A set of Ernie Ball strings is a vital part of any guitarists gig bag

Top ten things to put in your gig bag – guitar accessory tips

So you are packing your gig bag? If you are like me you always forget something. I ended up writing a checklist to remind myself. It worked wonders, so long as I remembered to check it. The vital guitar accessory list.

1. Spare plectrums
2. A spare set of Ernie Ball Super Slinky Strings
3. A couple of spare batterys
4. Effects pedal power supplies
5. Leads that work (always check them – takes 5 minutes, saves hours of pain)
6. A spare guitar strap
7. A packet of tissues or a cloth (always wipe your guitar strings down after the show)
8. A functional guitar tuner
9. A Capo
10. A roll of gaffa tape

There are a few other things which I always carry around. A duster to dry and clean strings after a show. This will keep the strings sounding fresh for longer. Sweat and dirt build up takes the edge off the sound of the strings. A peg winder can be useful if you need to change strings in a hurry. A small screwdriver can come in useful as well. Small wire cutters can be useful for trimming strings. Another accessory you may wish to consider (I have never bothered and so I am partially deaf) is some decent earplugs. If you want a long career in music, being able to hear what is going on is a great asset.  There are other things which may be necessary for your guitar or style of play. A set of Allen Keys is useful if you have a Floyd Rose system and a bottleneck if you play slide guitar. If you play acoustic, it is well worth having a spare set of string pegs.

My old bassplayer, the dearly departed Paul Hircombe RIP used to have great fun hiding this list and substituting his own. All of the items were illegal, immoral or completely inappropriate apart from no. 1 which I always carried as item no 11 –  A bottle opener.

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