Bands Who Had Members Who Swapped Main Instruments

It isn't quite what you're asking for, but the members of Gentle Giant seemed to be consistently swapping instruments.

I can't think of an example exactly the same as you give though.

 

I thought originally it was both Ron and James on guitar, before the reformation in England (after Iggy and James had tried out a million bassists and drummers, to call the Asheton brothers).

 

The Replacements switched instruments on the song Hootenanny. I saw them do this live on that tour.

 

The original Traffic would have Mason Wood and Winwood switch around among bass, guitar and keyboards.

 

Roger Hodgson started out as Supertramp's bassist and lead singer. By their second (or 3rd?) album, Hodgson had switched from bass to guitar but seemed to play more keyboards than guitar. Meanwhile, keyboardist Rick Davies got in on the lead vocal action.

 

*I meant after they added James; not originally as in the start, where it was just Ron of course.

 

The Lemon Twigs during 'Do Hollywood' era. Both brothers shared a drumkit and guitar/lead vocals duties.

 

John Deacon plays drums in the video for One Vision

 

And David Cross switched between Mellotron and violin, sometimes during the same song - Starless for instance.

 

Jon Povey would play keys, harmonica, drums and bass during Pretty Things concerts. Wally Waller would play bass and guitar as would Frank Holland. Gordon Edwards played guitar and keys.
John Entwistle played French horn during Helpless Dancer on the original Quadrophenia tour in 1973.
Rusty Young plays guitar and pedal steel during Poco concerts.
Tony Banks played keys and acoustic guitar during Genesis concerts.
There are dozens more.

 

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The entire band would switch instruments on certain songs.

 

Their original drummer, whose name escapes me, switched to guitar somewhere several years after they formed

 

Yes I remember reading that as well....sorry if I mistakenly posted before fully comprehending the thread title.....my bad.

 

I’m certain at one point in a beta band gig all four were playing drums.

 

Chris Copping in Procol Harum. Moved from bass to replace a keyboard player, then back to bass when a keyboard player replaced him.

 

The 1984-5 Public Image live band
One of the new guys would saw away on a violin during where are you, and his normal instrument was taken by one of the others.
Jebin Bruni already switched between guitar and keyboards anyway


Nirvana , mostly for noise jams and ironic covers but still, kurt was a frustrated drummer
Dave would take bass and Krist must have scrounged a right handed guitar from somewhere. Such amusing hijinks were mostly ditched for the stultifyingly professional in utero tour, but during unplugged There’s a lot of swapping about , dave on bass etc

 

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
Bela and Victor Wooten

 

When The Beau Brummels started out, Dec Mulligan was their rhythm guitarist. When they reformed with all original members in 1974, all members played their same roles as before. But then bassist Ron Meagher left, and Dec took over bass duties. When they toured behind their reunion album in 1975, session guitarist Dan Levitt came along to play most of the leads, with Ron Elliot doing the rest. Dec remained on bass.

 

Andy Bell with Oasis

Played bass live. Guitar and bass on the albums,

 

Utopia switched it up onstage during the “RA” tour.

 

Pink Floyd - A Pillow of Winds

I remember reading this somwhere: Roger on acoustic guitars, David on Bass and lap steel guitar

 

They were just kids, but originally in Nickel Creek mandolin genius Chris Thile played guitar and Sean Watkins played mandolin.

 

These threads cover similar ground

Best Bands Whose Member Switched Instruments

Band members who changed primary instruments in the same band

 

Louie Perez, though he is not the original drummer.