I was the victim of a freak accident on a gig recently and it really drove home the point of how important it is, as a guitar player, to be prepared for anything.
Whether it's playing guitar on a gig, rehearsing with a band, or just jamming in the basement with some buddies - there is always the possibility that Murphy will rear his ugly head and turn an otherwise pleasant musical experience into a nightmare.
The freak accident happened as I was setting up for a recent outdoor gig.
I had pulled out one of my guitars and was getting ready to put the strap on it, when I realized that the strap button on the guitar was loose and needed to be tightened.
With the guitar in my right hand, and the strap in my left, I reached out to toss the strap over the top of my amp so I could free up my hand to work on the guitar.
Here's where the "freak" part comes in.
When I tossed the strap on to my amp, the strap lock button of the strap swung down and into the open back of the amp.
As soon as that happened I heard a "poof" sound, followed by the tinkling of glass shards.
Instantly knowing what happened, but still in a state of denial, I went around to the back of the amp to take a look, and my worst fear was confirmed.
The metal strap lock button of the strap had swung around and made contact with one of my power tubes.
The 6L6 took a direct hit, and there was nothing left but the tube socket, and shattered, jagged glass.
I could never have repeated that accuracy again in a million years! My first thought was, "uh-oh, I don't have a spare tube".
To make a long story short, fortunately the other guitar player had an extra tube and the rest of the gig went off without a hitch.
The fact that I was so unprepared was inexcusable.
As a gigging musician with over 30 years under my belt, I knew better.
To make matters worse, I have written a number of columns, and instructed numerous students in the benefits of being prepared for any eventuality.
Guess I should practice what I preach! The moral, of course, is to sit down ahead of time and think about all the things that could go wrong on a gig, rehearsal or recording session - and make a list of things you should have on hand if something should break.
Take a chapter from the Boy Scout manual and "Be Prepared" Think especially about having spare guitar strings, batteries, cables, picks, duct tape, screw drivers, fuses...
oh, and...
tubes!