For me: features in theory and in practice

[dmatthews]

On a practical level, I really only *need* one guitar to make it through a gig. But part of the fun of playing live is using a few different ones throughout the set or night. I bought my guitars to play them, not hang them on a wall.

Also, it's interesting to go back and listen to/watch tapes of the shows. Sometimes you can even hear people in the crown commenting when a new guitar makes an appearance.

For a brief, 45-minute set in the city, it's always a PRS and something with a hard tail. If it's multiple sets, that's where it gets much harder to choose a third axe!

Funny you say that. When I blew the D string on my 594 soapie, I then swapped to the Silver Sky. When we were done a lady came up to me and said "that guitar sounds way different than the last one!"
Before I could put down my stuff and ask what she meant she was gone.

 

[Joesnewmatch]

I thought you were going to say how impressed she was with your wang bar technique!

But seriously, she notice a difference in guitars and tone??? Wow, unicorns do exist!

 

[vchizzle]

I pretty much use 1 guitar the whole time. Have a backup in case of the string break. Fact of the the matter is, there’s no time to change a string in our typical 45 minute set. That’s one less song the audience hears and in our game, there’s no room for that. I don’t even like changing guitars in that time unless the show can continue rolling while doing so. If we play longer, I may have another guitar in a different tuning. Otherwise songs in different tunings don’t enter the set.

I do use effects to set song moods and create vibe, so my board is pretty good size. It’s programmed out as a bank per song. There’s
some songs that are more straightforward that can use the same banks if there’s not a bunch super specific effect presets. I many times stay on the same channel and ride volume for different levels of gain.

 

[dmatthews]

I thought you were going to say how impressed she was with your wang bar technique!

But seriously, she notice a difference in guitars and tone??? Wow, unicorns do exist!

I know right?
My brain was totally in cleanup/roadie mode so I wasn't quick on the draw enough. Stupid me.

 

[HellBat]

I try to keep to one during a gig, but have a spare in case of disaster. However sometimes I need to keep another in an alternate tuning due to female singers that want to change the key on almost every song.

 

[Rhythmisking]

Back when gigs were a thing I always took two, a "strat" type and a two 'bucker type. Essential.

 

[jxe]

who wants to carry two guitars when you’re already lugging a twin reverb around? it’s why they made superstrats right?