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I for one am not in the "troubleshooting" mode when I get up in front of people to perform music!
blacklove
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+ 1…well said. My sentiments exactly. I don't want to try to do repairs during a gig, or even change a string during a set. As has already been said, such a break in the musical flow is a definite "buzz kill."
I always have a backup…in the form of my acoustic. My playlist includes songs that I do on an acoustic, so I always have my Breedlove tuned up on its stand behind me, ready go for acoustic numbers…or just in case.
I've had good luck overall with instruments and equipment at gigs. I don't remember the last time I broke a string at a gig. Like others responding here, I too change strings before a gig (ideally the day before), so string breakage is rarely a problem. However…
I once had my guitar tuner go out on me, and I couldn't hear well enough to tune my Tele by ear on stage. I tried tweaking it through a couple of more songs, but never felt completely comfortable with it, so after a couple of tries I just switched to acoustic for the rest of the set.
And then there was the time that the 9-volt battery in my acoustic/electric went out on me during a gig. Boy, was I glad I had another guitar to turn to.
Of course, switching from electric to acoustic (or vice versa) can mean changes to what you play when, or how you play it. But that improvisation (albeit forced) adds a bit of spontaneity to your performance. The words of Marine Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway (a.k.a. Clint Eastwood in
Heartbreak Ridge) to his charges might well be taken to heart by musicians: "You adapt. You overcome. You improvise."