2 "shows" on Saturday, 3 shows on Sunday ad 1 on Wednesday night. This job required almost constant equipment changes at the whim of the worship leader.

One Sunday, we were walking out on stage and got a message in our IEM's that said, "team, Karen wants you all to tune down a haf step for this song. She will give you 60 seconds of dialouge for the change. Do not switch instruments even if you have an extra. She wants to retain the current color scheme s the lighting h is pre-programmed..."

This was a regular occurrence.
 
chilipeppermaniac said:
I joke about my skills and instruments. But it is funny that no matter how many times I have tried, I can't seem to make my Gibson's sound like Fenders, or my Acoustic guitar sound like a banjo or mandolin.
So, I play what I have and buy what I need that I don't have, like my cool little $50 banjo and borrow my sister's mandolin.
Click to expand...

I have not really ever tried to make any Gibson sound like a Fender. I don't really like how Fenders sound (wimpy, wimpy, wimpy) but love how Gibsons sound (hefty, hefty, hefty), so it hadn't occurred to me to try such a thing ;).

I've mentioned before - I was in a project for a while that basically required me to play Strats: I needed both the thin shrill sound and a wang bar for what they were doing. But, as soon as that was done it was back to set necks and humbuckers 100%.

I know lots of people in these parts love their Fenders and other similar things, and if they work for you then I am all for it - these comments are based 100% on my own experiences and preferences. But personally I have never gotten a sound out of one that I found satisfying unless I have loaded it with humbuckers and if I'm doing that they I may as well stick with my Les Pauls.
 
gball said:
I have not really ever tried to make any Gibson sound like a Fender. I don't really like how Fenders sound (wimpy, wimpy, wimpy) but love how Gibsons sound (hefty, hefty, hefty), so it hadn't occurred to me to try such a thing ;).

I've mentioned before - I was in a project for a while that basically required me to play Strats: I needed both the thin shrill sound and a wang bar for what they were doing. But, as soon as that was done it was back to set necks and humbuckers 100%.

I know lots of people in these parts love their Fenders and other similar things, and if they work for you then I am all for it - these comments are based 100% on my own experiences and preferences. But personally I have never gotten a sound out of one that I found satisfying unless I have loaded it with humbuckers and if I'm doing that they I may as well stick with my Les Pauls.
Click to expand...
I can see your perspective on all these statements, gball.
I am pretty sure I was not meaning to imply that everyone should try to make one type guitar sound like another or to play only 1 guitar ( as Robert prefers) or to play 15 different types because so many forum members succumb to GAS, or gigging players need or choose to have a variety.
The answer lies somewhere in between 1 and infinity for how many guitars is a good choice.

Having said that, I AM like Smitty in some respects, I am curious about just how profound a difference there is in the Dimarzio DiMeola Bridge pickup of my 79 LP vs the 79 T Top in the bridge of my Epi LP in full humbucker mode. Then, compare the 79 LP in full Humbucker vs the 3 choices the bridge pup can sound like when, 1 or both switches are engaged. The 79 LP has the potential to be super versatile at the flick of 1 or both switches.

and yup @gball, I definitely can agree with you or anyone who has a preference for a specific type or brand of guitar. I can also agree with those who enjoy variety not only in sound, but feel, features etc. We all know I am a sucker for Alex Lifeson on his ES 335-355's as well as him on Lesters or 1275's, etc.

Oh yeah, and some of my other favorite players do play Strats or Strat Shaped instruments. Tipton, Downing, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith of Jackson Strat type copy and Les Paul choices too.
 
Inspector #20 said:
Most of these guys own just one or two guitars and just chuckle at the madness of acquiring so much gear.
Click to expand...
Sitting in a studio doing session work.
What about Touring musicians.
Find one that only brings one guitar, or one and a backup.
It doesn't matter if the difference is heard out FOH it matters to the player what he hears onstage. Some guitars have different necks that suit different things.
Some have different bridges.
Single coil.
HB.
Etc.

I have seen so many bands here at a 3 day fest every summer. Each band plays 1 - 1.5 hrs. Every one of them has more than one guitar. Stuff can happen at a live gig. What, ask the audience if someone has a guitar with them? Absurd.
 
Jethro Rocker said:
Sitting in a studio doing session work.
What about Touring musicians.
Find one that only brings one guitar, or one and a backup.
It doesn't matter if the difference is heard out FOH it matters to the player what he hears onstage. Some guitars have different necks that suit different things.
Some have different bridges.
Single coil.
HB.
Etc.

I have seen so many bands here at a 3 day fest every summer. Each band plays 1 - 1.5 hrs. Every one of them has more than one guitar. Stuff can happen at a live gig. What, ask the audience if someone has a guitar with them? Absurd.
Click to expand...

I still prefer only one guitar for live performances. One amp too. But, then again, I have to be able to get all my gear in the one car that I own....a 2006 Mustang.

However, if you feel cooler with a rack of guitars and frequent equipment changes, that's cool too. I get paid good money to do live stage support.

Bad Dog played 6 hours a night - (3) 50 minute sets with a 1 hour break, (3) more 50 minute sets and a 30 minute closing encore. This was a contracted house-band gig. I was one of the lead vocalists and I was tasked with making announcements to the crowd and keeping them engaged. I felt like changing guitars was a distraction.

Hotel California was one noted exception where I used the double neck, but I scheduled it right after a break, so changing out a guitar wasn't a big deal. We followed that with 'Don't Stop Believin' and I played the keyboard intro by reaching between the double necks to play the keys.

My goal has always been to put on a great show and get paid good money doing it. Yes, I have performed with 2 guitars, but ONLY because a song needed to be tuned to D Standard (Blacktop Mojo's 'In Color') for a vocalist's range. Once we dropped that song from the set, I went back to one guitar.
 
Inspector #20 said:
I still prefer only one guitar for live performances. One amp too. But, then again, I have to be able to get all my gear in the one car that I own....a 2006 Mustang.

However, if you feel cooler with a rack of guitars and frequent equipment changes, that's cool too. I get paid good money to do live stage support.

Bad Dog played 6 hours a night - (3) 50 minute sets with a 1 hour break, (3) more 50 minute sets and a 30 minute closing encore. This was a contracted house-band gig. I was one of the lead vocalists and I was tasked with making announcements to the crowd and keeping them engaged. I felt like changing guitars was a distraction.

Hotel California was one noted exception where I used the double neck, but I scheduled it right after a break, so changing out a guitar wasn't a big deal. We followed that with 'Don't Stop Believin' and I played the keyboard intro by reaching between the double necks to play the keys.

My goal has always been to put on a great show and get paid good money doing it. Yes, I have performed with 2 guitars, but ONLY because a song needed to be tuned to D Standard (Blacktop Mojo's 'In Color') for a vocalist's range. Once we dropped that song from the set, I went back to one guitar.
Click to expand...
My point was a bunch of session studio musicians chuckling about those of us who play out (including touring musicians) uisng more than one guitar.
It's not to look "cool".
Someday it will bite you in the butt playing out. No spares equals trouble at some point. Especially with amps.
Plus, it is more fun to me to crank on the whammy bar here and there. Also need a stoptail.
One has to enjoy what they do, however that may be.
 
I look at the answer to all this as whatever we post, we will arrive at 1,000,000,000,000,000 options or opinions and solutions for Studio, Gig, Jamming with friends, or just happiness from a hobby of playing.

No choice is 100% right and no choice is 100% WTF Wrong Wrong Wrong. As smitty is trying to make a work-around for experimental research, or variety, or whatever reason he wants, That is his choice and his road to follow. It may wind up a dead end and have him swap back to the original equipment, or it may give him added options, or at worst, it will tell him what he likes or dislikes in the end.

Much of the thread has taken the same type paths that other hot button topics tend to do in these fora. This is not bad, but they also seem to lead us all around in circles. Tone wood, Gib vs Boutique Pups vs Maple neck vs Rosewood, vs Baked Maple, Wide thin, or Slim Taper etc etc.

Hopefully no one sees any of my replies as attacking their viewpoints or experiences. No intention of this has been my goal. However, I do like to add an array of choices and pros and cons are inherent throughout the options one chooses for their playing scenarios.

Here is where I get silly:
Robert plays a guitar to make $$$$, the rest of us like me play ours to get the girl. Or, in Bea or Zzzzz's case, they might be trying to impress the lads.
 
It's one thing being a house band. It is another to be on a tour or at least playing all over the country for 40 years.
Helix.
Good hard rock Canadian staple.
Playing here with supplied backline.
I realize to each their own but to imply that anyone that brings more than one guitar to a show somehow "can't do it" or is wrong somehow, simply goes against what the vast majority of touring musicians do.
Here they are with their other guitars. Don't get me started on Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick. A different guitar every song!! Touring with a 58 LP and good on him.

NH7pFRA.jpg
 
Jethro Rocker said:
It's one thing being a house band. It is another to be on a tour or at least playing all over the country for 40 years.
Helix.
Good hard rock Canadian staple.
Playing here with supplied backline.
I realize to each their own but to imply that anyone that brings more than one guitar to a show somehow "can't do it" or is wrong somehow, simply goes against what the vast majority of touring musicians do.
Here they are with their other guitars. Don't get me started on Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick. A different guitar every song!! Touring with a 58 LP and good on him.

NH7pFRA.jpg
Click to expand...

Yeah, I mean, I personally would consider it irresponsible to walk onto a stage without a backup. Whether you change guitars for one reason or another during a set is a different story but if you have a string go tits up on you nobody wants to watch you change it - just grab the backup and go.

And as for the studio? I been around a lot of people doing a lot of recording over the years, from people renting time out of their own pockets to major big-time acts making major-label releases, and I have never seen someone limit themselves to a single instrument or single amplifier. That would be madness The studio is about exploration and choosing the right tool, how can anyone possibly do that with one guitar?

Robert, even in the video you posted a couple of days ago my man George has quite the rack of guitars behind him, as well it should be:
 
Jethro Rocker said:
Sitting in a studio doing session work.
What about Touring musicians.
Find one that only brings one guitar, or one and a backup.
It doesn't matter if the difference is heard out FOH it matters to the player what he hears onstage. Some guitars have different necks that suit different things.
Some have different bridges.
Single coil.
HB.
Etc.

I have seen so many bands here at a 3 day fest every summer. Each band plays 1 - 1.5 hrs. Every one of them has more than one guitar. Stuff can happen at a live gig. What, ask the audience if someone has a guitar with them? Absurd.
Click to expand...

I still prefer only one guitar for live performances. One amp too. But, then again, I have to be able to get all my gear in the one car that I own....a 2006 Mustang.

However, if you feel cooler with a rack of guitars and frequent equipment changes, that's cool too. I get paid good money to do live stage support.

Bad Dog played 6 hours a night - (3) 50 minute sets with a 1 hour break, (3) more 50 minute sets and a 30 minute closing encore. This was a contracted house-band gig. I was one of the lead vocalists and I was tasked with making announcements to the crowd and keeping them engaged. I felt like changing guitars was a distratction.

Hotel California was one noted exception where I used the double neck, but I scheduled it right after a break, so changing out a guitar wasn't a big deal. We followed that with 'Don't Stop Believin' and I played the keyboard intro by reaching between the double necks to play the keys.

My goal has always been to put on a great show and get paid good money doing it. Yes, I have performed with 2 guitars, but ONLY because a song needed to be tuned to D Standard (Blacktop Mojo's 'In Color') for a vocalist's range. Once we dropped that song from the set, I went back to one guitar.
Jethro Rocker said:
My point was a bunch of session studio musicians chuckling about those of us who play out (including touring musicians) uisng more than one guitar.
It's not to look "cool".
Someday it will bite you in the butt playing out. No spares equals trouble at some point. Especially with amps.
Plus, it is more fun to me to crank on the whammy bar here and there. Also need a stoptail.
One has to enjoy what they do, however that may be.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
gball said:
Yeah, I mean, I personally would consider it irresponsible to walk onto a stage without a backup. Whether you change guitars for one reason or another during a set is a different story but if you have a string go tits up on you nobody wants to watch you change it - just grab the backup and go.

And as for the studio? I been around a lot of people doing a lot of recording over the years, from people renting time out of their own pockets to major big-time acts making major-label releases, and I have never seen someone limit themselves to a single instrument or single amplifier. That would be madness The studio is about exploration and choosing the right tool, how can anyone possibly do that with one guitar?

Robert, even in the video you posted a couple of days ago my man George has quite the rack of guitars behind him, as well it should be:
Click to expand...

I think you should do whatever you like. I personally find one guitar is enough...
 
Jethro Rocker said:
It's one thing being a house band. It is another to be on a tour or at least playing all over the country for 40 years.
Helix.
Good hard rock Canadian staple.
Playing here with supplied backline.
I realize to each their own but to imply that anyone that brings more than one guitar to a show somehow "can't do it" or is wrong somehow, simply goes against what the vast majority of touring musicians do.
Here they are with their other guitars. Don't get me started on Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick. A different guitar every song!! Touring with a 58 LP and good on him.
Click to expand...

Extra bass, too! I get a kick out of bassists swapping a bass. A lot of times that means you're about to get a kick in the head!
 
gball said:
I've mentioned before - I was in a project for a while that basically required me to play Strats: I needed both the thin shrill sound and a wang bar for what they were doing. But, as soon as that was done it was back to set necks and humbuckers 100%.
Click to expand...


Ugh!!!

I worked in a band that had all kinds of mandates...only TC Flashback Delays were approved...only Fender guitars....absolutely no red guitars.

Looking back, it was stupid, but it paid very, very well.
 
I do try to minimize guitar swaps, though. The last thing I want to do is to interrupt the flow of the evening. There are times I have to swap because I do use an altered tuning on one guitar.

It's like I've told our band leader, "There are real reasons why I choose the guitars I do for the songs, and I appreciate you accomodating those changes. But, aside from the songs where I need to use the guitar in a different tuning, if you feel like the momentum is there and you think it would stifle the vibe to pause between songs to let me change, you go ahead and do what you need to do. I'll figure it out. It's more important that we not lose the energy of the crowd."

She is very appreciative of that and she does understand and tries to give me time. But, I'm not the only one. Sometimes our bass player will change his bass. Sometimes, our keyboard player needs a couple seconds to switch keyboard patches. I rarely swap more than once in any given set. Sometimes, I don't swap at all in a set.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top