Guitar Technician - Conditions of Work

Conditions of Work

The conditions of work for guitar techs vary widely. Some guitar techs for small touring acts may set up guitars for all of the stringed-instrument performers—rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, and so on; they may even take on a large variety of tasks beyond guitar tech work, such as helping to set up sound equipment or soundcheck the microphones. On the other hand, guitar techs for major touring bands may be part of a large road crew team which includes amplifier technicians, guitar technicians for each guitarist (rhythm guitarist and lead guitarist), and a variety of people who set up the stage equipment. In a major touring band, a guitar tech's duties might be more narrowly circumscribed. They might only have to set up the guitars for a single performer, and there might be other staff who set up and maintain the amplifiers, effects, and guitar stands, and electronics technicians who solder and repair connections and wiring.

The salary, benefits, and accommodations of guitar techs vary widely. The first jobs that a guitar tech does may be on a volunteer basis in a garage band or amateur group, to gain experience, or alternatively the guitar tech might work in return for a small cash payment that is more of a symbolic honorarium than a real salary. In regional-level bar bands or minor touring acts, the guitar techs may be paid on a contractual basis during the weeks or months that the group is on tour, and there may not be health or dental benefits. A guitar tech working for this type of band will have to find other temporary work to fill in the months when the band is not on tour. On the other hand, a major touring act may hire a guitar technician as a permanent employee and provide him or her with a range of benefits.

The accommodations depend on the conditions set out in the contract and the level and status of the group. A guitar tech travelling with a regional-level band may stay in inexpensive motels and receive a modest per diem for restaurant meals. A guitar tech travelling with a major touring band, though, may stay at the same first-class hotels as the star performers, and eat catered buffet or restaurant meals. Some bands with substantial road crews may have their own catering crew which provides meals during the tour. The guitar techs for the most famous international guitarists such as Jimmy Page or Tony Iommi can become a sort of minor celebrity of sorts within the guitar fan community, because of their close contact with musicians who are considered to be "rock legends", and for their insider knowledge of how a certain guitarist's unique tone is created.