What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?

Subject: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 08:07 AM

Well, I don't have much interesting stuff in my banjo case. An extra set of strings, a bracket wrench, a set of Fuller 3.0mm -1.4mm screw drivers, a capo and a few picks.
I think I'll throw in an Oh Henry candy bar in case I get real hungry and a very small roll of duct tape. That always comes in handy.
Maybe I'll even toss in a picture of Pete Seeger for inspiration.

But I was wondering, what kind of stuff you guys keep in your case?

Little Neo

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 08:52 AM

Fiddle case: very old, very soft old hanky, which has been in there for at least 30 years, just right for wiping off excess rosin; rosin, almost as old; mute; and, shoulder rest. Anything else and it would get crowded!

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: kendall
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 08:56 AM

picks, capo, fast fret (to clean strings) scotch tape, tuning fork,wire cutters, list of song titles and a few tapes for sale.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Ed Pellow
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 08:59 AM

Nothing much exciting:

Spare strings, string winder, tuner, plectrums, capo, and sometimes, a blow up teletubbie ball (merchandise from British under 5's TV programme) signed by 'Liza Carthy and Kate Rusby. - It brings me luck!

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Mooh
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 09:18 AM

My recently departed bass case had a "thank you" sign taped to the inside of the lid, for acknowledging tips, and spare strings, big old thumbpick for when I didn't play with my fingers, various allen keys and other guitar tools, strap, spare nine volt battery, eq peddle, cheat sheets...

My mandolin case is lined with an old union t-shirt.

Other cases have the usual strap, picks, strings, tools, music, post-it notes, rags, capos and the like, nothing particularly fanciful.

Years ago I worked with a banjo/etc player who always carried condoms, smokes, rye, and snacks among other things more lifestyle than music oriented in his cases.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: MandolinPaul
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 09:25 AM

In my mandolin case: Strings, picks, fingerpicks, tuner, and my lucky slide. No, I don't use the slide on my mandolin (a gut-wrenching sound), and I don't own any other instruments to slide on, anymore. It just always used to be in my guitar case, and got transferred over when I traded the guitar in for the mandolin.

Paul.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Gary T
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 09:57 AM

I have a violin case, slightly modified, to keep my Tommy gun in.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 10:29 AM

I usually keep the bits in my banjo case rather than my guitars case but I usaully have: Spare picks, spare strings, wire cutters, small screwdriver, key to tension banjo head, tuner and capo's. It sometimes also has Fast Fret but for some reason, I have a terrible habbit of loosing the stuff.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 10:41 AM

just a few co---ms and a rubber chicken. (I have a thing for latex.)

Art

P.S.---An afterthought: There's a guitar there too.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: GUEST,Arnie
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 10:42 AM

advil -banjo can give you quite a headache, socks -you can stuff in the back of your banjo to mute the sound or wear them if your feet get cold,a phone number on a slip of paper from someone about something I can't remember, maybe a capo if I remember, and empty string envelopes.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 10:42 AM

I have nothing unusual, just the kinda' stuff that's already been mentioned, but uh...............

I am willing to bet that Ed is the ONLY person in the world who carries a Teletubbie ball!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: bill\sables
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 11:02 AM

Way Back in the 60s a singer used to come to my club with a guitar case which he never opened. Time and again he would turn up with the case and lean on it while he sang his songs but never opening the case. He once said that he carried his spare clothing in the case and did not own a guitar but being a sixties folk singer he was expected to carry a Guitar case. This singer is now a member of Mudcat so I suggest that BURL now owns up and tells us what he realy did carry in his case. Cheers Bill

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Ed Pellow
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 11:17 AM

Spaw,

Was just lying in the bath, and thinking about this - I'm pretty certain that I'm the only person in the world with a teletubbie ball signed by both Eliza Carthy and Kate Rusby.

May not sound much, but I'm proud of it :-)

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 11:27 AM

Autoharp tools, a plastic chopstick and metal iced tea spoon for hammering it (yes really, arpeggiated chordally, with chord bars in use), an Itty Bitty Book Light because I use a music stand and cheat sheets, and a leftover laminated nametag from one of the kids at the vacation Bible school I played at as a guess when I first had the nerve to play for someone besides family, it's a green butterfly pinned to see when I open the case.

Oh yes, and tiny-finger size picks so little ones who come up to see what I am playing can strum for themselves.

Carmex (lip balm), a comb and hair-restraint tools, and if I had any sense I would add a collapsible camper's cup for water...

And usually a tiny pocket-size tunebook in case I'm stuck for something to play when I get surprised by a request to play, you know, when I'm just out and about and happen to have the autoharp in tow. Plus whatever sheet music we played last outing, and haven't put away yet.

Hey, no wonder the damn thing is so heavy! And thanks for asking, Neo, cuz I just realized there's room for a couple of small New Testaments and prayer books (and no I am NOT a tract-hander or one to bash people with Bibles!! I play in settings where these would make basic common sense!).

~Susan~

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Sorcha
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 11:44 AM

The usual stuff--strings, rosin, pencil,paper, business cards,sheet music, 2 Irish pennies and 3 case rats. I am a sucker for cute little case rats.One is rabbit fur with a squeaker, 1 is a black/white fake fur finger puppet, and 1 is a cat toy--when you pull the tail, it goes around in circles.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 11:48 AM

Good idea Jon, I am going to add a pair of wire cutters.
And no they are not for tuning my banjo!
Oh, I thought of something else, what about a nail clipper and nail file in case one breaks?

Little Neo

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 11:52 AM

How many folks have those darned "keys"? Nobody I know ever locks their cases anyway. I can just see a thief, having stolen your instrument saying to himself, "Doggone it the thing's LOCKED! Guess I better take it back."

I bought a 1912 Mando-cello from a lady a number of years ago (mudcatter Davey now owns it), who told me that her Grandfather who was killed in WW1 owned it. When I opened up the small compartment (several months after purchasing it) I found a newspaper article from 1915, from the Guelph Paper announcing his death. Eerie and touching.

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: GUEST,Scotsbard ala Laptop
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 12:34 PM

Ummm ... lemme think ...

The guitar (maybe not to obvious after reading above, thought I should clarify), shoulder strap, two string sets, tuner, pitchfork (I forget to shut off the tuner with astounding frequency), pointed pliers/wirecutter, small screwdriver, nail file, assorted picks, three pages of DADGAD chords (just in case I ever get back around to trying to learn them), and an old bumper sticker that reads "I survived the Fire Ants at Wally World" ...

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 12:40 PM

Ya know, some of you must have a lot bigger cases than I do............Especially you Praise!!! What the hell kind of Autoharp case do you have anyway?

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: JedMarum
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 01:16 PM

since I've started playing a few instuments, I've taken my instrument case "stash" and put it into a micrphone zip bag - this 'guitar paraphenalia' kit includes flat picks, thumb picks, capos, needle nose/wire cutters, a pen and business cards. Then I can throw the bag into whatever instrument case I will be using on that day.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 01:18 PM

Regulation hardshell Oscar Schmidt, but the padding is a bit compressed leaving lots of lovely little nooks and crannies.

BTW, Spaw, try hammering, it's a hoot! Only seems to work amped tho. Hammer, amp, AND reverb--- whee-hahhh!

~Susan~

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: GUEST,moonchild
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 01:26 PM

My first pick, with the broken tip; plastic fingerpicks for two fingers because I could never get the hang of using fingerpicks and would end up throwing them on the floor; a caricature drawn on a napkin, of me singing at a coffeehouse in Washington, DC, called The Agape, circa 1974; a tuning fork; a pitch pipe; a red metal kazoo, circle 1966; sheet music for "Phaedra," circle 1967; handwritten words and chords for "Love Me Like A Man," circa 1974; new picks; digital tuner; teensy, tiny chord book from Allan C.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 01:28 PM

Praise, the last time anything was that compressed, it released nuclear energy!!! And yeah, I have tried the hammering bit, but never thru an amp...especially with reverb!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 01:38 PM

I forgot, other occasional items are harmonicas and a pen and paper. Re the space, on my bajo case, there is a fair amount of room under the neck as well as the storage compartment and I keep the tuner (nicely padded to protect the neck) there.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 01:42 PM

Spaw, I believe we have finally met. Try the amp, this needs the understring pickup, don't think it'll work with a mic. Mine's the Crate acoustic with vocal channel, the cheaper model with fewer bells and whistles. Oughtta hear the blues stride on that baby, pick sweeping from bass up to whiny treble!!!

What did you use for a hammer? I need to know.

Remember to turn the autoharp upside down too.

~Susan~

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 01:45 PM

Say Moon, have you considered opening your case as an antique shop at your gigs......you know, pick up a few extra bucks................You honest to Christ have your first pick????

This thread is simply amazing. I have a denim ditty bag, kinda' of a large ditty bag, that holds assorted crappola for everything from guitar to Hammered Dulcimer. I keep only essentials in any case, in "case" I lose my ditty bag..........gawd forbid!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Sorcha
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 01:51 PM

Forgot the bumper sticker that says: FIDDLE--VIOLIN WITH AN ATTITUDE!

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 01:54 PM

Now this would be funny-- photos of our open cases and spilled ditty/gigbags in the bbc pages!

A mix-match game, whose bunch of crap goes with which face! Course, Spaw, yours would be a cinch if Cleigh nests in that bag. Does he have his own wee case or house or burrow or whatever??? (Oh dear, here I go before the flame-- does he have a tiny little hospital gown for his visits to the proctologist?)

If we end up looking like our dogs, I think our cases end up looking like our houses.

~Susan~

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 02:00 PM

Cleigh has his own special case of sorts.........and although he doesn't have a hospital gown, he does have a lovely bubble-wrap cape that WyoWoman made him! Very stylish........

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Gary T
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 02:32 PM

In my guitar case, my strap is in the main area with the instrument. In the little cubbyhole is a set of strings, small box of picks, soft rag, capo, tuner, little booklet with a list of song titles, nail clipper, and a small plastic bottle of hand sanitizer, the alcohol gel type. That last item is great for degreasing one's fingers when away from a sink and soap.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: MK
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 02:35 PM

Hmmmm......let's see:
- assorted finger picks
- assorted thumbpicks
-&chromatic tuner
- capo
- spare set of strings
- peg-winder
- a joint
-  a package of Clorets - a condom
- a copy of the Kama Sutra
- a 5'' X 7'' 35 year old photo of Rick Fielding illustrating Kama Sutra positions (because knowing your positions is fundamental to everything...)

I guess that about covers it.  8-)

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Gary T
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 02:41 PM

Uh, Michael, could you kindly explain the " " that appears in your post above? I've seen it in other posts as well, and it has me baffled.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: GUEST,Steve Latimer
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 02:47 PM

Spare picks, a few incomplete sets of strings, a capo, model railway tacks and a copy of "The Banjo Case Chord Book", which I find very helpful.

I am wise enough to know that a banjo player carrying condoms is the height of optimism.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Gary T
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 02:53 PM

Well, that one fooled me! In my question above, inside the quotation marks were the symbols &, n, b, s, all together as they appear in Michael's post. They disappeared from mine, which I presume Michael thought would happen with his. What gives?

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 03:35 PM

gary....I'm completely baffled as I can't find the nbs thingy with or without quotation marks in Michael's post, although your first post shows only two " marks.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 03:44 PM

almost ALL Michael's posts have &npsp's in them..I think it's some sort of HTML code gone wrongs

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 03:52 PM

WHERE ARE THEY?????? The only ampersand I see is before chromatic tuner and I don't see the letters at all!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: GUEST,Jimmy James
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 04:13 PM

well...my case isn't nearly as packed as some of yours but I go on the road alot and carry the bare neccessities...namely my guitar, then a couple of pictures of my girl. I also have a napkin signed by ole bobby dylan...other than that just my old flask for if a show is getting rough and about 20-something pics and safety cigarettes.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: MK
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 04:22 PM

The (ampersand n b s p) is to create a space....and yeah I screwed it up)....the '' ....refers to 5 inch by 7 inch...with the double quotations referring to inches, and where a single quote would refer to feet....

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 04:31 PM

Guitar case- wrench,slide, Paul Simon song book,med and light picks,strap, Beatles song book, 5 or 6 songs by me with lyrics n tabs.

Harmonica case- a dozen or so harps in various states of function and disfunction,Radioshack guitar tuner,song lists from gigs going back ten years or so,more songs by me,tambourine, bicycle gloves(for playing conga),shaker egg

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: GUEST,moonchild
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 04:48 PM

Yes, 'spaw ... I honest to g-d have my first pick and I still prefer to use "it" instead of the new ones. New picks just don't have that "ring." And I forgot to mention my guitar strap, which my father bought in Mexico to go along with the guitar. I guess you could call me "eccentric," although I just like to say that I like old things with memories ... moon

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 04:53 PM

Kinda' like my genitals huh?

Geez, I'm sorry, I just couldn't let that one go past.....but at least I used me instead of Bill D.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: GUEST,moonchild
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 05:00 PM

'spaw ... are you trying to tell me that at YOUR age, your genitals still have a memory or that what your genitals used to do is a memory? moon

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 05:02 PM

ok, you asked for it..*BG*....here on this page is my old 'harp case,(need to repair handle, so am using 'shaped' case with less room for now) and my ditty bag, ($3 at a yard sale) which will take all the stuff that used to live in the case, plus all those recorders, whistles, along with notebooks, AC adaptor for Korg, and lunch. Yes, I DO sometimes use a cart to carry it all...and yes, I DO have a big van to carry the cart. Those who saw me packing after the Getaway understand.

(Pics in Photoloft should both be in same album, but had a server error halfway thru uploading, and couldn't figure out how to re-edit, so they are in reverse order...*sigh*)

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 05:05 PM

PS...I think Netscape 'reads' HTML different than IE...I saw all Michaels  's

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Mooh
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 05:14 PM

...and business cards, and a soundhole pickup, blank cassette (I hope it's not awful), some phone # on a napkin (I hope that's good)...

A gigbag turned up promo posters from I don't know when and certainly don't remember playin the gigs, and a package of fish hooks and swivles (the fishin' musician lives!)...

This is a cool thread, thanks.

Peace Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: GUEST,John of the Hill
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 05:20 PM

Noticed Sorcha listed a couple of Irish pennies among case detritus. I just checked my case and came up with one Irish penny, one Canadian penny, and a Canadian nickel. I wish there were some romantic story attached to them, but I have no recollection of where they came from. As far as that goes, I have no recollection of any romantic stories. John

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: SDShad
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 05:20 PM

Spare strings (Martin or Adamas), lots of picks, jaw harp, fingernail clipper, mini faux Leatherman-tool for clipping strings, capo, New Skin liquid bandage for those times when I've not played in weeks and don't have much for calluses (a mando player I know recommends Super Glue, but y'know, I don't think so), electronic tuner, string winder, those big metal clips for clipping music on a stand, used to have a C-harp until I loaned it, more or less permanently, to a friend, and a small hand towel for wiping down the guitar and such (always know where your Towel is).

Nothing too out of the ordinary, I guess.

Chris

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: Sorcha
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 05:22 PM

One of mine a leprchaun gave me at a Festival long ago, and the other Kate found on the floor at school.

Subject: RE: BS: What Stash Is Kept In Your Guitar Case?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 05:37 PM

Case keys someone wanted to know? Yes-- great emergency picks.