How much gear to bring???

[BrianC]

So I am late to the game in giging, turned 56 in April. I have played out now twice as the main band (not open mic or other situations). I play guitar and sing and can do some minor things on keys as well as percussion with my drum machine.

What I am bringing so far:

• My main/#1 PRS
• Second PRS with piezo for one or two songs, DI box and cables
• pedal board
• Amp head
• Amp cabinet
• Mic, stand
• Vocal processor pedal (must have)
• bag of cables, batteries and all the misc junk
• back up amp, back up wireless, back up pedal board

I have not brought the keys as we have a keyboard player, though I could add something but it would be very minor. Nor have I brought the drum machine as so far the only place I would use it would be for hand claps on one song.

My question: This seems like a lot of junk to drag around. Do you bring this much? More? Less? Suggestions??

 

[Ovibos]

Not sure what the clubs you're playing are like, but when I was gigging I never brought mic/stand - that was part of the venue PA setup.
If you're looking to simplify a little, I'd ditch the wireless. While I never personally got the hang of the latency on mine (which you may have, or have something better/newer), I also never played venues big enough to give me roaming room that made me feel like I needed wireless.
I also never gigged with pedals I felt I couldn't trust, so no backup board for me. Maybe figure out if any of them are untrustworthy and replace those, or just have spare of that?
Instead of a dedicated drum machine for handclaps, maybe just a backing track on your phone or an iPad that you can plug in.

 

[CVS]

I am 63, so I try to minimize what I have to carry as much as I can, especially if stairs are involved at the gig.

2 guitars max
2 combo amps max (one is solid state - much lighter and more reliable, even if tone is not "perfect")
As few pedals as I can get away with - usually clean boost, distortion, delay and chorus pedals
Requisite cables etc

And that is about all.
PS - I don't sing, so someone else will bring mic, PA etc....

 

[sergiodeblanc]

2 guitars, pedals, (occasionally) one amp.

 

[Screamingdaisy]

Guitar
2x20 foot cables
Amp (1x12 combo)
Tuner (TU-3 and headstock)
Spare pack of strings w/ cutters
Trussrod tool
Picks

Bass
2x20 foot cables
Amp
Cab
Tuner (TU-3 fed off amp)
Spare pack of strings w/ cutters
Trussrod tool
Nail clippers

I have a bag I keep in my truck with spare cables, tubes, fuses, straps, strings, tools, tape, extension cords, power bars, etc. All the stuff I may need, but don't typically need every gig.

I don't gig a pedalboard so I typically prefer to use a headstock tuner, however headstock tuners don't work particularly well when the band is already playing so I've gone back to using a TU-3 on stage.

This is for local stuff with 45 minute sets and multiple bands on the bill, so if something were to go down I'd ask another band to help me out. If I were touring or playing 3 hour gigs I'd have a backup of everything.

 

[Ovibos]

Also, I never got past the stage of playing small shows where there were always other bands on the bill - usually new bands.

Your fellow musicians appreciate nothing more than you loading off the stage quickly so that they don't lose the crowd between sets. Simple, quick load-ins are key in those circumstances.

Not gigging now, but might go back to it - so even tho I don't use a lot of pedals (more about the amp footswitch) I just had a floorboard made with extra jacks so I can have super simple cabling for pedals, FX loop, and amp footswitch. I'll throw a pic up in the pedalboard thread soon...

 

[andy474x]

Man, that's a lot of stuff!

Are you the only vocalist in the band? If you've got a dedicated vocalist, first thing I would do is get them to move any vocal related gear. Don't know if that's an option for you or not.

If you're the only one on vocals, you're just stretching yourself too thin (IMO). Having too much to set up is stressful and I like to worry about my set, not my gear. What I would recommend:
- Main guitar and a backup, but unless the acoustic sound is essential, drop the DI and extra cables and just play clean on those songs.
- Amp, cab, pedalboard
- Vocal processor (I guess...)
- Mic, cable, stand - you never know what's gonna be there when you get to a gig, these items tend to "disappear" with other bands. Dedicated music venues less so, but don't trust the local watering hole to know what the heck is going on with their PA rig.
- Drop the backup wireless for an extra cable (maybe drop the whole wireless if not necessary)
- If there's another band on the bill with an amp you could play through if yours goes down, that's a plus.
- Rarely in my experience will your whole pedalboard go down. Maybe a pedal, a patch cable, or your power supply, but those are easy fixes. Make sure you have good quality cables, some spares, and any faulty ones are switched out immediately. Shorted cables are the #1 cause of pedalboard problems for me, not that it happens often. Have an extra power supply like a 1 Spot, in case your power fails. Something will work, be it pulling a single pedal out and just using that, or just using the gain channel on your amp, if you can't isolate the problem in time for the set.
- Get a "go bag/box" as described above. I keep screwdrivers, pliers, tubes, extra strings, cables, multimeter, picks, in a small toolbox. Usually leave it in the truck, but it's there just in case.

Gigs are hard enough man. I go as simple as I can. This is my rig:
- Guitar(s)
- Amp/cab
- Pedalboard
- Cables
- Go box

Between guitar and vocal duty, and the associated gear hauling and setup, you're doing a LOT! Maybe consider getting a second guitar, or vocalist, to ease the load, if the opportunity presents itself!

 

[BrianC]

Thank you all for the advice

 

[Atomic]

My gig set up was a guitar, a cable, a tuner, and a combo.

 

[László]

Guitar, cable, amp, boost, tuner, delay. Strap, spare cable, strings, and spare tubes in a small accessory bag.

For keyboard gigs, a keyboard, a direct box, a volume pedal and a couple of cables.

Bass gigs, a bass, a direct box, and a couple of cables.

My first show was in 1965. People didn't even have spare guitars and amps then. We were primitive.

 

[Deli6505]

Definitely bring 2 guitars. Me personally, I bring my DGT and my Tremonti SE. For amps, a lot of guys who gig a bunch are using the Fractals and Kempers but for me, it's a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Roadster with a matching 4x12 OS cab w/Vintage 30s and I also bring my Joyo Zombie 20-watter for backup and backstage practicing. Pedals, unless they are really fickle like tc electronic gear, are generally well constructed and you shouldn't need backups there.