Whats in your gig bag?

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: John P
Date: 06 Apr 11 - 07:37 PM

For gigs:
two capos
a few mic & guitar cables
D.I. box
wireless receiver and two transmitters
extra strings
tuner
guitar stands
set list
several picks
and, of course, guitar and cittern

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: SammySkillet
Date: 06 Apr 11 - 03:59 PM

i think this was a fine idea for a thread

i keep in my guitar case (aside from a guitar)
- strings ,tuner, scissors(?)
- a musical saw + cello bow, rosin, and small piece of wet dry sand paper
- flat picks and finger picks
- note book, pens and a marker pen
- capo
- set of musical spoons (incase ive had too much but still want to participate.)

:)

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Apr 11 - 12:16 PM

The String Cleaner
The SpiderCapo

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Deckman
Date: 01 Apr 11 - 06:01 AM

In reading this thread, I'm reminded just how "simple" a musician I am. I play two guitars, a vintage Martin classic (nylon string), and a steel string Washburn. I do NOT use either a flat pick or finger picks. I keep my fingernails in good trim. The ONLY thing I carry in my gig bag is one tuner, two capos, one for each guitar. That's it ... real simple ... just like me! bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,guitarstrings
Date: 01 Apr 11 - 05:47 AM

http://www.guitarsite.com/database/Makers/rec/7025/

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,guitarstrings
Date: 01 Apr 11 - 05:46 AM

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 05:20 AM

I've seen quite a few hard cases in this thread ... borrow a tuna, indeed ... sigh ...

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: HuwG
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 04:42 AM

Normal minimal guitar players' equipment ...

Guitar
Spare strings (£4.99 el cheapo set, will get me home in case of a breakage)
Tuner
Tobacco tin, containing picks, capo, bottleneck
Duster (used to wrap the tin, soften any sharp edges; also wipe sweat etc from the neck and strings every so often)
Several A4 sheets of lyrics
Reading glasses in case I need to use one of the sheets
Tin of John West's tuna in mayonnaise

This last is waiting opportunity to be deployed when some improvident player says, "Can I borrow a tuner?"

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,cg
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 04:29 AM

Hmm. Just going to apologise to my partner for all those sarcastic comments about the amount of stuff required for a gig . . . .

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,Mawich
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 03:57 AM

I have different 'setups' depending on what kind of gig it is going to be, so it's some combination of the following sets (some items overlap)

For singing:
Songs folder

For tunes:
A selection of soprano, alto, tenor and bass recorders, possibly all four
Tune book or tunes folder if not playing from memory

For accompanied songs:
Soprano ukulele
Tuning box
Lyric/chord sheets if not playing from memory

For accompanied songs or tunes:
Bass viola da gamba
Bow
Spare strings
Tuning box
Rosin
Music or memory
Music stand
Appropriate banter for frequent pauses to tune the damned thing.

For electric gigs:
Yamaha WX5 wind controller
Yamaha VL70-m tone generator
Roland XV-2020 synth module
Data and power and sound cables to hook up to the PA
Any music I'm not confident about remembering
A vitally important sheet reminding me which patches to use for each song.


The latter set's getting sold later this year though, I want to concentrate on other things and it's worth a fair bit of money.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: harmonic miner
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 12:02 PM

@DonMeixner and others re hard cases.
I include those in my query (in the same way that your 'wardrobe' isn't just a piece of furniture)

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 11:20 AM

PUBIC transport, Leadfingers?
What about your other parts? Including the Smart Ar@e?

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,Jonny Sunshine
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 06:40 AM

Most of the instrument-related stuff- picks, capos, spare strings etc lives in the cases so it's there if I'm just taking out one two instruments to a session I'm covered for minor emergencies. Any time I'm doing any serious playing I take my emergency toolkit which contains an assortment of screwdrivers, various tools for unsticking and tuning harmonica reeds, spare bridge pins & bridge pin remover, plus a nail file in case of breakages. Every single one of these things has saved a gig at least once!

For plugged-in gigs I have a big silver case with stuff like leads, spare batteries + power supply, various preamps, EQ & switching pedals, plus a spare DI boxes for those occasions where our 4-piece band with 7 instruments between us turns up to find a couple of mics and a DI box because someone didn't know the difference between "acoustic" and "solo singer/guitarist". ;-)

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Bobert
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 08:18 PM

Let's see here...

Ahhhhh, okay... Here's a bunch of old John Pearse strings all tangled up with one another... A small spiral notebook... Hmmmmmm??? I wonder who Jim Clark is??? Right here with a phone number... Maybe I should call him and ask him who the heck he is??? Hey, a fingernail clipper...

Let's see what's down in this other pouch??? Okay, this makes sense... SuperGlue... Yeah, I been known to use it on cuts when I gotta play and need some filler... And an...

...Emory board for filing nails... Something else down there... Yuck!!! Never mind what ever it is but this here ball point pen has it stuck all over it... Lemme see if it writes??? Not really...

Last pouch... Got to be some treasure in here... Ahhhh, folded up paper with words to "Season of the Witch"... Hmmmmmm??? Haven't done that song in 10 years... Okay... 20 years... Broken geetar strap... Hey, a "Y" chord... Man, I been lookin' for that... What's this??? Hmmmmmmm??? A plastic bag with several "medium" flat picks from Varneer Music in Falls Church... Sheet fire... These things are collectors items... They been outta business since the 70s...

Hmmmmm??? Bunch of other nasty stuff down in the bottom... I donno... Might be some old weed but it's history now...

Thanks, ya'll... Been needing to go thru this crap for years... Now it's done an' ol' gig bag ready for the next 20 years...

Wonder if this stuff is smokable???

Never mind...

B~

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 08:02 PM

Actually , on reflection , I VERY rarely use a Gig Bag unless I am on Pubic Transport - I have a nice set of White Calton cases , and I DONT carry words - I'm one of the Smart Arses who is happy to fake over forgetting a line or five ¬! LOL

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: gnu
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 07:09 PM

999... "an old shopping list with cashews underlined three times,"

Peanuts are far better for keeping it up. But, at your age, I suppose soft nuts are better... for digestion, at least.

My gig bag used to be an oak case I made (memeber photos, first pic, it's on the left). In it... at least four ciapans and four tin whistles, one Marine Band harp, one Jew's Harp (is that the correct term these days?), one Rhan, a blow dryer, and about one hundred sheets of lyrics of trad songs and jokes (and, YEARS ago, one plastic baggie).

The last time I picked it up, at least a half dozen years ago, I moved it several feet to a position in front of the fireplace. It's dusty.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: CupOfTea
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 06:42 PM

in Autoharp hard shell case:
Autoharp
Guitar footrest padded with fleece (to protect the Aharp, not my foot)
Finger/thumb picks & spare set strung on a page clip
SNARK (tm) clip on tuner
Tuning wrench
pencil & teeny stickypost-it strips
Imported and hoarded small container of "Nigroids" Throat lozenges
...............& for singing gigs my homemade fake book
...............& for band gigs, the band book

in Concertina Case:
Concertina
Home made fake book
Acid green fingertipless "Crafters gloves" for support and warmth.

Haul along: music stand & collapsible electric guitar stand (for Autoharp)

Joanne in Cleveland

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: number 6
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 06:32 PM

"a yellow pick I've been looking for for over three weeks."

Hey 999 .... if you find a white Harley Davidson .50 mm pick it's mine ... ok ... it's my fav pick for playing my resonator ... I lost it about a year and a half ago.

thanks,
biLL

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,Ebor_Fiddler
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 06:25 PM

My Gig bag is trans-instrumental and only contains items apart from what I call "Instrumental Necessities" - eg my fiddle cases hold spare strings, rosin etc and my melodeon case holds stuff like music books, railway magazines etc.

Gig Bag Contents:
Cheapo guitar pickup used for Fiddle
Pink String to tie fiddle to amp
Fiddle stand
Fingerless gloves (2 identical pairs - Vile green (left) and Putrid Pink (right
Music Stand (Church)
Sheet Music transposed to G or D (for Church)
Multitool with Bottle opener (not for Church)
"Essential Band Equipment" (Beer - also not for Church)
Tatty copies of Primrose Polka in D and G(I still have difficulty after all these years and can never remember what we actually play it in)
Electronic Tuner
Fiddle Chin rest (OK - I lied about all fiddle bits being in my cases, but I only just found this in my "not gig" bag
Emery Paper (Don't ask!)
Spare 9v battery

That's all folks!

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,jeff
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 04:59 PM

^^^^ Well, that's because you've never tried a Tribal Planet gig bag. Hardshells can get to be such a grind. The TPs are amazing.

Altoid's box w/flatpicks, finger/thumb picks, Schubb capo, bridge pins, 9v battery. Tuner w/2' cord, Kyser capo, 15' guitar cord, soundhole cover, strings, small side-cutters, string-winder, Leatherman multi-tool.

That's in my 6 string bag as my mandolin, 12-string, bass and autoharp all have some variation or duplicate except for the Leatherman.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 04:02 PM

Nothing at all. I value my guitars too highly to trust a gig bag for anything but getting them home from the store.

Don

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,Sean R-B
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 03:39 PM

Generally regardless of what instrument I'm carrying the additional things are:

tuner
extra strings
picks
wire cutter
small screwdriver (for tightening tuning pegs)
capo

and that's about it.

If it's the fiddle case, I dispense with the wire cutter, screw driver, capp and picks and carry instead a cake of rosin and a shoulder rest.

I guess I travel fairly lightly.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 12:52 PM

For quartet gigs:

pitch pipe,
water,
set/show list of song titles showing what key and first couple of words,
address of venue.

One of the others usually has gum, another has the large-print lyrics handouts we use during hour-long shows at retirement residences.

When I first joined the quartet I also brought the whole assortment of sheet music in case I needed to check on something while warming up, but we don't use sheet music or lyrics 'on stage'. More than once someone has made up words to rhyme with my mistake!

I barely have time to keep basic instrument skills alive, never mind performance-ready. But I keep the usual pliers, spare strings, capo & picks in my guitar & banjo cases; rosin & spare strings in cello case. Tuning fork in guitar case or pocket.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,VaTam_attache
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 10:54 AM

When your voice is your instrument, you don't need extra bags or cases.


In that case I am the bag. Ooohhh works on several levels... In that case... the bag... get it?








I'll just get me valise

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 10:41 AM

Yes - or no - but .009s anyway. That decimal point makes all the difference!

Hecklers? One or two, but audiences tend to deal with them themselves, in folk anyway. The worst I ever had was a nine-year-old girl at a wodland gig who just wouldn't shut up - everything I said she had a come back, so I ended up making part of the act. I reckon that kid's going to be about 19 now and a better storyteller than I'll ever be! There's always one, as they say, which isn't strictly true but it's good to have a lively audience to bounce off, at least it is with storytelling anyway.

Here's a thing though, why can I only get my .009s up to D on my citera? Same scale length as Rapunzel's Purple Heart Daisy Rock but if I push it up to E they just snap. Wierd or what?

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 10:05 AM

Apart from the melodeon: a bag of whistles, a screw driver, a pen, a notebook, some scraps of music, a towel, a few rubber bands, safety pins and sometimes a light raincoat.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: buddhuu
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 09:59 AM

Always in my guitar gig bag:

Guitar
Capo
Picks
Strings
Small wire cutters
Truss rod wrench
Nut files and small pieces of sandpaper
Assorted tin whistles
Kazoo
G and C harmonicas + neck holder
Electronic tuner
Pen and pencil
cloth


In my mandolin case:

Mandolin
Capo
Strings
Truss rod wrench
Swiss army knife
Picks
Electronic tuner
D tin whistle
FastFret
cloth

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 09:40 AM

Gosh I feel terribly under-equipped compared to some of the above!

Whistle bag:
low whistle
fife
rauschpfeife
high whistle
F whistle
spare rauschpfeife reeds
strap for slinging the bag over my shoulder if needed

Flute case:
Flute
flute stand
cork lube
spare pads
lapping thread
jeweller's screwdriver
business cards for band & self

Concertina case:
Concertina
screwdriver
more business cards

And that's about it for acoustic gigs/sessions.

As others have mentioned, though, amplified gigs are a whole different kettle of fish, and there's probably stuff in the boxes and cases that even *I* don't know why they're there any more ...

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 08:26 AM

I dont THINK that ALL the spare .009's are for Garotting Robin !!

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 08:06 AM

"Spare strings (especially plain 00.9s of which I go through dozens)"

You're pretty hard on hecklers, aren't you?

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 08:01 AM

clothes pegs are essential!

Indeed they are - see below. Lovely thread; the best of life in terms of glorious & essential clutter of which I can never have enough. So, depending on the gig...

In my regular bag:

Zoom H4
Plastic sopranino recorder
Brass whistle (high F)
Cuckoo call
Khomus (Altai Jew's Harp)
Ultra low Doromb (Hugarian Jew's harp - 'Tibet' by Soltan Szilagyi)
Four leafed 'Ho-Ho' (Chinese Jew's harp in various pitches)
Dan Moi in A
Dan Moi in G
Dan Moi in D
Low pitched Dan Moi (Ab)
Low pitched Dan Moi (A)
Rattles, fowler calls,
Burmese Kyeezee
Occasional mbiras

My regular session bag:

Regular violin + 2 bows
Occasional 5 string violin
Mutes (wood / brass / rubber AND various clothes pegs)
Black Sea Fiddle (Karandeniz Kenence) + 1 bow & brass mute
Doromb in G
Doromb in D
Doromb in A
Doromb in E
Spare strings
Rosin
Electronic shruti box
shells
stones
Fisherman's Friends (sugar free)

Crwth box:

Crwth
Bow
Rosin
Tuning key
Harmonic (overtone) pipe in E
ankle bells
animal bells
spare sets of strings
emery cloth
Swiss warblers
Doromb in low E.
Simple system wide bore C clarinet

Citera box:

Citera
Tuning key
Plectrums (Gibson H large black triangles)
Harmonic pipe in D
Plastic Skull rattle
Hohner Melodica Alto
Doromb in low D
Overton low D tabor pipe
Spurtle (complete with tartan ribbon)
Spare strings (especially plain 00.9s of which I go through dozens)
Diverse penny whistles
Slovakian drone flute
Yugoslavian double flute
Clockwork birds
Bird warblers
Swiss warblers
Diverse Acme fowler calls (duck, nightingale, crow etc.)

Also:

Korg Kaossilator
Behringer UB802 Eurorack mixer
Zoom 505II effects peddle
Sure SM57 / Behringer B1
Leads / cases
Roland Microcube
Pocket cornet
Harmon mute
Valve oil
Scacciapensieri (Italian jew's harp)
Marranzano (Sicialian Jew's Harp)
Murchanga (Himalayan Jew's harp)

etc.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 07:52 AM

Far too much is my answer, here goes

Guitar
Two capos
Camera
Pub Prop
Music stand
Folder with a dozen song sheets
Miniature bottle of brandy
nail clippers
nail file
2 folk monthly magazines
string cleaner
2 cloths
Various club flyers and posters
bag of crisps

And it's often much more than that!

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Wesley S
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 07:48 AM

Nailclippers, altoids and Tums.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 07:33 AM

Washboard with attached set of Greek goatbells, set of thimbles, harmonica rack with kazoo & train whistle, spare kazoos (no man can have too many...), guiro & stick, spoons, assorted things that might "come in" as washboard scrapers, swanee whistle, ref whistle. Also penny whistle & harmonica (must learn to play them some time) that I've been given by "friends" seeking to reduce my singing by wanting me to play by mouth. No wonder I don't get invited to perform any where!

RtS

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 06:46 AM

Sound effects: train whistle, Swanee whistle, duck caller (so I'm not the only one!), clackers, eggs. And for playing out of doors with sheet music - clothes pegs are essential!

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,Mark Bluemel
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 06:23 AM

When I was at university - many years ago - a guy used to come to the folk club in an army surplus jacket with an apparently infinite number of pockets, with a different whistle in each...

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: harmonic miner
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 05:57 AM

Good one Mysha, I when someone would say that. That's the best instrument of all! But mine needs help, as its not good enough to play on its own.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Mysha
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 05:35 AM

Hi,

"When going to a session" sometimes I bring an egg (percussion). When your voice is your instrument, you don't need extra bags or cases.

Bye,
                                                                Mysha

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Splott Man
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 04:52 AM

Top pocket:

Pack of new strings.
Pack of used strings with extra D and G.
Peg winder thingy.
Pair of pliers.
Pub prop.
Pen.
Screw on mic holder.

Big pocket:

Old cigar box cpntaining 9 harmonicas, 2 capos, 2 jews harps.
Jiffy bag containing Pat & Ned flyers and posters, Llantrisant folk club flyers.
Various repertoire lists.
2 more harmonicas.
Duck call.
Kazoo.
Siren.

Small pocket:

Harmonica harness.

Main pocket:

Guitar (just the one).


And that's just for a floor spot!


The bag on its own weighs more than the guitar on its own.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Lester
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 04:21 AM

Now let's see:

Melodeon (hohner for dance tunes)
Spare melodeon (another hohner)
Another melodeon (saltarelle for songs and instrumentals between dances)
Two microvox set ups
Mic leads
Tune book (for senior moments)
Screwdrivers various
Pliers
Spare Velcro (for microvoxs)
mains extension lead ( my dowery when I joined the band as the last box player took his with him)
iPod for interval music.
Some tinnies incase the gig has no decent beer.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: melodeonboy
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 04:08 AM

Jack leads, mic leads, mic, equaliser, spare loud shirt (it's hot, sweaty work playing that zydeco!) and occasionally a bit of fruit that I'd forgotten about! At one turn I found a banana at the bottom of my gig bag tht had turned white!!!!! (ugh!)

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 03:41 AM

certainly not any gigs

Sorcha beat me to the pharmaceutical list.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 03:36 AM

So we'll refresh this thread every year then?

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 01:49 AM

I forgot to mention a humidifier. Homemade. Tap water. AND, a yellow pick I've been looking for for over three weeks.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 01:16 AM

:0

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Smokey.
Date: 23 Mar 11 - 10:21 PM

The head of my last victim.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 23 Mar 11 - 10:11 PM

the usual stuff, plus a thermometer, because my violinist friend can't risk playing her old violin in church if the temperature is colder than 65.

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 23 Mar 11 - 10:07 PM

I dunno, let's look and see.

Box inside the case under the neck: Kyser Capo (black), Guitar-shaped bridge pin puller thingie, metal kazoo, tuning fork (A 440), nail file, two little screw drivers (one plus, one minus), a small wooden ball for no obvious reason, instrument cord, 1/4 in to 1/8 in plug adapter, thumb pick, three flat picks w/ advertising printed on them, Dunlop Capo, and a little multi-tool w/ pliers and wire cutters. Hmm, more stuff than I expected.

Outside pocket: Two sets of guitar strings (one new, one used), clip-on tuner with duct tape in place of battery compartment lid, blister pack of tuner batteries, nine volt battery, guitar strap, another Kyser Capo (Susan B Komen pink), dental floss, small screwdriver with interchangeable plus and minus tips, more flat picks (assorted stiffness, colors and advertisers), three small spring clamps, and tune book.

Seems like a lot of capos.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 23 Mar 11 - 09:04 PM

Used to be just:

dance cards
full water bottle

and in the pocket of the bag that holds the box that holds the index cards:
name badge
pen
pencil
tin of pastilles (candies to moisten mouth)
dance tokens (not used at gig, just live with the cards -- used for visualizing how a dance works)
Human-a-tone nose flute (because it's small)
notepad
a couple of tissues
tampon

Nowadays, I add:

Shure wireless headset mic set

And sometimes (if I'm not in too much of a rush getting out the door):

folding barstool-height chair - standing for 3+ hours is not as fun as it once was, but I like to be "up" at standing height

Mac laptop computer with dance database + extension cord

This last I've carried a few times, but I'm finding it more trouble than it's worth. "Callers Companion" database software is nice for setting up a set list and displaying each dance in a large font (now that my eyesight is reaching that stage...). But, if the program needs to change on the fly (which it often does), the cards are much easier to shuffle through to find what I want. If I called more often, and had more of the database in my head, then maybe I could pull them up quickly enough from the computer. Even if I don't carry it, I use it for helping plan my evening.

~ Becky in Long Beach
(for contra dance calling gigs)

Subject: RE: Whats in your gig bag?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Mar 11 - 09:00 PM

But you don't have too many Low Whistle, do you mate? :-P

I have too many Low, wait on, that's not quite what I meant...