6 Things I Got WRONG About Pro Guitar Gigging in 2024

[@KyleLaulo]

This is really good advice and plenty more to unpack within each topic.

[@glennstevenson1010]

Great advice and so true. As a solo guitarist performer I have encountered a lot of the challenges(not problems, you dont have problems if you are playing music for a living) you mention. I still want to improve but now its more about having fun. I dont worry about not being the best as long as the audience is enjoying themselves and thats the most important thing. But you are so correct in your overview. Thank you and keep on Rockin....

[@EricBourassa]

@@glennstevenson1010 definitely! 100% agreed

[@JefferyHagen]

You can also just get or use an eq instead of different guitars for different genres. I’m a bedroom musician and I wasn’t satisfied with the tone of my humbuckers so I bought an eq because I don’t have the money for pickup experiments. I have it eq’d like a single coil except it’s a humbucker. Go figure.😂 Joe Walsh made a good point about playing live. He said that’s great you can play in the garage, but can you do it in front of 20,000 people? I don’t think I could. I’m a fisherman so I’ve done the same thing with bringing more tackle than I need especially fishing from shore.😂

[@kurtmisner7929]

I get it. Big crowds can be intimidating. But, when you see that they want you to succeed and enjoy what you are giving them, it might energize you. It does me. Admittedly, my largest audience was only 4-5k. Maybe a bit more.

[@BenBreard]

Pretty much matches my experience. .....also in the dfw area. :) cheers

[@EricBourassa]

@@BenBreard nice! I played at a church in McKinney this morning. Rowdy’s in Houston on Friday. Who do you play with?

[@BenBreard]

@EricBourassa these days I focus on my other life at a software company. :) I still pursue jazz and classical as a player & former UNT nerd. I played at highland Park United Methodist for 13 years and used to play around town quite a bit. I miss those days, but also super happy to not be doing it professionally anymore (if that makes any sense).

[@nuthinbutlove]

Toured for 40+ years. Only played 3 guitars, regularly only two. Had to leave the pedalboard and turn to a multi-effects unit. Individual pedals are great but not convenient.

[@EricBourassa]

@@nuthinbutlove 40+ years! That’s amazing. Agreed about pedals. Would love to hear your advice for those of us just getting started with touring life

[@nuthinbutlove]

@@EricBourassa always arrive at least an hour before and stay an hour later than everyone else. Always keep your word. Carry only necessary gear. What can go wrong will go wrong... Be prepared. A great attitude will always open doors for you. A bad attitude will close doors that will never again open, and will affect other connections as well. Stay humble. Appreciate the space you occupy. Enjoy the journey!

[@EricBourassa]

@@nuthinbutlove love it! Thank you

[@nuthinbutlove]

@@EricBourassa oh, and I almost forgot. Don't only work on learn the music well enough to play it in your sleep. Once you reach that point, spend even more time playing around with it and add a bit of spice here and there. Not enough to get in the way, but just enough to give it a little extra flavor. Not only will the little bits of spice you add here and there keep the repetition of playing the same songs for years fresh, but they'll also keep you interested in playing them and prevent boredom.

[@timtimmonsmusic]

last gig i did was with my practice rig which is a boss katana 50 and a line 6 pod go!. i just miced up my amp to the house pa and was good to go and it sounded great!. my marshall head and cab just sits in the corner now.. lol

[@Codydrummer1397]

KZ quad driver in ears are perfect. They cost $20-60 and the sound quality is incredible. Detachable/ replaceable cable. Been running the same pair for almost 4 years and they still sound awesome. I had shure in-ears many years ago and the KZ are better to me, especially with the fractional cost. Just be sure to get foam tips. The plastic ones suck.

[@EricBourassa]

@@Codydrummer1397 oh that’s awesome that you like them. I had them and they didn’t work for me, but it could be that I didn’t use foam!

[@Codydrummer1397]

@EricBourassa the foam made a big difference. More comfortable and way better dB reduction. That being said there's a multitude of personal reasons people may not like any set of in ears.

[@Johnny-oy9fh]

These are all the reasons why I never gave up the day job!!

[@MrLivebynight]

As someone who has done that job in the past - though not in a while, but I take pickup gigs - agreed on all points. I would say that if you are going to use a modeler, having both a direct and stage system (FRFR) would be ideal, so you can deal with various stage situations, especially if you have space in the trailer/bed for the contingency. I personally also like the QC over my Fractal or L6 rigs for the type of gigging you describe, largely because ease of use trumps any sonic arguments. I"m also from Fort Worth (west side, almost to White Settlement), but haven't lived there in forever. Also have two Parkers, now that I think of it!

[@EricBourassa]

Whoa! White Settlement is 5 min away from me. I'm in West Fort Worth. RAD. And 2 Parkers, too??? How about that! I've been thinking about getting an FRFR cab, though right now keeping my rig as small as possible keeps travel for the band simpler. Maybe once we get to the next level and have a bigger caravan. And yeah, QC is awesome.

[@MrLivebynight]

@@EricBourassa I grew up on Williams Road, so technically in the city of FW between WS and Benbrook. My parents still live in Westworth Village, but I haven't been back in a couple of years (I live in Madrid, Spain). I can highly recommend the Fender FR-10 as a cost-effective, portable, easy to use backline-type FRFR. I recently got two of them to use as monitors in my Studio, I've taken one to shows once in a while when I knew I'd need something on stage. I like them way better than the L6 PC+ I've had forever and any plastic PA cab I've ever tried. It is about the size of a Blues Jr, so easy to fit in. I like the 10 over the 12, the 12 can get a bit boomy and is bigger for zero sonic gain in guitar frequencies. Yeah, I have a Nitefly M and a DF842, and I (stupidly) had and sold a 90's Fly Deluxe. My main "versatile" guitars these days are Strandberg - I like being contrarian/weird, and the Prog and Sälen trem are both very versatile (similar to PRS CU24) while being around 5lbs. My aging back thanks me. I also like the Ibby headless for stage guitars, specifically the Q[X]54, but I need a trem for personal style reasons.

[@EricBourassa]

@ very cool. I’ll check out the Fender FR-10 thanks! I’m with you- the older I get, the more I value lightweight guitars

[@jp7963]

This vid and ones like it simply make me consider myself VERY lucky being born when I was. I toured professionally back in the very late 80's until the mid 90's and - wow - did we have fun! And we made money too. Quite a bit. Fast forward to today and this world of sterile silent stages and itchy in-ears and improv destroying click tracks to an audience just holding a sea of phones is just so... well.... dull! Dull in comparison to our chaotic parties we threw on stage anyway. I feel for you all. I really do. PS - I don't miss humping 4x12 guitar and 1x15 bass cabs up flights of stairs though. That bit was awful!

[@EricBourassa]

@@jp7963 I get that. And amazing you toured professionally! That’s where I’m headed. As far as in-ears go, I prefer it. Last night I played a show in Houston with wedge monitors and the sound was so muddy and unclear. I couldn’t tell what was happening frequently and just relied on muscle memory to nail my parts. I much prefer the clarity and control of in ear monitors. We can also program some really cool changes and song transitions that happen seamlessly thanks to tracks and cues. So I get the appeal of just rocking and feeling it as you go, but there are benefits to both

[@jp7963]

@@EricBourassa Oh I get that. i don't do many gigs these days but I did help my 19yr old niece out and played for her at a couple of shows this summer and I had to use my Helix and in-ears. Which was fine. And maybe practically does work better for all, as well as protecting peoples' hearing. So yes I get that. But I'm old skool I admit it! I really miss a bank of four 4x12 Marshall cabs behind me and a set of wedges almost blowing out in front. At soundchecks if my fillings started to rattle and my jeans flap as if in a hurricane then we knew we were ready to rock. I guess what I'm saying is with modern requirements and technology live music isn't quite as "live" as it used to be. If that makes sense! There's not as much "danger" or "on the edge" to it. But there is argument both way, as I say I get that. May I leave you with one quote that just popped in my mind as I was typing and enjoying your vid that I hope might make you and your viewers smile and that is a few of us on a tour were once asked what the difference was between an amateur and professional band and one of the other band members piped up: "You'll know when you've made it as a pro.... as you come offstage instead of having to think about load out some dude hands you a towel and a cold beer!"

[@Ottophil]

Halfway thru 2023 gigging my halfstack , i blew the power transformer, instead of fixing it. I got a friedman tube preamp and a duncan powerstage, and a 1x12 and have been gigging with way less guitars thanks to a digitech drop pedal.

[@EricBourassa]

@@Ottophil YES!!! that’s what I’m talking about. I think the quad cortex might have a way to change tunings… someone told me that recently and it would have saved me soooooo much retuning on a recent gig I was hired for. Love the efficiency of your new setup 🤘

[@Ottophil]

@ i used to gig 2 or 3 times a year. I did 30 3-hour shows in 2023, it was really needed so i wasnt breaking my back every other weekend

[@BobbyCulpepper.srv3fender]

I play for a living and play on ft worth about once a month. Its tough out there. The downside about the area theres no community for getting better. That community is in Nashville

[@EricBourassa]

where do you typically play in Fort Worth? I wanted to move to L.A. but my family is firmly planted here, so I gotta get creative making it work here. Nashville would be my second choice. However, I do know several full time musicians that are based here in Fort Worth and do well for themselves.

[@JohnStefaniFI]

All your gear is useless. HAHA So true. I was invited to sit in at a jam at a party. I brought a $200 guitar, a heavy tube amp cables and a pedal. Prior to seting up everything the other musicians had a spare guitar amp. The only thing I took out of the car was the guitar. - It was enough for the gig and still had alot of fun playing with guys I've never met before.

[@EricBourassa]

@@JohnStefaniFI heck yes. Love it

[@matthewotremba9230]

Been at it since 78 , and even then , those with Rockstar aspirations had to go BIG Tho they are playing in a bar . 2 small amps , mixed well is what I preached forever And folks ,,,,, amps that sit collected ?..... well,,,,,,, they are not meant to be stored away Electronics have a shelf life and do deteriorate with or without use Silly humans

[@EricBourassa]

YES, totally makes sense. Small amps or hybrid setups are the way to go!

[@Johnny-oy9fh]

Soo true

[@atonofspiders]

Funny how different everyone is.

[@EricBourassa]

@@atonofspiders that’s the spice of life 🫚🌶️

[@ghijkmnop]

I know someone who would give that Parker a good home. 😉

[@EricBourassa]

@@ghijkmnop I play both of my Parker’s pretty regularly. I actually needed one for a gig recently- there was no acoustic guitar so I had to pull double duty with electric and acoustic. So I used the piezo pickups and went back and forth from electric to acoustic with the flip of a switch on the Parker. Pretty convenient!

[@acetechnical6574]

Yo imma help you out you can send me any extra guitars Ill hold em for ya

[@EricBourassa]

ok thanks! I'll keep that in mind LOL

[@NecropsY1]

If all gear is useless play with nothing

[@EricBourassa]

@@NecropsY1 not quite what I said. “All YOUR gear is useless.” So for me, all the gear I amassed over the years, thinking I would need it for pro gigging… it was basically all useless and I had to get completely different gear

[@hankevans7890]

Is this your first band? You have a music school, but never played in a band? You’ve been buying all kinds of gear thinking a band would require you to have everything before hand? This is weird.

[@EricBourassa]

@@hankevans7890 not my first band. I’ve been playing in bands since I was 15 years old. I’ve also been writing, recording, and releasing my music pretty consistently for the past 15 years. But about a year ago is when I decided to stop wanking around and get serious about performing and touring as a full-time professional musician

[@ivankrushensky]

Save yourself the hassle and just get an Axefx3. You literally don't need anything else. There's a reason many of the pros use them.

[@MrLivebynight]

I have an FM9, QC, Helix, a ToneX board, and I've had Kemper and Axe II and III... Get the FM9 if you want Fractal. Ain't no one got time or space for the rack gear in a gigging situation, unless you are touring and have support. The floor format is just WAY MORE conducive to the types of gigs he was describing than rack+controller. But also like him, if I were going back to pro gigging, I'd use a QC. The Fractal stuff has one HUGE disadvantage as gear for a variety musician - it is a massive PITA to tweak live. Yes, it can be done, but it takes way too long compared to the QC (or Helix). Things that take under 5 seconds on the QC/HX take 20-30 seconds on the Fractal stuff, and that really matters when you're getting paid. The pros who use Fractal live - the ones you are referring to - have techs and fixed sounds per night, so this isn't an issue. It also isn't really an issue in a band that plays a fixed setlist, even without a tech. But for pickup PAID PRO gigs, QC is the current winner IMHO (and I have access to them all). I do those gigs sometimes - though not as a profession, not any more - and I use the QC for them. And a couple of Teles.

[@ivankrushensky]

@@MrLivebynight I agree with some of this (btw, my brother has Helix, both are acceptable imo). My reasons for using the rack- if you're in a situation where you're not running to the PA, I also have a 1U power amp, which can run to a cab. There's also the rackmount tuner I can see from a distance without squinting. Power protection as well. All fits in a 6U box (including my foot controller). All the cables stay plugged in- snap the ends on the rack and off I go. Perfectly safe in a van with crap stacked on it. Easy to carry- one trip. When I get to where I am going, I hand the XLR to FOH and plug the power in. If I'm running to a cab, flip the power amp on and plug the speaker cable into the cab. No fiddling around setting things up, it's all setup in about 30 seconds, because everything stays plugged in, inside the rack. I get what you're saying about floor units too.....that's what I used to do. But I really like the ease of rack....short of the adjustability on the fly- you're right about that part.

[@MrLivebynight]

@@ivankrushensky sounds to me like you use a fixed set list or set of sounds, where the tweakability isn't a HUGE deal. For someone like me who might be playing hard rock one night and country the next and pop variety the next, having on-unit editing is paramount. QC is the fastest to edit for bread-n-butter sounds IME. Helix is great, too, but the menu system is slower, and the stock settings on everything are atrocious (sounds great when dialed in, just stock settings are BAD bad). Coming from someone who used to tour with a pair of DC-30's (I look back and am amazed my back isn't in worse shape), the idea of lugging a six-space rack around sounds nightmarish to me. But I live in Europe now, and I take public transit to most gigs - so floorboards make a ton of sense, I can carry a dual guitar bag and a simple backpack with my FM9 or QC and just take the Metro. If I were driving more places I don't think it would feel so ungainly. And I can set up my QC or FM9 completely in about the time that it takes to boot - power in, power on, plug in XLR to FOH, plug in my wireless (I've been using the BOSS ones that are battery powered, WL-20 I think - I have a pro Shure bodypack setup, too, but don't like to bother in tiny places and haven't had issues), by the time the channel is up on the mixer I'm good to go. I often use a FR-10 as well, that takes a LITTLE more time, but less than plugging into a backline (which I despise, since I hate the crap speakers in most backline amps around here - I have the gear and don't bother).

[@ivankrushensky]

@@MrLivebynight 100% correct about the Helix stock lol. It's funny you say that, because my brother and I sat down with his and tweaked it together. Sounds great now. Even the IRs on Axefx weren't great, so I got them directly from Celestion and it sounded immediately better. My actual cab is V30, and the Axefx was wayyyy too dark for V30s- which are typically a very Midsy sound. Once I got the IRs from Celestion, it sounds pretty much identical to my cab with it a mic. They have all different kinds of mics, speaker configurations, open back, closed back, etc.

[@EricBourassa]

I considered the Axefx3 but went with Quad Cortex. I think any of those units will get the job done pretty well

[@Earthwormjimm]

I would never put a picture of my kids on the internet like that