gear too good for a gig?

[bdbdbuck]

You should be concearned about your hearing as well. I have lost a great deal of my hearing and I haven't stood in front of a stack in over 17 years.

 

[ThunderMaker]

Buck, I wear in ear monitors and I have to have my rig for the venues I play because if not I can't feel the power. My in ear monitor's have 20db noise reduction ear pieces so I'm protected as far as my hearing for now but thank you for your concern

Animal

 

[bongolation]

I actually think every piece of gear is meant to be played out

Anybody who has all-original hi-$$$ vintage gear, say a pre-CBS Stratocaster, is crazy to even play it, much less gig with it.

Why? Because - contrary to a lot of misconception - it's usually not that great as gear in the first place and every ding and micron of fretwear incrementally devalues a good piece. Never mind theft at some sleazy venue! All the stuff you have to do to it to make it worthwhile as working gear devalues it greatly. A true, original vintage axe (not refinished parts crap) is just another collectable. Put it in a safe place and leave it there. New gear is objectively better anyway.

 

[Lopp]

That's a good point bongolation. Unless the gear has some sonic or playability characteristic that cannot be duplicated, it's better to play out with a <$2k guitar than a >$20k guitar.


BTAIM, I had an ESP Custom that I never played out. Which is not to say I never played it. I loved it, but would only use it in the studio. Playing out, I used an ESP MIII or other guitar which was close enough to the Custom that it wasn't worth using the Custom at gigs.

That being said, I sold the Custom and bought a Gibson LP Studio and a Fender HM Strat with change left over. I gig with both, but still miss the Custom.


Uhh. I should mention the main reason I didn't play out with the Custom: It had a topless pic of Erika Eleniak on it.

 

[foo]

Anybody who has all-original hi-$$$ vintage gear, say a pre-CBS Stratocaster, is crazy to even play it, much less gig with it.

Why? Because - contrary to a lot of misconception - it's usually not that great as gear in the first place and every ding and micron of fretwear incrementally devalues a good piece. Never mind theft at some sleazy venue! All the stuff you have to do to it to make it worthwhile as working gear devalues it greatly. A true, original vintage axe (not refinished parts crap) is just another collectable. Put it in a safe place and leave it there. New gear is objectively better anyway.

. . . and that is your opinion.

I play my pre CBS Strat because it is a great guitar and I haven't found one that sounds or plays as good (although I haven't been looking really hard). I play my '62 ES 345 because it is a great guitar.

Occasionally, I'll try out guitars in a store - usually in response to someone on this site saying you've got to try this guitar, it's better than anything I've ever played. I'll stick with my Strat and 345.

As far as your opinion that 'new gear is objectiveley better anyway' - again that is your opinion.

My opinion is different. And my experience is at least equal to yours.

foo

 

[DeadPoet]

I played at a chirstmas tree burning yesterday outside, -2°C ...
I found it a bit dangerours to take out the double bass or Ken Smith el.bass, so I played my 100$ bass for a change


Herwig

 

[Phildo]

I used to gig with my '73 Rick 4001, but after one too many scrapes in grotty little pubs, I decided it was best left at home for recording. Picked up a s/h MIM precision for £200 and used that instead. It's not the Ricky, but the tone's good, and my wrist doesn't swell up to the size of a melon when I've been playing it for 2 hours.

The Fender's now used as a backup - I've gone back to using my first bass on most stuff - my battered and beaten 1984 Shergold Marathon 6-string (although it's so rare that it'd probably be harder to replace than the Ricky, even though it'd be cheaper to do so by a factor of around 10)!