I was told that i shouldn't even take my guitar out to play live.

[Village Idiot]

Been playing this bad boy everywhere, since 2004!

 

[Bearston]

My first job out of high school, I was a pizza maker. Down the street was Boddington Music where my wine red LP Deluxe was hanging in the window...I fell in love, placed a deposit and worked my ass off to pay for it, extra shifts and weekends. My pride at having the having perseverance to pay for it ($600 Canadian, 1975. Pay was $3.75/hr.) meant that it was going to be on every gig, come hell or high water.
One night I got shitfaced and on the way home leaned it against a tree to pee and forgot it there. Boy was I lucky and eventually got it back, a sympathetic guy found it and reported it to the police, he got a bottle of 25 yr old Scotch from me in appreciation. I gave up drinking two years later, thank God!
It became even more important that my lucky charm was out on every show with me, and has been ever since. I have a few more guitars now, but that Lester, my old friend, is still with me on every show and the 'cheap' gits stay at home I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Leee]

… I got shitfaced and on the way home leaned it against a tree to pee and forgot it there. … … I gave up drinking two years later …

Only took two years?


Just messing with you.
I get it.
It’s cool you still have that guitar.
That’s a bond not many people have.

 

[Welhaven]

I have four guitars to choose from, when I’m playing live. Right now I do the whole denim vest/white V-look. It’s my most valued guitar for me personally, and if someone stole it, I would be very upset. The Fenders are both MiMs that I’ve modded to my specs.

 

[CyFan]

That's what they're made for. Play it!

 

[searswashere]

That's been some of my thinking too. Save the cost of insurance and over time, you'd have saved enough to buy a replacement or two. Or another pedal or two each year. I like your thinking.
Talked myself out of insurance.

I would have to pay over 25 years of insurance at the current rate to replace my two CS guitars. I’ll pay the insurance lol.

 

[Lord Brutalus]

Yes. I play the shit out of my LPC. I don’t think about what it’s worth when I play it just how much I love it.

 

[Norfolk Wizard]

Do you guys play your "expensive guitars" live?

I was at a show, and I was playing my Les Paul Custom. After our set a guy came up to me and said, "you're crazy for even taking that guitar out". I told him you only live once.

What do you think? I probably wouldn't play out a collector's guitar worth over 10k, but why even buy something like that if you aren't going to plY it?

The guitar I was playing was a 2008 LPC.
View attachment 674233

As you said ... You only live once! If you were keeping it as an investment ... that's different. However, use her as want and flaunt her to the World!

 

[Speedshopandy]

Do you guys play your "expensive guitars" live?

I was at a show, and I was playing my Les Paul Custom. After our set a guy came up to me and said, "you're crazy for even taking that guitar out". I told him you only live once.

What do you think? I probably wouldn't play out a collector's guitar worth over 10k, but why even buy something like that if you aren't going to plY it?

The guitar I was playing was a 2008 LPC.
View attachment 674233

Well, "The Reverend" himself, Billy F Gibbons, takes his precious '59 LP Goldtop "Miss Pearly Gates" on tour almost every time, a guitar that is near the category "priceless".
Guitars are made for one purpose - to be played.
Really nice axe BTW ...

 

[Audrix]

Expensive or not, if the guitar is RELIC (light relic or heavy relic) I take it out and don't lend it and don't boast about the price and the age !
Only experts make difference between standard, Custom Shop, Masterbuilt, Vintage (sse the attached picture)
If the guitar is gloss, I don't take it in crowded places.
I think every guitar "need" to be played.
The real tests for a guitar is RECORDING gigs or LIVE gigs with a band

To avoid covetousness, I never leave my guitars visible on the back seat of my car (always in car boot) and never a long time in the car (too cold or too hot).
Each of my guitars have a permanent strap: even in his case (with an unexpensive strap lock)

 

[RedSkwirrell]

Do you guys play your "expensive guitars" live?

I was at a show, and I was playing my Les Paul Custom. After our set a guy came up to me and said, "you're crazy for even taking that guitar out".

If it's valuable, it's a target for thieves.
It will get dinged out, or at home.
If you want to play it live (and you bear all that in mind), play it live; show it off; enjoy it.

I played my '91 Std burst live and kept one of my others on the side as a strung back-up.
Didn't get the opportunity to play my 2010 Ltd live (and I don't think it would be the right tool for the job anyway).

Do I consider the value of my keyboards, which are worth more than my LP's, before I p[lay 'em?
Nope.

Ride that bastid (...and keep a large trusted friend on watch)!

 

[mjross]

Strange new world where you need someone to keep watch on your guitars! It was a long time ago but I remember clubs where the bands left their guitars on the stands the whole time they played the club. Looking back on it, I even did it a couple times. Yeah, stupid I know! Would not do that today.

 

[Juan Tumani]

If it's valuable, it's a target for thieves.

Everything everywhere all the time is a target for thieves.

Steal at first opportunity, then figure out if it was worth the risk.

 

[mjross]

People need to keep their hands off other people shit. Thieves need to be dealt with like they did in the old days!

 

[dspelman]

Do you guys play your "expensive guitars" live?

I
View attachment 674233

No and "Hell, No!"

I have two sets of "bar guitars" that were far from expensive, and they go to work. Once you've battled with an insurance company to get them to pay up on a claim, you'll understand why.

I've got an old ('67) Lamborghini 400 GT that doesn't make grocery runs. The Honda Civic does.

 

[Leee]

If the guitar is gloss, I don't take it in crowded places.

Everything I own is gloss.
(The “relic” thing escapes me)

Each of my guitars have a permanent strap: even in his case (with an unexpensive strap lock)

Same here.
Dedicated strap with Schaller locks.
(Mostly leather)

 

[RedSkwirrell]

Everything everywhere all the time is a target for thieves.
Steal at first opportunity, then figure out if it was worth the risk.

Yes.

 

[Steven]

It's amazing how many think Hammet is actually dead.

 

[Brek]

I get what he means, so many lite fingered bastids out there. That there is a risk factor.

 

[Steven]

No. Contextually? Not in the least. Is $5K a lot for a guitar? Certainly. However, even if your $5K guitar doubles in value in say 10 years. You now have a $10K investment. In the hills and valleys of life, what is $10K doing? Not much. If you believe it IS a lot of cash? I’d guarantee you are going to have financial struggles throughout your life. My entire intention was to simply point out that overall it is not a lot of money. You’d have a difficult time aptly proving different.