Do you guys gig your boutique amps?

[David Garner]

Absolutely. I don’t own an amp or guitar I won’t gig.

 

[apoyando]

The real question is…
Unless you are using your equipment solely for recording why else would you own it?
Unless you never gig of course.

 

[Crash-VR]

We get paid well in Disney playing the exact same set 5 times a day for families and kids outdoors who eat fish and chips have a blast. I could use my best stuff or my crap gear and no one will notice, nor will our pay increase. I use a Katana and my 75 Penco Les Paul.

Sounds miserable.

 

[cstmrts]

When I had a boutique amp, yes.
Can't have a piece of gear if it's not for stage action!

 

[guitars&guns]

I gig my Dr Z, and Matchless but Ive recently started only using my Eric gales Mark DV for rehearsals to save tube time.

 

[drbob1]

Yes! We have a pickup gig to raise money for the park every year and I've taken: a Fuchs, a 3 Monkeys, a Keedy and an Alessandro as well as assorted Fenders and Marshalls.
In church I play a Holland amp set up as a sort of DC30R copy.

 

[rugglesgreen]

Do you consider Matchless, and Dr. Z boutique?

Matchless??? Umm absolutely!!!!!

 

[tonedover]

Venue depedent.
same as whether or not to bring your $10k les paul or your squier.

 

[bigben55]

Yep. My Valvetrain has been my #1 gig amp for a while(have a Chicago Blues Box amp as well!) but have bern playing the Tonemaster blonde Twin Reverb mostly since I got it. I'm going to take it to a gig Saturday and see how it does I fully expect it to do great and to become gig amp #1.

I gig my Dr Z, and Matchless but Ive recently started only using my Eric gales Mark DV for rehearsals to save tube time.

 

[katuna]

I don't think I've gigged anything but a boutique amp since like 1999 or so.

 

[wrxplayer]

Sure. Why would I buy one to leave at home?

 

[Meriphew]

If it's a really sketchy place, I'll use my Peavy Bandit. If it's an upscale joint I'll use my Gorilla.

 

[smolder]

I have boutique amps, modest amps, and original tweed / browns. I don’t hesitate to take any of them. Same with guitars. Even for open mic or jams… it’s just not that hard to keep track of gear.

 

[Pongo]

I've always wondered what the consensus is on this. On the one hand, why have boutique amps if not to play them loud? On the other, spilled beer and generally people being drunk and/or disorderly.

I've always been of the mind that it depends on the venue (if I'm familiar with it).

I'm playing in a punk rock band now and will probably just bring the old Peavey given the environment.

I definitely get that there's a certain additional stress level and distraction when you're playing and you can see someone(s) out of the corner of your eye, clumsily swaying back and forth near your expensive head/cab. But doesn't stop me from using my favorite amps/guitars, either.

That's not to say nothing ever happens. An entire pitcher of beer was once spilled on my super nice Mesa Mark IV/Cab at a show... by me. Fortunately, the amp was just fine, though my bandmates were... displeased.

My least favorite part about playing in closer/more casual settings around intoxicated people has always been after a show when a fellow gearhead gets enough "beer courage" to ask to play a guitar of mine. I mean, come on, strange drunk dude I don't know – are you even serious?

 

[62Tele]

Oh hell yes - my Allens are more reliable than any of my prior (many) vintage amps and absolute workhorses that sounds great. That’s why I bought them.

 

[Trem-o-lux]

Sounds miserable.

Sounds like having a job. There's lots of worse jobs.

 

[Dontchaknow]

I gig my Rambler, not sure if that qualifies as boutique since i got it used at close to what a new DRRI is going for.

 

[Waldo Nova]

Gigged with my Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ consistently... until last year when they quadrupled in price. Now it's the Friedman Smallbox which isn't really a sacrifice in tone (or amp value +/-).

 

[Waldo Nova]

And as soon as your gig gear starts to appreciate, because it will (see: vintage Squier), you will do the same and bring the cheaper stuff... or at least think about it.

 

[eigentone]

Does mesa count as boutique anymore?

If you ask me, Mesa has not been a "boutique" amp manufacturer for several decades.