what do you do when your guitarist breaks a string mid set?

[skidder652003]

So there we were, in the middle of "just got paid" / "American woman" by ZZ Top/ The guess Who - in the pub tonight when the guitarist busts a string, goes out of tune and stops playing. What would you guys do in that situatiion? Me and the drummer improvised into a dodgy jazz funk thing for a couple of minutes whilst said guitarist fumbles for new strings, restrings and retunes. We discussed it after the gig, and as its happened before and likely to happen again we think we should have a standby "question and answer" thing going on between myself and the drummer to cover the guitarists ass. Its really panicky when it happens in a room full of punters! Any ideas, experiences? Dont suggest he gets a standby axe cos he hasnt got a pot to piss in

[Blademan_98]

It has only happened once to me and we just got into a groove of drum and bass

The guitarist can change strings pretty quick

A bit of banter with the punters and off we go!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='skidder652003' post='1298705' date='Jul 10 2011, 01:53 AM']So there we were, in the middle of "just got paid" / "American woman" by ZZ Top/ The guess Who - in the pub tonight when the guitarist busts a string, goes out of tune and stops playing. What would you guys do in that situatiion? Me and the drummer improvised into a dodgy jazz funk thing for a couple of minutes whilst said guitarist fumbles for new strings, restrings and retunes. We discussed it after the gig, and as its happened before and likely to happen again we think we should have a standby "question and answer" thing going on between myself and the drummer to cover the guitarists ass. Its really panicky when it happens in a room full of punters! Any ideas, experiences? Dont suggest he gets a standby axe cos he hasnt got a pot to piss in [/quote]
I'd expect the guitarist to make it to the end of the song with a missing string and then change strings in about one minute between songs.

[paul_5]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1298766' date='Jul 10 2011, 09:04 AM']I'd expect the guitarist to make it to the end of the song with a missing string and then change strings in about one minute between songs.[/quote]

+1. tenths on the bass are surprisingly good at 'filling out' when a guitarist has a "skinny 'un" go down on him. Or if it's a 'riff based' piece then an octave pedal is your best friend.

[molan]

Definitely don't stop mid-song, expect the guitarist to get through (even if he's got a floyd-rose and goes out of tune!).

Wait for him to pick up his spare guitar and carry on again

I've only once been in a band where the guitarist had only one guitar and he used to break strings all the time. Luckily it was a hard tail and not a trem model and had a quick change bridge. However we eventually insisted he buy another guitar (or change his aggressive playing style / gauge of strings) because it made us look so unprofessional waiting for him to change strings all the time.

Luckily we had a singer with a gift for nattering to audiences but it still didn't look great

[JTUK]

Make him swap gtrs pdq..!!

but I'd expect him to get to the end of the song without too much trouble. Make light of it and move on.

Then we would be asking why he isn't carrying a backup.

Cut down bass grooves would just highlight how embarrassingly unprepared the band were/are.

Edited July 10, 2011 by JTUK

[flyfisher]

I've seen loads of bands where the guitarist breaks a string but I don't remember any of them stopping mid-song.

[Conan]

[quote name='JTUK' post='1298799' date='Jul 10 2011, 09:56 AM']Cut down bass grooves would just highlight how embarrassingly unprepared the band were/are.[/quote]

This.

Also, I would have thought that it was the job of the singer to cover a bit if the guitar goes down. It also depends which song you are playing when the string breaks. If it relies heavily on guitar it might be better to stop, play something else that doesn't suffer too much from the lack of guitar and play the "song where the string broke" later in the set.

But he really should be able to continue till the end of the song!

[Monckyman]

There are many usable backup guitars available for about the same if not less than a pot to piss in.
Failing that, ask him to borrow one for gigs.
No excuses.

[sprocketflup]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1298766' date='Jul 10 2011, 09:04 AM']I'd expect the guitarist to make it to the end of the song with a missing string and then change strings in about one minute between songs.[/quote]

Exactly - Ive bust an E once but still played on just transposed everything up an octave. i would expect any other band member to do the same. The show must go on

[rmshaw37]

We always have a spare for quick swaps, just add the power chords to your roots till they've swapped!

[Lozz196]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1298766' date='Jul 10 2011, 09:04 AM']I'd expect the guitarist to make it to the end of the song with a missing string and then change strings in about one minute between songs.[/quote]

Or, make it to the end of the song, unstraps the guitar, straps on the backup (surely [u]all[/u] guitarists gig with backup guitars for this reason?), then tunes it whilst the singer (if not the guitarist of course) or a-n-other band member ad-libs about the next song/introduces the band. Gap of about a minute in-between songs.

[skidder652003]

Thanks guys, went and got a pretty nice looking 2nd hand squire on fleabay for 120 notes

[url="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260814393704&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...e=STRK:MEWNX:IT[/url]

which he can have on permenant loan . Like everyone says, it looks really unprofessional not to have some backup plan when the inevitable happens! Talking of which how many of you take a spare bass to gigs? have to say in the years ive been playing never busted a big one!

[Monckyman]

I always take another because some songs are in drop tuning mainly and I can`t be fussed tying to detune properly between songs, but it`s good to have a backup just in case.
I`ve snapped a double bass string mid gig, which took a little more than a minute to sort out.

[King Tut]

Spare geetar - bit of D&B while he/she changes over - only option really!

[LiamPodmore]

Let the 2nd guitarist carry on playing and hope the song doesnt have a solo or any recognisable riffs that the lead guitarist plays. That and probably end the song early, like after the next chorus. Fortunately, this has never happened to us, and neither of our guitarists carry spare guitars or strings (That would be a good idea) so we'd be pretty screwed. Ive also taken a spare bass to gigs a few times, including my gig last night, but i don't do this too often as my 2nd bass is in the middle of a full electronics change that i can't afford to finish yet, and we're also sometimes quite tight for space too.

Liam

Edited July 17, 2011 by LiamPodmore

[Ed_S]

If you really wanna be able to make quick changes in an emergency, grab an ABY box and have your spare guitar already on a spare lead, just pick one up, put one down, hit the button and off you go.

[chris_b]

We've only one guitarist who regularly breaks strings, the rest just don't. He's the same guy whose batteries go flat mid song, leads fail and pedals stop working, etc. It's his band so we just smile and carry on.

A couple of guys take 2 guitars but if a string breaks mid song, depending on which string, first rule is to get to the end of the song. Sometimes it's bass solo time, that's not good, and sometimes it's drum solo time, which is usually very good.

You just have to turn the situation into part of the show.

[SlackAlice]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1298766' date='Jul 10 2011, 09:04 AM']I'd expect the guitarist to make it to the end of the song with a missing string and then change strings in about one minute between songs.[/quote]

+1

Angie

[Merton]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1298766' date='Jul 10 2011, 09:04 AM']I'd expect the guitarist to make it to the end of the song with a missing string and then change strings in about one minute between songs.[/quote]
+1. Or have a spare guitar to swap over to afte rthe song ends, that's what we do.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Obviously, the best thing is to smile alot , look gormless if necessary
and don't flap like a budgie. Playing theme tunes for a minute or so
has worked for me. Never look stressed!

[BigRedX]

When I was gigging as a guitarist rather than a bassist I would have never considered going on stage without at least one back-up guitar ready tuned and easily accessible in case I broke a string.

[bartelby]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1298766' date='Jul 10 2011, 09:04 AM']I'd expect the guitarist to make it to the end of the song with a missing string and then change strings in about one minute between songs.[/quote]


That!

and I'd point and laugh.

At one gig my guitarist's amp blew a fuse and died. Me, the drummer and the vocalist just carried on and finished the song.

[xgsjx]

I take it the guitar has a whammy & it's the reason it goes out of tune? Might need some adjustments to minimise that happening if it's the case.

I broke a string mid song whilst playing guitar about a month ago (and also about 2 months ago) & finished the entire set with no G string
Imprivisation is the way to go!

[ellie]

I've had several guitarists break strings over the years, I expect them to be able to keep playing. and either change the string after or switch to a spare! I've had one do that mid song so me and the drummer simply improvised while I went into a bass solo! I always take at least two basses with me just in case something happens!