The Boy Scout Motto: "BE PREPARED"

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 22 Sep 2009 6:12 am

Perhaps it's just paranoia, but I always try to bring two of everything to a gig...
Extra strings of course, extra cables, extra picks, Extra mic and cable etc.

Whenever I was on the road with a band, I was the guy with all the tools, (soldering iron, multimeter, drill, extra hardware and on and on)

So I still carry a briefcase with essentials to every gig, and all my musician friends know it. I can't tell you how many 9V batteries I have given away. (I am happy to do it!) I am always replacing broken strings, and providing adaptors, power cords, and hand tools to get the job done.

When I play solo, (which is quite frequently) I am such a boy scout that I always have an extra lap steel, Electric guitar, amp, cables, mic stand and mic. That I leave in my van.

Am I crazy?
yes, but I know I am crazy, so at least I am not nuts!

Dom

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 22 Sep 2009 6:20 am

I made my living as a guitar tech and I have always thought that a musician that didn't have backups for everything was about 3/4 useless. Whatever you don't have a second of will inevitably fail. Nothing used to piss me off as bad as being at a gig and the headliner, who was making all the $$ that night, would come to me begging for strings, tools, cables, etc.- even guitars! If you are a professional you make sure that you have done all you can to be able to finish a show no matter what.

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 23 Sep 2009 1:45 pm

I've probably played as many gigs down thro' the ages as some of you other fellows...... in as many different environments as the most of you....

I must say, I only took one guitar......BIGSBY or EMMONS; one amp unless I was playing stereo with my ProFex, 1 volume pedal and 1 set of cords. Occasionally I'd take a long a spare "G" string if I remembered to do so.

Quite honestly, I've probably not broken two dozen strings on the bandstand, in my lifetime. They were usually the top VERY HIGH "G" string.

Sounds like some of you are going to a lot of extra huffin' and puffin' just to play a 4 hour gig.

Twayn Williams · Post by **Twayn Williams** » 23 Sep 2009 2:14 pm

I take extra cables, batteries, strings, wire clippers, guitar stand, power cables, extension cords, power strip, pencil, stand light, fold-up wire music stand, blank sheet music along with my charts, Crate Power Block amp w/ speaker cable to plug into my combo.

I don't take an extra guitar and often leave the Power Block in the car. It may sound like a lot of stuff but all of it fits in my gig bag/pedalboard bag/small backpack.

I've needed everything on my list at a gig at one time or the other except the spare amp.

Richard Sevigny · Post by **Richard Sevigny** » 23 Sep 2009 2:41 pm

I always carry extra cables, strings, batteries. I have a tendency to break strings (regular axe, not steel) at least a few times a year so I carry an extra guitar just in case.

I've never had an amp fail (I just know it'll happen at my next gig now

)

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 23 Sep 2009 6:38 pm

One guitar, one amp, one volume pedal, a couple of stomp boxes, extra strings, a couple of extra cords. I've never had a problem with an amp, and I've played over 4500 gigs. If the amp died, I'd just patch into the board to finish the gig.

One exception to the above... when I use my blackface Vibrolux amp I take along my Nashville 112 as a spare. So I guess it depends on how old our gear is and how much we trust it. For PSG I never bring an extra amp, just my Steel King... in the old days, just one of my Peavey amps. I tend to trust newer solid state amps more than older tube amps, although I love the sound of old tube amps.

Tom Gray · Post by **Tom Gray** » 23 Sep 2009 7:15 pm

I carry spare strings, cables, picks and batteries. But a little preventive maintenance goes a long way, too. Fresh strings and properly wrapped cables mean fewer problems. My Fender amp used to require regular repairs until I followed my amp tech's advice and started transporting it upside down, with the tubes standing up instead of hanging down. He said most of its problems stemmed from jostling on the highway.

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 23 Sep 2009 7:22 pm

All of the "extras" I carry, are because at one time or another all have been needed. Not always by me, but often I have had to loan the extra amp to another player at the gig. Dozens of times my extra Shure SM58 mic has saved the day, and Having an extra guitar ready is much faster than changing a string.

I have never carried an extra pedal steel, to a gig, and yes the high .011 (G#-A) is usually the only one that breaks.

I don't know how many of you do a solo act? But all this becomes much more critical if you are a one man show. When I break a string in a band setting I can usually let the others play a song while I replace the string and tune it up. If I am Solo, it's a show stopper, hence the other guitar is needed.

Dom

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 23 Sep 2009 10:55 pm

I carry 2 of everything these days and have found that it works out best that way over the coarse of a tour.

D8 console Clinesmith with a S8 Clinesmith lap steel for hotel room practice and backup just in case.

2 volume/tone pedals. One Fender(old) one Bigsby.

2 amps. One Headstrong very souped up Princeton clone as primary amp with a Peavey Nashville 400 for extra stage volume and backup.

I keep backup of all the other stuff also. Bars, picks, cables and all that.

This is for constant battle condition touring. For around town gigs I don't worry about it.

George Piburn · Post by **George Piburn** » 24 Sep 2009 6:09 am

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 24 Sep 2009 7:06 am

I only take one amp these days, but I usually have the Pod XT with me. I figure that if the amp goes out, I can always run the Pod into the PA.

I carry (and use!) several bars, and I always have extra picks, strings, tubes and cords in my seat. I don't take an extra volume pedal. If the pedal goes out, I can always play without it!

If I was doing high priced, high pressure gigs or sessions, I'd probably carry more backup gear.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 24 Sep 2009 8:21 am

What b0b said. That's pretty much me to the letter.

Marty Smith · Post by **Marty Smith** » 28 Sep 2009 4:10 pm

I take 1 amp 1 steel 2 cables 1 volume pedal, my pics and bar thats it and my hat. It usually enough and my tuner if its a loud place. I can't stand band mates that are always asking to use a tuner or a bar! No strings I never break em because the smallest one is an 18

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 29 Sep 2009 1:11 pm

One of the most important I always carried was the little old adapter for wall outlets in old buildings that did not have an place for the ground prong.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 29 Sep 2009 3:04 pm

Billy Tonnesen wrote:One of the most important I always carried was the little old adapter for wall outlets in old buildings that did not have an place for the ground prong.

I have one of those in my seat, but to be honest I haven't used it in over ten years.

I saw a movie that was set in the 1940's, and there were 3-pronged outlets on the wall. I guess people don't even remember the old outlets anymore.

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 29 Sep 2009 6:23 pm

I am using a "two prong" adaptor right now on one of my mobile rigs. The power supply to one of my laptops (gateway)was causing a hum in my amp. I was tipped off to the problem by using the computer powered by the battery only... no hum!

My other computer (IBM Thinkpad) made no hum either way...

The adaptor did the trick (It removes the 3rd prong earth ground) No hum no more!

BTW remember the old amps, you could flip the plug over to remove hum? You could also get a really bad shock if pluged in the wrong way!

Dom

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 2 Oct 2009 6:34 am

What about taking along a spare steel guitarist in case you get sick on the way ?

Carl Mesrobian · Post by **Carl Mesrobian** » 15 Sep 2013 5:37 am

Alan Brookes wrote:What about taking along a spare steel guitarist in case you get sick on the way ?

If I'm sick, I call my sub:

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 15 Sep 2013 7:35 am

i always tow another car behind mine in case my car breaks down.

Carl Mesrobian · Post by **Carl Mesrobian** » 15 Sep 2013 9:38 am

With a spare towbar

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 15 Sep 2013 9:44 am

Carl Mesrobian wrote:If I'm sick, I call my sub:

Do they ever pay you to be sick?

Carl Mesrobian · Post by **Carl Mesrobian** » 15 Sep 2013 9:51 am

I also have to call the sub guitar player:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/userpix1 ... rist_1.jpg

but she always seems to be busy

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 15 Sep 2013 10:27 am

I don't know how much of it I can blame on being an Eagle Scout, but "Be Prepared" has always made a lot of sense to me. Over the years I've trimmed back to what fits in a "lite" pak seat and can fly in an overhead bin. But the other players in any unit I play with know they can always come looking to find screwdrivers, batteries, flashlight and allen wrenches. Saved a lot of bacon.

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 15 Sep 2013 10:50 am

Not playing out any longer but I always had a pick up truck with an extra VP and items under and behind the seat including a 50' extension cord, etc. Jam in my studio in my home and have musician friends stop by to talk and work on steels & guitars. No money but the laughs are priceless.

Lenny

Carl Mesrobian · Post by **Carl Mesrobian** » 15 Sep 2013 10:52 am

Pak Seat contents:

Lots of strings, needle nose pliers with built in cutters, flashlight, allen wrenches, lots of cables, 2 volume pedals, 2 tuners, 35mm film canister full of picks, 2 bars

Music bag contents:

Music (which needs serious updating), clothes pins (to hold sheet music down in windy locations), pencil, pen, paper, recorder.

Me:

Address and load in time, GPS, car, glasses, Swiss Army knife, more picks, water bottle, etc., etc..

Back Pack:

Extension power cord, power strip.

Things to get:

batteries, music light and steel light..A soldering iron, solder, flux, wire, strippers, would be handy as a band aid for electronic failures.

I guess I'm sort of prepared..

The Steel Guitar Forum

The Boy Scout Motto: "BE PREPARED"

Are you prepared?

The Boy Scout Motto: "BE PREPARED"

Over these many years......................

edit