Back up guitar

slacker

I can remember the last time I broke a string, probably 80s.

I take one guitar to rehearsals. If there's space I'll take a spare. A while back I had two Gibson's and two Rickenbackers because I 'needed' a spare. Now I'll pick two that are similar.It's usually a LP or strat with my gretsch as a main or spare depending on the gig. Sometimes the spare is in its case at the back of the stage/floor/garden.

Caffeine_Vampire

Not gigged for years but I always took 2/3 guitars but I played a lot in open tunings as well as standard. If a guitar bust for some reason we just changed the set to accommodate. 

fretfinder

I always take two guitars - well, I used to when there were any gigs to play...
Sometimes I take the same type sometimes different, sometimes I use a different one for each set, sometimes the same one throughout. I can‘t remember when I last broke a string so I’ve never ‘had’ to change guitar in the middle of a set. I’d feel uncomfortable without taking a spare, plus my bandmate only has one electric guitar so my spare covers us both in the event of a problem, although he never breaks strings either.

DrBob

When I used to gig my main guitar had a floating Floyd bridge and I’m not the most delicate of players so a backup always seemed prudent. The backup had same pickups, switching, scal length, string gauge. Only difference was it was a hardtail. It did the job fine 

Fez

Once in the late 80s I broke a string at the beginning of the first song and had to use my back up for the rest of the set. So I generally like to take a spare guitar unless it's a short set. As a two guitar band sometimes we will take one spare between us. 
I tend to like at least one single coil pick up so often I will take a strat and something else. I like to use the second guitar for something so if I use a HSS strat for most of the gig then change to epi Les Paul for the last few numbers.

Sassafras

It's not normally the guitar that packs up. Especially if it's well maintained.

ICBM

I’ve never taken a backup guitar. If I played bigger or more professional gigs I might, but for the kind of semi-amateur stuff I’ve done I prefer to carry the least possible amount of gear. I’ve always found it effective enough to choose a guitar I know is reliable and sturdy, and take spare strings and the right tools to change one quickly - which I’ve had to do less than half a dozen times. Once was in the middle of a song.

There are guitar types I wouldn’t gig with without a spare though - anything with a floating trem that can’t be locked to get you through the song, (especially a Floyd), or any Gibson I wasn’t really confident about the headstock strength of. For me that simply means I don’t consider them for gigging. Likewise amps, pedals, anything... I always have a backup strategy, but I much prefer not to carry any unnecessary gear.

downbytheriver

For decades I’ve taken a spare that was near enough the same as the prime. Years ago I used to take a few different ones but it seemed so pretentious to change for what I was doing (this will not apply to some folk who genuinely exploit the difference - I couldn’t). It used to be two teles, then two strats, now it’s two Gretsches. 

Musicwolf

Sassafras said:

It's not normally the guitar that packs up. Especially if it's well maintained.

I was thinking this.  Aside from the obvious string breakage there are plenty of other parts of the chain more likely to fail (and that doesn't include the most obvious one - the Drummer).

I've spent most of the last 30 years working in the Automotive industry with a brief spell in Nuclear Power.  In both of these industries it is normal to conduct FEMA (Failure Mode Effect Analysis) studies whereby you look at;

What could go wrong

Likelyhood of it occurring

Severity of failure

You combine the severity with the frequency to get a risk score then you put measures in place to mitigate.  A broken string may have a medium frequency score but, provided that you have a spare set of strings, the severity is also only medium because you interupt the show.  An amplifier failure may mean that you have to stop the show all together.

timmypix

Lestratcaster said:

TTBZ said:

I take one if I have space in the car, especially if it's a well paid cover gig. It's just awkward and looks unprofessional doing a string change mid song. 

Re your dilemma, I'd probably go for something similar enough that you can still get through the same set list, but different enough that it can be used for additional texture when recording. 

Yeah this is what I'm thinking, something I can still use that'll sound like my main but just not a carbon copy. Also unsure over Seymour Duncan Sentinent/Pegasus set or BKP Juggernauts.

Well they're very, very different pickups, so it depends what you want the guitar to do. The Juggernaut bridge is a wall of low mid chonk, whereas the Pegasus is much leaner in the bass and more upper-mid focused. Both very clear under gain but in different ways.

Lestratcaster

Sassafras said:

It's not normally the guitar that packs up. Especially if it's well maintained.

A very good point. 90% of the time it’s the pedalboard or amp that contributes to backline issues and it’s very difficult to carry on the show unless you have a spare of each. 

Lestratcaster

robdynamite said:

I gigged and toured with one guitar (les paul studio) for a few years and I was confident all would be fine. I have two guitars now but i'd still confidently gig with one.

I just feel more reassured when I have two on me so I can concentrate on rocking out. Far better to lug a second guitar and not need it as opposed to something going wrong with your main and no spare to switch over to within 8 bars!

Lestratcaster

timmypix said:

Lestratcaster said:

TTBZ said:

I take one if I have space in the car, especially if it's a well paid cover gig. It's just awkward and looks unprofessional doing a string change mid song. 

Re your dilemma, I'd probably go for something similar enough that you can still get through the same set list, but different enough that it can be used for additional texture when recording. 

Yeah this is what I'm thinking, something I can still use that'll sound like my main but just not a carbon copy. Also unsure over Seymour Duncan Sentinent/Pegasus set or BKP Juggernauts.

Well they're very, very different pickups, so it depends what you want the guitar to do. The Juggernaut bridge is a wall of low mid chonk, whereas the Pegasus is much leaner in the bass and more upper-mid focused. Both very clear under gain but in different ways.

I like the characteristics of both which is why it’s such a tricky decision. I like tight chugs and a fair amount of output under high gain without sounding overly fizzy. I love my BKP Aftermath in my main guitar and could easily stick another in the LTD but I would like something a bit different.

Musicwolf

Lestratcaster said:

Currently have been using a Les Paul studio for my main and a Les Paul standard for my backup, both have similar specs, one has slightly lighter strings and a different bridge pickup. Apart from that though I could use either to play the set with.

I got an LTD guitar too that I'm free to do mods to (hardware, pickups etc), now my question is do I make it to the same specs (ish) ie. same tuning, string gauge, pickup configuation as my main guitar or just go hell-for-leather and put different stuff in?

So you already have a spare.  Any changes that you choose to make to the LTD should be about making it into a guitar that you can use / enjoy.  That may be something very different to the other two.  I suspect that you are using the 'make it a spare' stratagem as justification for the fact that you want to modify it anyway for modifications sake.    If that’s the case, and making mods is fun, then just do it – but don’t limit yourself to making a third guitar in the same vein, do something a bit different.

Lestratcaster

Musicwolf said:

Lestratcaster said:

Currently have been using a Les Paul studio for my main and a Les Paul standard for my backup, both have similar specs, one has slightly lighter strings and a different bridge pickup. Apart from that though I could use either to play the set with.

I got an LTD guitar too that I'm free to do mods to (hardware, pickups etc), now my question is do I make it to the same specs (ish) ie. same tuning, string gauge, pickup configuation as my main guitar or just go hell-for-leather and put different stuff in?

So you already have a spare.  Any changes that you choose to make to the LTD should be about making it into a guitar that you can use / enjoy.  That may be something very different to the other two.  I suspect that you are using the 'make it a spare' stratagem as justification for the fact that you want to modify it anyway for modifications sake.    If that’s the case, and making mods is fun, then just do it – but don’t limit yourself to making a third guitar in the same vein, do something a bit different.

Yes but what I probably have not mentioned is the ‘spare’ has 10-52’s (main has 12-56’s) and gets a bit flappy when I play in lower than drop c. I also use it for teaching so it’s going up and constantly for tuning. The last band I was in was in drop b and although it was a guitar I could reach for if the main went down I’d have to compensate for the thinner strings. My idea is to make The Ltd closer to my main then use the Les Paul for standard tuning rock stuff. That way I have 2 dedicated drop tuned guitars.
Plus the pickup mounts are broken on the stock ones and they sound rubbish so I will be changing them anyway.

TTBZ

I'm a fan of the Warpig in my SG which probably isn't far off the LTD in terms of body thickness etc. Fattens it up nicely (more of an LP-like thickness and compression) and gives it a thick throaty voicing which sounds great  I'm usually in drop C and it stays tight. it also splits nicely too for more of a fat tele kind of sound. I've used both sounds for recording and it's nice, for heavy stuff the clarity of the split is really cool on rhythm stuff. I should say mine isn't an actual Warpig but a copy that Alegree made, but I have no reason to believe the real thing won't sound the same as he knows what he's doing! I'll probably replace it with a real one eventually anyway now I know it works in this guitar.

Lestratcaster

TTBZ said:

I'm a fan of the Warpig in my SG which probably isn't far off the LTD in terms of body thickness etc. Fattens it up nicely and gives it more of a thick throaty voicing which sounds great it also splits nicely too for more of a fat tele kind of sound. I've used both sounds for recording and it's nice, for heavy stuff the clarity of the split is really cool on rhythm stuff.

Apart from the middle contour of the LTD being thinner they’re similar in body though the woods are different - Les Paul is mahogany LTD is basswood I believe so may react different. 

Cols

It depends what you’re asking.  For me, the term ‘backup guitar’ means a second guitar to bring along in case your main guitar stops working.  For this, the main criteria would be as close as possible in terms of pickup configuration, voicing and output.  That way, you don’t end up with a big change of sound when switching to the backup.

However, you also seem to be asking about having another guitar for different tunings, sound, etc.  For this, it would be ‘whatever’s right for the song’.

Personally I only bring one guitar to a gig.  I play in cramped pubs, and I’d be too worried about someone running off with my spare guitar mid-set.  Apart from that, I’ve only had a guitar-related failure once in a band setting; selector switch failed after 10 years loyal service, leaving me restricted to the bridge pickup.  99% of the time I’d just be lugging an extra guitar around for no reason.

Lestratcaster

Cols said:

It depends what you’re asking.  For me, the term ‘backup guitar’ means a second guitar to bring along in case your main guitar stops working.  For this, the main criteria would be as close as possible in terms of pickup configuration, voicing and output.  That way, you don’t end up with a big change of sound when switching to the backup.

However, you also seem to be asking about having another guitar for different tunings, sound, etc.  For this, it would be ‘whatever’s right for the song’.

Personally I only bring one guitar to a gig.  I play in cramped pubs, and I’d be too worried about someone running off with my spare guitar mid-set.  Apart from that, I’ve only had a guitar-related failure once in a band setting; selector switch failed after 10 years loyal service, leaving me restricted to the bridge pickup.  99% of the time I’d just be lugging an extra guitar around for no reason.

I guess I kinda have two questions. First one is whether to make the "backup" one usable so its not a massive change from my main so its straight swap. Then the second is how much to make it sound similar from the main, unless I have 2 of the same guitar with identical setups (1 is a Gibson 1 is LTD) then it'll never sound exactly the same. 

To clear things up my main is the Les Paul Studio in drop c/b tuning using 12-56 gauge. The current spare is an Epiphone Les Paul but with 10-52's and is used for teaching and standard tuning stuff so its not really a dedicated drop tuned band guitar. 

So if I can move this one to just standard/drop d/c# (at the lowest) then I can have 2 x dedicated drop tuning guitars.

Musicwolf

Whichever way you go I suspect that you've got a long, long, time to think about it I'm afraid.  As have we all.