Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

How do you Protect your gear at a gig Or just jamming.


Steven Tari

Recommended Posts

I've lost TWO guitars over the years while playing out. You ever been in the "Hey I know how to play guitar" and they want to grab your gear to show you? or the drunk that wants to be all over you and ends falling over a couple times before he finds something to break? Or your taking a break and you sit to get a drink thinking your gear is safe on stage. Man These times suck but you have to keep your temper Before you knock the dog doo out of them. I've lost a Hummingbird 6 string from a drunk falling on it between sets. My hummingbird 12 string disapeared from a party. They left the case but got the guitar. and just diffrent things like getting to your stuff after thinking that putting it back in the case makes it safe and finding a stranger with your guitar out playing. and when you ask What you doing with my guitar, You hear I didn't think you would mind. How do you handle this, and how do you take precautions when your out. I' d like to know. I might learn a new technique before I lose it and have to slam some JERK.](*,)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If they already have ahold of your guitar, just be courteous but firm about it and tell him something like, "No offense, but I'm here to do a job and I can't take a chance with something bad happening to my tools. This is how I earn a living and put food on my table." Even if the earn a living part is BS, he'll hopefully get the idea anyway. If he gives you a hassle, call over a bouncer; it's their job to deal with that crap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If they already have ahold of your guitar' date=' just be courteous but firm about it and tell him something like, "No offense, but I'm here to do a job and I can't take a chance with something bad happening to my tools. This is how I earn a living and put food on my table." Even if the earn a living part is BS, he'll hopefully get the idea anyway. If he gives you a hassle, call over a bouncer; it's their job to deal with that crap.[/quote']

 

Solid tip man!

 

If they don't respect you and hand back your guitar after that, there is obviously something wrong with them in the first place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do not gig but for me is more how do I protect my gear from myself, I am as gracious as a freaking moose...

 

A friend of mine had a Taylor on stage on a stand ready for a gig, his own drummer pulled on a cable that was laying around, it took down the guitar stand and all, the guitar fell off stage. The headstock did not break but one of the little "horns" on it is gone....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We always make sure and tell the bouncers to always watch the stage and to not let anybody up there or close to the gear. I've been gigging the last two years straight and have yet to have a problem...(knock on wood)

 

I hate the drunk guys that think they know how to play. They are always asking to play the guitar, or they want to get on stage and do a song. The way I look at it is there is a reason why I'm on the stage, and there is a reason why they are in the crowd.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's how it usually goes for me when people I don't trust ask me to play my gear:

 

"Yo mang, can I play yo' guitbox?"

"No."

 

Simple as that. Way I see it, I don't mind one random loser/drunk thinking I'm an *** if it's going to save me thousands of dollars on a replacement guitar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I play, regardless of the place, the only thing I leave on stage between sound testing and the show is the amp. Everything else I just put in its case and take away with me. When I go there for the show I go half an hour early and spend all that time onstage (lights will probably be out so nobody even notices). I go there with the 2 guitars I will use, the pedalboard, and just plug it as it was.

 

I never stand down from the stage to drink or do whatever it is "you people" do (you people meaning every other musician I've played with).

 

That' my #1 rule, I go there to play, I play, I leave. I dont go there to drink or met chicks. I already have a girl and when I didnt have an oficial girl, I had plenty to choose from to spend the night. (I say this because most musicians I play with cant understand why I almost never pick girls up at gigs). I only picked up girls at gigs like 10 times and all of them were old aquitances (spelling?) either from school (one of them, the best of them actually, was the nerdiest grl in school, and grew up to become a hottie with glasses... how cool is that?).

 

So I havent had that kind of problem, I go there, play, and am out of there as soon as I can, even when I was 18 I was the same, never spent more than I had to in those places. They pay me to play guitar, not to stay there until they close the door and kick me outside.

 

Anyway having a person you can make responsible is a good idea, you have him assemble your stuff and then take it to your place... if something gets lost then you charge him. You'll have to pay him tho. In some of the bands I've played we've had roadies but I always have assembled and transported my equipment. That's my rule #2 if somebody wants me to play with them: no one touches my stuff.

 

 

 

When the classic drunk ****** steps into the stage, if he is close to me I will push him offstage. That's it. I've kicked a lot of idiots offstage and people have liked it! (some of them have come back for more). That way he knows if he were to break anything he would have to pay in cash or blood. Sorry if it sounds harsh... look at my avatar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If they already have ahold of your guitar' date=' just be courteous but firm about it and tell him something like, "No offense, but I'm here to do a job and I can't take a chance with something bad happening to my tools. This is how I earn a living and put food on my table." Even if the earn a living part is BS, he'll hopefully get the idea anyway. If he gives you a hassle, call over a bouncer; it's their job to deal with that crap.[/quote']

 

 

This is solid advice (it this doesn't work go with the Smith & Wesson although I like Colt).

 

I didn't do this when I was younger and playing out and I could have been hurt. When I was 15/16 playing in bars in Illinois I was a skinny 110lb punk and most of the drunks that wanted to play my LP were like 200lb's and I stood up to them and demanded my guitar back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All I can say is don't ever hire the crackhead in the parking lot to watch your van full of gear for a beer. Who wudda thunk crackheads are smart enough to realize your van full of gear is worth more than a beer??? Sneaky crackheads.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With shows, I usually am there to stay after setting up and doing soundcheck (unfortunately I'm RARELY in a place where I actually trust my stuff just lying around unguarded), but as a precaution I most of the time put my guitar(s) back in the case(s), even roll up my cables and tuck 'em behind the amp "just in case". I rarely use stands, and most of the time just leave my backup in the case till I need it. Once the night's through the first thing that gets repacked would be said guitar(s) and then I try to break down everything else with enough haste as to discourage the lingerers from wanting to screw around with my gear. If they still manage to be so audacious I simply say something to the degree of "my guitar's like my wife, and I'm not really interested in having to wipe your goo off of her." If they get pissed, so be it. I have a right to choose not to hand over my precious tools to someone else.

 

At practice is where I'm most likely to bang something up, drop it, etc. because I am a clutz. I take that back, the MOST damage I've ever done to my Angus signature was when I was adjusting the bridge and setting the intonation (one of the nice little dings and scratches came from my trusty Gibson 2-in-1 tool actually). So I'm just dangerous I guess...lol

 

H-bomb

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my dad had a 15-20 foot speaker cabinet/tower get blown over by the wind (outdoor show) fell over right on top of his guitar, snapped the neck in more than one place, luckily he had a freind selling the same model of guitar (ended up giving it to him) so he just replaced the parts and his guitar now is nicer than any guitar he's had

 

and both my brother and dad have countless stories of their pedal boards shorting out because some drunk spilled a pitcher on it, and getting beer on their guitar, etc....

 

cases are your friend, and stands are only for short periods of time

 

and boss pedals are made as durable as they are for a reason

 

 

 

at shows my eyes are on my axe 100% of the time

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thunder' date=' I don't know if it was your post or the coffee, but all of a sudden, I'm very horny![/quote']

 

 

...let me see... ex school nerd with braces and glasses turns to a hottie and gets banged WITH school uniform...

 

I guess it was the coffee!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If they already have ahold of your guitar' date=' just be courteous but firm about it and tell him something like, "No offense, but I'm here to do a job and I can't take a chance with something bad happening to my tools. This is how I earn a living and put food on my table."[/quote']

 

+1000000

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i am with thunder god on this when i go to play, i arrive like an hour early and leave my stuff in my car, go have a quick drink, go get my stuff about a half an hour. finish my gig put my stuff away in my car then go get my money and to talk to the manager about what the crowd was like. then i leave and since it is about 1 in the morning i go to bed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

well, i've never done any solo gigs (and don't plan on it). with any band, we have always made sure that at least one person is watching the gear at all times. so, there is no chance of it "walking off" or coming back to find someone playing my guitar. as for people who ask, the answer is always "no". each person is handled differently but the answer is always a firm "no". if they need a bouncer on them, or a foot in their *** from a bandmember, then so be it. if they accept our first polite response then that's the best.

as for people spilling stuff on gear, you gotta watch for those people as they approach. if possible i always set up where they can't reach my amp or pedal board. sometimes this means a little less room on stage for me, but that's ok. if you have friends at the show that can hang out near the stage (in that spot by gear) then they can help keep people off of your stuff. but, if you see someone coming then you gotta head them off. i've done it while playing. that's our bubble and you are not allowed in it. we try to be nice, but we don't mind being harsh.

 

the truth is that you do anything you need to do to protect yourself and your gear. the next morning, you will be the one dealing with the problems... the guy sleeping it off won't care if he damaged your stuff and you need to pay for it. so, there is no room for being nice, or being shy about looking out for your gear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Protecting your gear at gigs / jamming is simple. When you first come on stage, before you play your first song, have a friend run on stage an pretend to steal one of your guitars. Look at him and yell at the top of your lungs, "put that down you low-life cretin!" and then proceed to take your guitar back and pretend to beat the living sh*t out of him. That should ward off any would-be thiefs / drunks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While taking breaks or leaving the stage, ask a bouncer or employee of the venue to sit on the stage.

The all seem to be happy to do it and are a deterrent for most drunks or idiots.

 

While playing just give them the look if they appear to be about to make the move they will soon regret for a long long time.

Not only am I beautiful, I punch like a mule kick.

 

I didn't stay this pretty and talk this much crap by getting my @ss kicked.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...