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...do any of the players on this site ever take their old (or newer) L5's and Super 400's and even their good old 175's out to 'real' gigs in clubs and such ?
I used to play an old 1962 blonde Gibson 175 that went half way round the world with me during the 60's and 70's... In those days I could safely leave it on stage and any where else when I was on a break ect.ect. Had an old beat up case that looked a wreck...
Nowadays for gigs I use a 2008 Epiphone ES175 copy (plays really nice)....I wouldn't leave any Gibson out of my site these days...I'm in England and today I'm sure if I went off stage for a break it wouldn't be where I left it..it would have possibly have be 'nicked'....Even the low-downs know that some 'named' guitars can bring in a lot of money... Heaven knows what leaving an old L5c or Super 400 on stage would do...?
Are you lucky guitar guys just armchair players or do your expensive instruments ever get out the front door... ? Not just out to visit another guitar player friend for a little jam but to actually play at live gigs...?
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07-18-2018 09:10 AM
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I play my 68 175 on gigs
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My working instrument is my 1990 Benedetto Cremona, I gig out with it. That's what it was made for according to the the guy that built it. If it's going to be a outdoor venue on a super hot or cold day I play my Pisano 880.
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This subject comes up from time to time
Do you use your nice archtop on gigs?
Danny W.
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For the longest time, 1970s-2000s, I gigged with my vintage guitars. (50s-60s Fenders, 60s Gibsons, 50s-60s Gretsches) Beginning about ten years ago, I started being more discriminating. (I also sold off most of my vintage guitars.) Now, I gig with either my Memphis EL-300 (same as Aria Pro II PE-180 L-5/Super 400 neck copy) or one of my parts-casters, and keep my expensive guitars at home.
FWIW, the gigging guitars sound just great at the venue.
(Exceptions: in pit work in the theater, when acoustic instruments are called for I still use my 20s Vega banjo and my '38 Gibson L-50.)
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I certainly have the problem solved! I have three electrics - one made from a Fender Squier 51 with Pete Biltoft pickups - it sounds wonderful! And a really cheap guitar made from an unknown brand bolt-on neck and a P90, and a Washburn Strat knockoff with Seymour Duncan pickups. They all had a fair amount of work by a professional luthier but I didn't spend much more than $300 on any of them. And they are all I've ever needed for any gig!
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My nicest guitar isn't as expensive as a vintage super 400, but it was expensive to me--and i would never own a guitar I wouldn't gig with.
That said, I use common sense too. If I'm taking the train to a gig in January and then walking six icy sidewalk blocks, yeah, I'll take my tele instead of my "nice" jazzbox.
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I happily gig with my vintage stuff. Here's an example from four days, on stage at the Wiltern here in Los Angeles. I've got my '39 L-5, '37 ES-150 and '39 EH-185.
I've got proper flight cases for my main guitars, and they're all insured, so I've flown all of them. So far this year, they've gone to San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Cleveland and Boston. The rest of the year includes trips to NYC, Chicago, DC again, Denver, Richmond, VA, Budapest, San Francisco, Austin, and Asheville.
That said, for the last year or so, I've mostly been bring a Vintage '47 VA-185G to almost every gig. Not because I'm trying to protect the original, but rather because the Vintage '47 is about half the weight and I still get the tone I desire.
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My most expensive guitars are around $2,500 -- a new ES 175 and a J-45.
I play the ES 175 on all my jazz gigs (which are not frequent -- one every couple of months or so)
and my J-45 is my favorite guitar for a weekly acoustic jam at a local dive bar. I am cautious about them, but the environments are relatively safe -- jazz at an art gallery where I know lots of people, and the weekly jam is a bar full of musician buddies.
I figure what's the point of owning them if I don't use them, right? Plus, they give me the sound I want.
One time I let an old gal at the acoustic jam play my J-45. When I got it back, it had new gouges on the back of the neck -- turns out she wore a thumb ring (of all the stupid things!) The gouges weren't too bad and I got them mostly smoothed out, but I learned a lesson that day. And I always cringe when I see her pick up someone else's guitar!
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[QUOTE=advid;884596
do your expensive instruments ever get out the front door... ? [/QUOTE]
no, but that's just because I don't get out my front door
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Life is short and every gig might turn out to be your last. Why not play the guitars that inspire your playing?
My L-5, Super 400, 1963 ES-175 and my vintage D'Angelicos all see a rotation on the bandstand. I keep my eye on the guitars (or have a bandmate do so) at all times.
IMO, If you have great guitars and some actual talent, the combination should be shared with the public.
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My previous post from Danny's link...
Aria PE180 on gigs where there's people dancing in front of me, vintage L-5 on all others.
leaving your best guitar @ home kind of defeats the purpose for me, I want to sound my best whenever possible, but ymmv
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I agree with Jeff Matz--you have to use common sense. It depends on the gig. If you're lucky enough to get nice, cushy theater gigs as pictured above by Danny W. and Campus Five, why not use guitars that play and sound the best? On the other hand, if you're playing restaurant and bar gigs where there is no "stage" per se, and people are right there where you're playing--and maybe you're leaving your guitar on a stand while you take a break--why take a chance on having your best guitar damaged in an accident or stolen?
Here in Northern California, it's very common to play outdoor gigs in the summer at wineries where the temperature my get into the 90s or even 100 degrees. For those, I usually bring a nice, but less expensive guitar like a Godin 5th Avenue.
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For a couple of years I gigged with a beat-up Yamaha Pacifica 012, the cheapest one.
I was a lot more relaxed than when I gigged with a guitar I couldn't easily replace.
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Jonathan,
That's a great picture. Classic!
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I do. Can't see the point in owning a fab guitar if you can't use it when it counts.
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I've been playing about 1 gig a month and a couple jams a week for nearly 5 years with my Andersen laminate Vanguard. Still solid as a rock, and I just keep it close to me. Horn players use their main horns on gigs and mostly manage to avoid having them stolen...
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I'm a closet jazz player so my archtops stay at home. Most of my gigs are rock, country and R&B and I always use one of my old Gibsons ('52 Les Paul, '64 ES 335) unless it's a situation where I have to leave a guitar in the car for a while. Yes, I've put a couple of dings in them, but that's OK. I wouldn't say that all expensive guitars are better than cheaper ones, but these two are!
The funny thing is, I rarely play those two at home or for rehearsals, but for the gig I want my best tools.
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My main "gig" guitars these days are a 2003 L5, a 1998 LeGrand and a Vestax d'Angelico. The Vestax i use for mostly outdoor gigs (here we might experience "unexpected rain" every once in a while), the others for indoor gigs and open air jazz concerts on stages which provide a roof. Occasionally i also take my 76 Gibson Johnny Smith. I feel that owning such great guitars wouldn't really make sense if i was not able to play them on a regular basis.
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If you go that route, you can easily stop practicing with your expensive guitars, cause this will wear them down a lot more than gigs will. The biggest problem these days is airplane travel, you are never sure how it will turn out. I do have a couple of cheaper guitars i sometime use when in doubt, but for most in town gigs i use my best stuff for the kind of music we play. That's why i bought them for.
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I have, on occasion, gigged with a '37 ES-150 (fabulous), and a '29 L5 (once in a lifetime).
I would not likely repeat these experiences due to the risks.
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What a bunch of wusses. Talk to cellist, violinist or oboist...
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My Hollenbeck is my gigging guitar if I actually play a gig ( very rare.) I have played all of them at one time or another on some sort of gig but I am pretty careful. At this point the D'angelico's a are not played on any gig just because ( no need to explain). I did played at Mass a few times with the D'a's but it is I hope a controlled situation. No one would have a clue what I was playing that the only comment would probably be...……" I see the deacon is in the band."
When I last spent any time gigging I played in a large big band and I played my Barker. Bill would be pretty hacked off if I did not use his guitar for actually gigs.
If I were making my living playing the guitar it would be my Hollenbeck or maybe the D'a vestige Copy.
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Only have one guitar. Rock, blues roots jazz my 175 is my partner. It is either in my hands or zipped up in my mono gig bag. I never leave a guitar on stage or on a guitar stand.
PS I have to say Jonathan Stout hello. Love your playing, so much masterfull energy.
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My most expensive guitar -- about $5k new -- is also my most gigged guitar: Dupont DM50. I play it in little bars and on bigger stages, rehearsals and in back yards around fire pits. I don't leave my instruments unattended no matter what the gig is.
I take the instrument that fits the music for the gig regardless of the price of the instrument or the nature of the venue. Whether I'll use a hardshell case or a gig bag depends on circumstances and if I think the instrument requires more physical protection. Most of the time a gig bag works fine for my needs.
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