Bringing vintage gear to gigs

[jgcable]

I am asking this to the members here who "tour" or play regularly that have roadies and sometimes share the stage with multiple bands.
Many times on the multi band gigs we are the headliner and we offer our gear up to the other bands (especially the band that is going on directly before us). This eases in the set up and soundcheck etc...
Recently.. we have had roadies carrying our gear and setting up and breaking down most of it.
Sometimes our gear is left in a van or truck or trailer or sometimes at the club in a locked room.
My band has some pretty expensive stuff. I love bringing my Mark III to gigs but I worry about it prior and after a gig. Do you guys have different live rigs depending on the venue or show or do you run with the same thing every night?

[markD]

i play the same rig every time. the only difference would be if we get to the venue and it is WAY smaller than they said, i will just scale down from there. (another reason i use those 1x12 cabs)

when we headline multi-band gigs, or are opening for a national act and we're the "local headliner" our amps are all backloaded. you are nicer than me. i don't let ANYBODY play through my rig. many of those shows the bands before us end up with a few feet (about 12 ft) of stage because of the backloaded rigs, but once they work hard enough and have been around long enough they can be where we (your band and mine) are.

as far as "vintage" gear, are you referring to your boogie as vintage? i used to gig with older amps - a hand me down AC-30 from my uncle, and my 63 fender tremolux - when i played in a christian rock band about 6 years ago. they were always reliable. i have taken my 62 strat out on a gig once - it was just a smooth jazz thing at a downtown street party (first friday). i played it through my rivera with a 2x10 cab. it sounded heavenly!!!!

[markD]

as far as having gear stored in the situation yuo described, there have been MANY gigs where if we aren't backloaded then our gear sits to the side of the stage or in the yukon or the trailer. haven't had a problem yet.

are you guys getting stuck with "union roadies" doing your set-ups and tear downs? i HATE gigs like that. those dudes have NO investment in treating your gear right. i always try to have something in our rider/guarantee with the venue that states we can have 1 of our own guys to help and make sure everything is handled properly.

[skintaster]

It kind of depends on the situation. My old band toured a lot, and we played all kinds and sizes of venues, so I had to adapt the rig I used to all of those situations. When I joined the band, that rig was a Mesa half stack and a Les Paul. Over the years, I shifted to a small combo amp and quality (But less expensive) guitars... Mostly because I wanted to avoid damaging my "better" gear, which I used for recording. I still managed to get a good sound, and it was easier to travel with.

These days, I'm mostly interested in playing local and regional shows. I'm usually familiar with the venues, and can tailor my gear to them.

I NEVER let anyone I'm not very good friends with play or borrow my gear at shows. I've done that in the past, and had some unfortunate problems arise. Ditto with roadies. I'd rather carry and set up my own stuff than have someone I don't know well mess with my stuff.

[jgcable]

Yea, I don't feel good about having others play my gear. Most of the time they don't because I play with as little gain as possible and most of the bands we play with are gain mongers.
Regarding roadies.. we have 3 of our own and lately the clubs we have played at have had a few for us to use. I do worry about my Boogie though.. it would be hard to replace. Its a green stripe medium head with reverb, EQ and simulclass. Road case too.

[Newc]

If you can find something to get a "close enough" tone that's also easily replaceable, I say do it.

Showing up with "good stuff" is good for the ego-stroke, but the sad reality is that envy follows ego, and someone's envy is going to target your gear - theft, damage, whatever.

However, if you're using something that has a similar tone but is more easily replaced if it goes away, then you've still got your "baby" safe and sound at home.

As well, those subtle nuances that you love your amp for are generally not noticed by the crowd or other band members because it's something only you know is there.

[jgcable]

If you can find something to get a "close enough" tone that's also easily replaceable, I say do it.

Showing up with "good stuff" is good for the ego-stroke, but the sad reality is that envy follows ego, and someone's envy is going to target your gear - theft, damage, whatever.

However, if you're using something that has a similar tone but is more easily replaced if it goes away, then you've still got your "baby" safe and sound at home.

As well, those subtle nuances that you love your amp for are generally not noticed by the crowd or other band members because it's something only you know is there.

Exactly Newc. That is what I have been considering doing. I think its just a matter of time before we get pinched. The guys in my band are so trusting towards all other musicians. I know its a fellowship but I don't know most of these guys from adam.. and back in the old days, our studios and our trucks were broken into and gear was stolen a few times.
I need to see my amp and my gear at all times... especially when there are 4 other bands milling around.

[nsubulysses]

I've run into this problem only recently because I have a Soloist I know I cannot replace. It's a pretty standard Soloist setup, but it's an '88 and it's sea foam green. I've only seen one other sea foam green Soloist besides mine and it was a 90s one. The whole reason I dig the 80s ones is for the individual toggle switches for the pickups and the non-recessed Floyd.

That makes me paranoid that someone may steal it, or even worse, I think I or a bandmate grabbed it and it's still sitting at the house/venue/bar/whatever (I'm usually drunk at shows). To battle this paranoia I got a Model 6 which I now use as my main guitar, the Soloist is the backup.

As far as my amp it's been a Sunn Model T full stack for about the last 6 years and that head and cabs have been through it all. Multiple tours, many hours of practice, getting loaded and unloaded 5 billion times, shit getting knocked over, etc.

Actually here is a pic from a show a few weeks ago where the full stack got knocked over by gnarly moshers. Luckily some friends caught it on its way down and put it back up mid song. Didn't even cut out so we just played through the song! I'm convinced the head and cabs are indestructable so I don't worry about those. I'll let anyone use them, and have for years. I just babysit them to make sure they match the impedance for the head and the cab.

[toddstaples]

I use to take a MV Marshall and my Paul to every show.
For these exact reasons stated (theft), the Les Paul pretty much stays at home and I now have the RM100LB to gig with. (My Paul isn't much to look at, but I bought it new in 94 it had been with me on every gig from 94-07. I would never be able to replace it.)