How much money do guitar techs make

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A roadie used to be the van-owning surly bloke at gigs with his ass crack. These days, gkitar guitar tech is a problem-solving, gear-knowing machine. They’re the unsung heroes who keep your favourite bands’ live shows ticking. Teching is a viable career that requires skill and know-how. Here, he revealed what the job is really about…. I must have been about 16 vo I put a huge ding in it, and there wasn’t much on the internet then on how to fix it.

So You Want My Job: Touring Guitar Tech

And the two preoccupations have been his living for the past four decades. Kinkead, who is 60, has been running his own business making guitars for nearly 40 years. He is passionate about his work. By using different combinations of timber, for example, you get a different sound, and that is what musicians are interested in — a sound that can do what they want it to do. But while some people are content playing, Kinkead was also fascinated with how the instruments were put together. My father had taught me and my brothers how to use tools, and we had free rein in the garage.

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A roadie used to be the van-owning surly bloke at gigs with his ass crack. These days, a guitar tech is a problem-solving, gear-knowing machine. They’re the unsung mame who keep your favourite bands’ live shows ticking. Teching is a viable career that requires skill and know-how. Here, he revealed what the job is really about…. I must have been about 16 and I put a huge ding in it, and there wasn’t much on the internet then on how to fix it. So it was books, and then I got into basic repairs.

It all kind of flourished from there, really. There was a local shop in Edgware, and every now and then the guy there would send me stuff that he couldn’t fix. It was a word of mouth thing, and I’ve never set up a website or a shop, which is the way I like it.

My first how much money do guitar techs make gig was when Charlie [Simpson] left Busted. I remember just fixing some of his gear and he mae if I wanted to come and work for Fightstar. I was with them for about five years. And electronics as well; I’ve always taken pedals apart and fixed.

I’ve always tried to do that instead of ringing up a company and getting a new pedal in. I looked at it more as a kind of bow camp in the beginning. For the first couple of years, Gyitar didn’t take it seriously, whereas now it’s a professional thing — you can’t be messing around on the job.

I co the guitar to play as good as someone who pays for a guitar setup. That’s the way I’ve always looked at it. It can range. One day, you’ve got 20 guitars through the door, the mucj you’ve got just one in a week.

That’s why teching has been my main money-earner. When I come home, it’s more relaxed, more of a holiday. I’ve never done major overhaul work, but with a refret I try to give my experience to customers so they don’t keep having to come.

It varies because you never know what you’re going to. Some companies like to use printer ports [for the footswitch]; you’re trying to fix a switching system and you have to go online and try and find where all the pins run.

When it’s basic MIDI, it’s in and out of. Onstage, the guitar rigs should stay constant. I always check measurements every day to make sure the hkw haven’t moved. But the more that you get into it, the less problems you might.

That’s a good sign — it means you’re doing your job. Their tech had to fly to Australia for another gig, so [the promoter] rings me up and asks ddo I can do the. He said it had been there for years and to leave it.

I went and fixed it. Then after the show he came up to me and said, ‘Man, that’s moneh clearest my rig has ever. Three weeks later, I got a call asking if I wanted to come and work for the band. Some techs are not repairmen, but I’d jump in. At Mayhem festival there were a bunch of bands who couldn’t afford to take a tech on the road.

It’s them in a van going across the States, which sucks. And they break their gear a lot because it’s cheaper gear. Not for money or anything, but you just get bored and you want hos help people. I was more like a handyman! Check that load-in is going to be on time. Get the gear in, and then depending on how big the production is, you have to make sure lighting is in first, and front of house is all set up and you’re not crossing wires.

That’s another problem you run. Even some bigger bands now can’t afford proficient expensive techs, so people cross paths with each. You knock a soundcheck out later in the day, fix all the problems from the last night’s.

You hit show time, and then it’s packdown. With Mastodon it’s an hour. Once the band is offstage we’re in the truck an hour later and it’s chill-out time before we do the same thing the next guittar. You’ve got an hour until you’re onstage.

That’s always a pain in the ass. The reality of being a tech means a lot of travel and being away from home. Is that something that tends to be underestimated by newcomers? That’s really tough, and it’s a pretty shitty job if you muvh to keep up a steady relationship. I think that’s something that gets overlooked when people see being on tour as a kind of party zone and just having fun.

The reality is it’s a bit of a solo mission. It was a Soldano clone that I built, and one of my overdrive pedals. I build pedals, too — I took four of my favourite overdrive pedals and went through each one asking, ‘why does it sound that way? With the amps, I’m a big Soldano fan, so I took a bit of a Diezel preamp and stuck it with a Soldano power amp stage. It’s fun. You’re a big fan xo Mastodon, and became part of the band’s family in a sense as a tech About seven years ago, I sent a message to them on MySpace, saying, ‘Hey I’m a guitar tech, I’d love to come and work for you — you’re my favourite band.

It made them chuckle. So if you put your mind to it, you can eventually work for your favourite band. World tours with your favourite bands are the ultimate dream, but if you want to make it as a tech, you need to learn your craft.

Here are some ways that you can get going Learn about basic repairs — action, intonation, truss-rod adjustment, replacing pickups, jack sockets, controls. Practise on your gear, buy cheap broken guitars and fix them, then when you’re confident, offer your services.

Okay, so fiddling under the bonnet of an amp can be dangerous, and shouldn’t be attempted if you’re unsure of what you’re doing. Having a go at making your own pedals can also be a great way to learn about the inner workings of your gear. So guitar that gets sold needs a setup, so where better to hone your skills than your local gear arsenal?

Guitar shops will often have an in-house technician, but it’s worth checking. Be honest about your abilities, get ready to change a lot of strings, and learn how a kettle works.

Find local musicians in need of a setup and offer a reduced rate to help get your name. Amps, effects and switching are a tech’s bread and butter. They’re also the source of many mid-set panics for guitarists. Get to know how signal flows around a guitar rig, and how you can improve it. From here, you’ll be the ultimate onstage wingman. Go to gigs, meet the best bands in your area, get to know local sound engineers, and help them. Word of mouth is your main reputation builder, so become the go-to guitar tech by being reliable, professional and knowledgeable.

MusicRadar The No. Here, he revealed what the job is really about… How did you get into the world of guitar maintenance? Get fixing Learn about basic repairs — action, intonation, truss-rod adjustment, replacing pickups, jack sockets, controls.

Don’t forget electronics Okay, so fiddling under the bonnet of an amp can be dangerous, and shouldn’t be attempted if you’re unsure of what you’re doing. Approach local stores Every guitar that gets sold needs a setup, so where better to hone your skills than your local gear arsenal? Put your name out there Find local musicians in need of a setup and offer a reduced rate to help get your name.

Learn about signal paths Amps, effects and switching are a tech’s bread and butter. Get to know your scene Go to gigs, meet the best bands in your area, get to know local sound engineers, and help them .

How to start teching

If you’re creative, detail oriented and love guitars, consider a career as a guitar maker. Share Facebook Twitter Copy link. Comptopia How much money do guitar techs make. What are the steps along t…. Guitar Center Reviews by Job Title. Upper management could care less about you and whether you come or go. Your personal reputation is a big part of getting hired onto a tour as. Avg Total Pay. It makes for a fun evening but definitely requires me to be on my toes. The industry is pretty competitive, especially as the level of touring increases. I took pride in what I did and I felt I was a excellent resourceful to customers and clients that had questions about products, software, or services but upper management is really good at making you doubt. It can get pretty competitive especially during holiday seasons and for a check that barely shows what your worth is not worthy of the stress you have to endure to earn said check.