My gig rig in a rolling case - easy set up for solo guitar gigs

[SwingSwangSwung]

I play a fair amount of solo gigs. On these gigs I usually start with about an hour of arrangements on classical guitar, then about 30 minutes of fingerstyle on a steel string acoustic, then chord solos on my archtop. Depending on the event, I might then move onto using backing tracks and play over them with my Strat or lap steel.

It used to take me about an hour to set everything up - including the time it took for trouble shooting when no sound was coming out of my powered PA speakers. So, I consolidated almost everything into this rolling mixer case. It has a pull out handle (like a suitcase) and wheels.

I roll it in, remove the top, front and back covers, pull out the sliding shelf that has my Strymon reverb and Baggs Para-acoustic DI's for my classical and steel string guitars, pull out the cables for the large Mackie mains and monitors (Bose S1 Pro's), attach the Fractal AXE FX III floor controller and expression pedal, plug into 110v, and plug in my instruments. I use to lap top to view my Fractal and for backing tracks when needed.

The Strymon is routed to the mixer's FX send/return in stereo so that it can be used for by the DI's and the Fractal.

With everything pre-wired, set up and tear down time is greatly reduced, and there is no trouble shooting about why sound is coming out the speakers

[Cunamara]

Wow! That's about 20 times as much gear as the average forum member wants to take with them to a gig. Most of us seem to want one guitar, a cord and 1000 W combo amp the size of a teacup.

[SwingSwangSwung]

Wow! That's about 20 times as much gear as the average forum member wants to take with them to a gig. Most of us seem to want one guitar, a cord and 1000 W combo amp the size of a teacup.

I concur! If I'm playing with other musicians at a jazz gig, I take my L-5, my little Roland JC-55 amp, a tuner, and a cable.

But doing a 3 - 4 hour solo gig, where I have to provide the PA large enough to fill a room with 200 - 300 folks requires hauling more.

Playing a variety of styles (classical, acoustic finger style, jazz chord solos, and blues over backing tracks, and maybe some lap steel or even fiddle) keeps getting me hired.

About 50% of the set list is artistically fulfilling, but it pays pretty well. I look at it as paid practice that helps fund by long term musical goals.

[AllanAllen]

That’s a lot of styles for one gig. Do they ask for that? Or are you maybe trying to hard to please everyone?

[SwingSwangSwung]

That’s a lot of styles for one gig. Do they ask for that? Or are you maybe trying to hard to please everyone?

Well, I actually enjoy the variety.

[Stringswinger]

Wow! That's about 20 times as much gear as the average forum member wants to take with them to a gig. Most of us seem to want one guitar, a cord and 1000 W combo amp the size of a teacup.

Hey, I resemble that remark.

I do a three hour solo gig every Saturday. It is all jazz standards along with some Beatles tunes (which I would argue have almost become jazz standards). I bring the following:

Henriksen Bud 6 with it's gig bag.

extension cord

Wedge to tilt the amp up.

Fender Stratocaster (I built the two guitars that I use from parts and have $550 into one of them and $850 in the other).

Guitar cable

Peterson clip on tuner

Spare set of strings

stand for guitar (I use a very lightweight K&M stand)

business cards

guitar strap

Reunion Blues gig bag

Picks (I always keep 4 in my pocket).

I have been doing that gig for 15 years now with no complaints. I generally need to park about a quarter mile away and do my trip to and from the car in one trip without issue.

I can probably play about 500 tunes solo, so no charts, loopers or other effects are needed.

Of course, what works for me might not work for others......

[Skip Ellis]

That sounds like my dream gig - I'm trying to put together something similar for the local assisted living circuit but doing all those styles in a one hour show. My problem is that I only like 30s and 40s tunes and old Piedmont blues/Merle Travis style things. Seems that all the residents at these places are getting to an age where they want 50s and 60s pop tunes and I just don't do that or have any interest in doing it. I'm 78 and grew up in the 50s but like old music - I'd rather listen to WWII big band swing and western swing than about anything.

[AllanAllen]

Well, I actually enjoy the variety.

Well there you go. If you like keep doing it.

[DawgBone]

Hey, I resemble that remark.

I do a three hour solo gig every Saturday. It is all jazz standards along with some Beatles tunes (which I would argue have almost become jazz standards). I bring the following:

Henriksen Bud 6 with it's gig bag.

extension cord

Wedge to tilt the amp up.

Fender Stratocaster (I built the two guitars that I use from parts and have $550 into one of them and $850 in the other).

Guitar cable

Peterson clip on tuner

Spare set of strings

stand for guitar (I use a very lightweight K&M stand)

business cards

guitar strap

Reunion Blues gig bag

Picks (I always keep 4 in my pocket).

I have been doing that gig for 15 years now with no complaints. I generally need to park about a quarter mile away and do my trip to and from the car in one trip without issue.

I can probably play about 500 tunes solo, so no charts, loopers or other effects are needed.

Of course, what works for me might not work for others......

Wow! 15 years! Way to go. I always say if you get a regular booking at a club for a year, that's pretty good in the music biz. Two years, outstanding. Three years is exceptional. Five or more and you basically become an institution. 500 songs by heart? I'm going to start calling you Ledbelly.

I've been at my best monthly gig for about four years now. That's the longest running regularly scheduled gig I've had though there was a club I used to do three shows a week at for about two years before the club folded. The bartender I worked with there got hired at the bar next door so I grabbed weds nights there for about a year and a half. Treating bar staff and soundmen good is always the way because they wind up moving club to club and can put in a good word for you. Make the club and bar staff money=more getting gigs and less getting told to turn down, lol.

For my gig rig I just have a dolly with some heavy duty webbing straps to hold the amp on. I have bags for my drinks and my cables/mics/etc so the handles slip over the cart handle and stay in place. Rigged up a clip/rope for the mic stand. Guitar in hand and five or six block hoof with a Twin is no big deal. During a SXSW gig one year I parked east of I-35 and walked downtown about a mile and a half and back thanks to the fun parking problems common during that time.

[xuoham]

I play a fair amount of solo gigs. On these gigs I usually start with about an hour of arrangements on classical guitar, then about 30 minutes of fingerstyle on a steel string acoustic, then chord solos on my archtop...

That's neat ! What's the brand and model of this rack case ?

Any video of the gear in action ?

Thnx

[Spook410]

It's a cool setup and thanks for sharing. Envious that you can do a 3 hour gig across several guitar styles. You certainly can't do classical and flat top fingerstyle through a Deluxe Reverb so yea.. takes lots of gear. But seriously.. not stereo?

OK.. kidding.. some..