Guitarists who use two main instruments, differently, for shows (see first post for what I mean)

[Highway 49]

I was thinking about a rig rundown with Kelley Deal (The Breeders), where she talks about switching between a Strat and a Les Paul for shows because they give her access to very different sounds or help her to do different things. I know many musicians will have a main guitar and a back up, and nearly all will have other instruments too, and some will use ten in a show, but I was really thinking about where two instruments maybe fill in each others gaps - maybe they work better for particular songs, or they have different tunings, whatever.
So, if anyone has any cool videos, pictures or stories to share, post away - meanwhile, here's Kelley Deal...

 

[acoustic rob]

There's a Jason Isbell song where he switches from a Tele in the first half (where he's mostly riffing) to a LP in the second half (for an Allman Brothers-like solo with Sadler Vaden). And as a bonus, in the live clip below you can see the keyboard player bounce over from something digital (where he had been playing piano chords) to a B3 right before Isbell straps on the LP. Two for one!

 

[Chuckster]

 

[teletimetx]

View attachment 1392885
View attachment 1392887

Wow - he even changed T-shirts, too!

 

[Sparky2]

Peter Frampton generally used three per show, back in the day.

1955 Strat (burned up in the 1980 cargo plane crash).
1954 Les Paul Custom (burned up in the plane crash, stolen from the wreckage, lost for many years, and then returned to service).
1964 Epiphone Texan. Peter still owns and plays this same guitar to this day.

 

[Powdog]

Two completely different instruments…

…and a clever pick holder too boot.

 

[Highway 49]

Two completely different instruments…
View attachment 1392897
…and a clever pick holder too boot.

I guess that takes us to the whole phenomenon of the guitarist with keyboard or keyboardist with guitar. Here’s Kelley Deal again…

 

[sammy1974]

 

[badinfinities]

Ollie Halsall from Patto switched between vibraphone and lead guitar for the first two albums. Later, he switched between guitar and piano. He was a bad MF on all three instruments.

 

[Highway 49]

View attachment 1393017

Yep, let’s take the concept just a little bit further

 

[Maguchi]

Lately it's been a Tele and a ES-335

 

[toanhunter]

this guy has 4 guitars in one

 

[Nogoodnamesleft]

Not seriously gigging but if I was I'd like to have both the Jazzmaster and the acoustic 12.

 

[canteytoque]

I suppose you're looking for specific examples, of which I have none for this post, which is just to say that pros often have at least one guitar dedicated to a non-standard tuning when performing onstage.

Editing this to add that I'm referring to tunings like DGDGBD (open G) and DADGAD.

 

[Flyboy]

I worked with a guitarist who owns two Strat Plus models; one was tuned to Eb. He also regularly swapped to a '60s tele for certain numbers.

 

[FlarbNarb]

I worked with a guitarist who owns two Strat Plus models; one was tuned to Eb. He also regularly swapped to a '60s tele for certain numbers.

I used to set up with a standard tuned strat and a Tele tuned Eb. The blame fell completely on the keyboard player.

 

[Flyboy]

I used to set up with a standard tuned strat and a Tele tuned Eb. The blame fell completely on the keyboard player.

The weird thing about that gig was the bassist stayed in A440 during those tunes the guitarist moved to Eb.

 

[FlarbNarb]

The weird thing about that gig was the bassist stayed in A440 during those tunes the guitarist moved to Eb.

As a bass player also, I never change my tuning unless it's off of standard (out of tune piano we need to accommodate). When playing bass, I rarely and I mean RARELY play open strings so key is never a problem as it can be with guitar as chord voicings can get weird.

 

[Dismalhead]

My set is designed for my PRSs, which feel and soundwise are very similar. A lot of the last decade has been dedicated to getting lighter equipment and simplifying playing on the move. The rest of my guitars though I have a deliberately wide spectrum ranging from delicate single coils to metal shredders. Other than my PRSs I don't think any two have the same pickups or sound alike - I don't want them to.

 

[posttoastie]