Thursday, 27 April, 2006

1. By meg_mac. Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @01:40pm:

   Duct tape definitly in the emergency box in the trunk of our car!!
2. By . Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @01:49pm:

   If you play electric, bring along a neon current tester. Hold one lead between your fingertips and touch the other to the microphone. If it lights up, your ground connections are reversed and you could get electrocuted. It has happened.
3. By Mean Jean. Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @01:51pm:

   The songbooks. I cannot tell you how many parties we've gone to and Mr. Mean starts playing, somebody requests their "favorite song" he starts up and they know, uh, half a stanza and one line of chorus and expect him or ME to fill in the blanks.
   
   "...let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London..."
4. By another larry. Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @02:27pm:

   "Mainly Band-Aids" with that amazing Japanese video..
5. By Mean Jean. Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @02:46pm:

   hmmm, punk. Is he confusing punk and incense? I thought a punk was what you lit and then used to light your firecrackers. And when your mother wasn't looking you poked your brother with it.
   
   "It was an accident! He walked right into it!"
6. By . Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @03:14pm:

   A good start; a few more essentials to add:
   
   * Super glue. Include with BOTH tool kit AND first-aid kit.
   
   * To go along with those extra strings, you MUST have a string winder (crank). (since I play a twelve, a winder always resides in my guitar case)
   
   Okay, since he's already mentioned duct tape for securing mic and amp cables (which means you're playing amplified), then these should also be part of your "simple" tool kit:
   
   * SEVERAL 3-prong to 2-prong grounding adapters
   
   * extra cables (mic and lead; expect your cables to short-out at inopportune times)
   
   * electrical tape
   
   * (optional) soldering iron (with solder)
   
   Using effects pedals? (nope!) As touched upon in #5, batteries, spare batteries, and more BATTERIES. Do they have their own power supplies ("wall warts")? A PowerSquid-type extension cord can't be beat, or at least extension cords and/or power strips.
   
   As mentioned by Mean Jean and #4, fake books with lyrics.
   
   Garbage bags for emergency rain protection.
7. By head. Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @03:18pm:

   BEER
8. By . Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @03:42pm:

   WHOA! head found the CAPS LOCK (or SHIFT) key!
   
   Bring your own beer to a gig? Hey, if you're not providing the sauce, I ain't providing the music.
9. By . Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @04:42pm:

   I don't see earplugs on the list anywhere, ya gotta have these to keep the noise of the fans down.
10. By head. Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @04:59pm:

    public domain for you is pretty rough but i listen to some of it
11. By . Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @05:47pm:

    I also keep an A-440 tuning fork in there - NO batteries required. And you really do have to be in tune.
12. By . Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @05:49pm:

    And, by god, a capo. Or 2, or 3. Like picks, someone else might find one useful, too.
    
    Shubb, Shubb, Shubb.
13. By Greg. Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @06:22pm:

    Fingernail clippers.
    
    I don't know about anyone else, but the nails on my fretting hand grow enough to be in the way in mere minutes!
14. By . Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @06:28pm:

    Absolutely on the capos, ~Q~ (again, they're already permanent fixtures in my ax case).
    
    Excellent point on the earplugs also, Trev - but not necessarily because of overexuberant fans. Depending on who's running the sound board (usually NOT yourself), you can suffer severe hearing loss when they decide to crank you (or, more likely, the rest of your group) up to eleven.
15. By . Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @06:29pm:

    And if not nail clippers, then at least a nail file or emery board.
16. By Original Zen. Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @06:46pm:

    Holy Cow, 12, you going to a gig or rebuilding Western Civilization (as we know it)?
    
    Can see that we share the same sort of...preparedness issues. The guys I work with in the forest usually get by on two gear bags each. I, on the other hand, require the whole box of my Toyota and about 15 bags, containers, etc, to feel like I'm a pro showing up on the jobsite. Duplicates of all my essential gear. So, get mocked on the one hand, borrowed from on the other.
    
    If I ever play live again, I'm going to have all the above info as a good checklist. Need a less expensive guitar to take on the road.
17. By OZ. Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @06:51pm:

    ...the road into the Bush, I mean.
18. By . Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @08:43pm:

    Ideally, if you carry a gig bag (sounds like a good idea), that's not a bad list.
    
    That's why I'm primarily acoustic these days. No need for a separate "emergency" bag - almost every thing I need goes in the case. If it doesn't fit in the case, I don't really need it. If I'm plugging in, I mostly rely on the venue's electronics. All I carry is my case (loaded with picks, 2 cables, at least 7 capos [2 Shubbs, 2 Shubb partials, a Shubb Drop-D, a Kayser quick change, & a Paige 12-string capo; sometimes, I'll add a couple more], strap, 3 humidifiers, hygrometer, string winder/cutter, lute hole, spare batteries [2 AAs for the guitar], extra set of strings, and polishing cloth - oh yeah, and my guitar!) and my Ultimate Support Genesis guitar stand. If I need it, I'll also grab my Roland MicroCube and it's wall wart. I don't use a tuner (you've got to be able to tune by ear alone). In my pocket, my Swiss Army Classic has scissors and file for quick nail reductions/smoothings.
19. By Original Zen. Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @08:55pm:

    What, just *one* set of extra strings?
    
    Like to hear you play--some form, some way--one day. You've sure got the *gear* thing covered <g>. Think my favorite thing about playing keyboard more than guitar is...not having to tune.
20. By Little Washu. Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @09:04pm:

    In addition to a lot of the things mentioned, I bring some packets of pre moistened handi wipes. I play in a band where we set up and tear down a good sized P.A. and light trusses. Hands get dirty, and I really don't want to go into the bathrooms of some of these venues .....
    As far as capos...... all you need is knowledge of the fretboard, some extra chord fingerings and a tiny bit of theory. Why bring a capo when you can just play the right chords in the key you want to transpose to? ;)
21. By Original Zen. Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @09:05pm:

    With you on the tuning fork, ~Q~. Never without. Have a digital tuner but prefer the fork resonating the soundboard, tuning to harmonics, and then tweaking final tuning to harp (blues) or piano song key.
    
    If God existed and was a musical note, A440, I think. Maybe, A444.
    
    And that was *two* sets of strings, capo, numerous Fender thin picks, spare battery for EQ, humidifier, brass slide, and ticket stub from Neil Young's Solo/Shocking Pinks tour. Emergency...numbers.
22. By . Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @10:28pm:

    "...all you need is knowledge of the fretboard, some extra chord fingerings and a tiny bit of theory. Why bring a capo when you can just play the right chords in the key you want to transpose to?"
    
    So I can still have a modicum of use of my left hand and arm the next day? How many years have you been playing an acoustic twelve, L W?
    (40+ here)
    
    To relieve some of the stress on the top, bridge, and neck, and reduce incidents of string breakage, I always keep my 12 tuned down to at least Eb, and almost always have a capo on the first fret. Therefore, that means I'm already transposing everything.
    
    Honestly, you've never worked out a part that just doesn't work right in a different position?
    
    I've also got cubital tunnel syndrome, so if I can cut down on some of the unnecessary gymnastics, eliminate some of the strain, and prolong my playing life, you bet your sweet bippy I will.
    However, if you'd rather flaunt your machismo, be my guest and knock yourself out. ;-)
23. By . Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @10:32pm:

    "Holy Cow, 12, you going to a gig or rebuilding Western Civilization (as we know it)?
    
    Whassa matta, you don't believe in McGyver?
24. By . Comment posted 27-Apr-2006 @10:54pm:

    <Dang - two for two on that one - wrong tag and a typo>
    
    "Holy Cow, 12, you going to a gig or rebuilding Western Civilization (as we know it)?
    
    Whassa matta, you don't believe in MacGyver?
    
    <much better - now I can sleep>
25. By Original Zen. Comment posted 28-Apr-2006 @12:03am:

    Hey, thanks for the laugh. MacGyver indeed. Had to cut a center faucet hole in the countertop in addition to the two perfect holes I drilled (my installer friend flew the coop). To cut to the chase and because of tight quarters, I either had to remove the whole L countertop or...reverse the blade in my jigsaw and cut pulling toward me. Never underestimate a Canadian in a crunch situation...Now, I can play guitar for a bit.
    
    I'm a transposer, too, though. (Sounds like some sort of cross-dresser). Rarely use a capo due to the extra...tuning issues--while appreciating the usage on a drop-tuned Eb or D 12-string. Tend to stay in open tunings anyway. Standard is non-standard on my blue guitar.
26. By . Comment posted 28-Apr-2006 @04:28am:

    12 - I never have my 12 tuned above D. I've also got a voice that makes some people long for Leo Kottke vocals... and mine's deeper. I have to transpose almost anything to sing it - or drop a full octave (2 for Don Henley!). I may have mentioned before, a former spouse (you'll understand in just a second) destroyed my jumbo Guild 12 by tuning it up to E without my knowledge... still makes me quite sad even after 15 years.
    
    Hmm - now I sound like Mr. Bojangles.
27. By Mean Jean. Comment posted 28-Apr-2006 @05:25am:

    Original Zen Mr. Mean used to hang out at Le Hibou in Ottawa and learned 3 finger picking from Rambling Jack Elliot. (I mentioned this a year or so ago, but these Americans guitar guys apparantly hadn't heard of ol' RJ.) He still has his first capo from those days, a home-made looking thing. He's a capo man because it means he can play longer.
28. By wally the duck. Comment posted 28-Apr-2006 @07:17am:

    Gig bag. Big gag.
29. By . Comment posted 28-Apr-2006 @07:52am:

    I guess if you want to throw in the kitchen sink, you might want to add a can of Finger-Ease guitar string lubricant and a soft cloth.
30. By Perri. Comment posted 28-Apr-2006 @09:25am:

    Bobson: My Old Gig Bag
31. By Little Washu. Comment posted 28-Apr-2006 @09:53am:

    12 stringer, You got me , I was flaunting my machismo! heheh...:)
    
    seriously, I know cubital tunnel syndrome sucks, I can certainly sympathize......

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