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If you play live, at some point you realize your stage show has a lot to do with your credibility. However, you need to record a CD and have it sound good. So what do you do? You can spend a small amount of money on a guitar that will be playable and then spend a small fortune making it sound good enough to record, but then you have a guitar that may not be taken seriously on stage. You could also spend it some cases a lot less and have both. It really depends on what the budget will allow. First step is to prioritize your needs. Say you are just getting started and you need a PA an an amp too. You may need to just get a guitar. The good news is most people can’t tell the difference between a Mexican made Fender strat and an American strat. In this case it might be good to go a little lower on the quality of guitar. If you are into the humbucker sound, go with a Ibanez, Jackson or Epiphone. They all have recognizable shapes and will cut it with the “good from far but far from good” idea.


Now say you have been playing for a while and have saved up a little money for a demo CD. With a pickup change you can get a lot better sound out of your guitar for less than $200.00. You’ll still be playing a lower end guitar, but you will have a much better sounding CD. Live, the audience for the most part won’t be able to hear good tone, but in the studio, it makes a big difference. Hopefully you can get hold of a good tube amp for the recording, and a lot of studios have good amps to plug into for the session. Check into your local studios to see what they have available.


After you get a good sounding demo CD get a good cover and packaging together. T-shirts are another good way to get some revenue going. Sell, sell, sell! Next its time for a good guitar. Pay attention to who you like and what they play on. Remember the guitar is only half the recipe. Your amp has a lot to do with your sound, so do your research. If you like Clapton’s tone with Cream, you are going to have to pick up a Gibson Les Paul or an SG. He also recorded on a Fender champ and the live gigs were on a Fender twin reverb. Goggle is a good place to get this kind of info. You can also head to your local guitar shop and plug in. Again think tubes on the amps. Combo or Stack? A combo is very portable, but if you are in a metal band, you get a lot more cred with a stack and more so with a full stack. Playing live you have to think about road worthy gear as well, so try not to get the cheapest gear you can find. Again, name brands really make it look like you know what you are doing. Like a lot of things, presentation is as important as playing well.


Another thing you have to pay attention to is your style. Your band look might have a very large part in your instrument selection. A more vintage looking and sounding band might do well to check out the many random vintage guitars on ebay as well as your used sections in music stores and pawn shops. Be careful that the gear sounds good before you spend money on it! On ebay, check the return policy of the seller. You can get burned sometimes, but if you are careful and know what you are looking for you can find diamonds in the rough for a much lower investment. Sometimes, you can pick up a vintage guitar and change a few components making it play better sound amazing and give you the cred you need to get yourself to the next level. Remember tat vintage gear is always worth more with original everything, so if you plan on reselling it eventually, it has to sound good stock. Worse case, at least keep the original parts of you can put it back on when you sell it.


Now you have the gear to play live, record, and look good while doing it! Whats next? Lighting gives your show a much more professional appearance. Get a portable light stand and a few key lights to make it look full. I recommend the LS7730 for a light stand. It runs about $170 and can fit enough lights to fill about any room. As far as lights, a couple LED par cans, a Scorpion storm FX, and a light that throws a lot of color down in the middle. These light can be set to change to the music automatically and will give your shows a lot of motion so if you guys don’t move a lot yourselves it can cover it up a bit. You won’t always need the lights, but at backyard shows and small gigs, it makes a huge difference.


If you have any questions, post a comment and I’ll try to get back to you! Good luck and good playing!


Jeremy Gift