By 5 (More) Must have Guitar Accessories – Aimed at gigs
Introduction
Playing music and being a musician isn’t all expensive guitars and high-end amps! Sometimes you have to make purchases which can be low cost but high in reward. A while ago we put out an article going over 5 must have accessories (Read Here), we thought we would do an updated version! So today we have put together an article which goes over 5 (more) must have guitar accessories that will help you out playing guitar but these will mainly focus on gigging.
So let us dive straight into the first must have accessories, this is one I have only recently discovered myself. However, it has been a game-changer since I have discovered it! So let’s go into it some more!
An Amp Stand
This has been a wide awakening for me! I recently got myself an angled amp stand! Now, you may be wondering why is this good. Well, have you ever been at a gig or rehearsal and feel that no matter how you turn up your amp, you just can’t quite hear it? Especially if you put your amp on the floor! Well, most likely this is because your amp is pumping all the sounds into your legs! You will notice this massively if you ever do a gig and don’t mic the amp you sometimes won’t be able to fully hear yourself.
Well, I recently purchased an amp stand (Link Below) and tried it out and the difference is unreal! Because the amp is angled and facing more towards you, you are able to hear everything clearer and almost louder than before. Great for those gigs where you might not have the best sound, not enough monitors or just a smaller amp and need that extra help you hear yourself. Great news is that they are really cheap! I picked mine up on Thomann (Affiliate link below), it was delivered in a few days and has been used ever since!
Is there a downside? Well, the only downside I can think, of is it will take up more space! Obviously, it lifts your amp up and makes it taller! The other downside is that as you are taking it off the floor you may lose some bass that comes with it vibrating through the floor (this can be a good and bad thing however). Apart from that, I am perfectly happy with my purchase and am pleased with the result!
A Longer Power Cable
We love pedals! Think it’s fair to say that we all love pedals! However, to power pedals and pedal boards, you need a power supply! Now, I have yet to find a power supply that supplies a mains lead longer than 1.5 metres! Show up at any gig with a 1.5m cable and you will soon realise you are going to need a bigger cable! So what is the solution? Get a bigger one!
I went and bought a 5m cable from Amazon! It was super cheap, arrived the next day and means that wherever I set up I know that I will have enough cable. It can reach almost any plug! I know what you are thinking, can’t you just use an extension cable and plug everything into that? You can! However, the issue with this is that the spaghetti of cables that happens around powers bricks and extension plugs will be by where you stand! If you buy longer cables, you can take that mess and hide it! Simples!
Ear Plugs!
If you’re a guitarist who frequently gigs or plays live music, investing in a quality pair of earplugs is an absolute necessity for several compelling reasons. First and foremost, earplugs help protect your most valuable asset as a musician – your hearing. Prolonged exposure to loud amplifiers, drums, and the general noise of live performances can lead to irreversible hearing damage. Earplugs designed for musicians are designed to attenuate sound evenly across frequencies, preserving the integrity of the music while reducing overall volume. This allows you to play confidently without sacrificing your long-term hearing health.
Secondly, earplugs improve your overall performance. When you’re comfortable and confident on stage, you can focus on your music and connect with your audience better. By reducing stage volume and preventing excessive noise fatigue, earplugs help you maintain concentration and play at your best.
I personally use a set from ACS hearing! I have no affiliation with them but their earplugs are amazing! They don’t muffle the sound they just reduce the volume! So you don’t hear anything different, it is just quieter! Plus, they were only £10! A must have investment for every musician!
A Towel
Gigs get hot! Heat brings sweat! Sweat stings when it gets in your eyes! I think that is the easiest way, to sum up why you need to bring a towel to a gig! Keeps you dry! Especially after a set, you might go and chat to people or do meet and greets and just having a towel ready to wipe any sweat and keep dry is a nice feeling!
It also isn’t just sweat, spillages can be mopped up quickly when you have a towel spare, and also you can use it to rest your guitar on if you have to put it down for any reason! You will find yourself using it more than you think! So make sure you pack one and if you don’t use it, it doesn’t matter but if you need one then you have one!
Also, not huge but I would consider getting a darker colour one! If you plan to have it on stage with you then a bright colour might distract and stand out! Having a black or dark blue towel can be out of sight! Won’t distract anyone from the show!
A Sharpie/Pen
Plans change, information gets told and things happen! The quickest way to remember these is to write them down! This is why I always recommend carrying a pen of some kind! I like to carry a Sharpie (Most of the time in two colours). Now for quick notes, of course, you can use your phone. However, if you need to change the set list, mark any points to remember through the set, Maybe mark settings on pedals and gear. You can just grab a Sharpie and do it!
You can buy a big pack of off-brand Sharpies anywhere that sells stuff! So pick a pack up, carry a few and you will again be surprised at how often you find yourself needing a pen when at a gig! Like I said I tend to carry two colours, This way I have a standard Black sharpie for notes and song changes or something like that. Then I carry a Red or Green (Something very different from Black), for set notes like Bridge walk-ons, Special dances extending songs or even something as helpful as pedal changes!
Bonus: Matte Screen Protector
Are you using a table on stage for lyrics or chords, or perhaps for managing sound or lights? One recent upgrade I’ve made is applying a matte screen protector to my iPad. Why? It significantly reduces reflections, making it far easier to see the screen under various lighting conditions. This enhancement ensures a more consistent viewing experience, even under old-school fluorescent tube lights during rehearsals, where the screen emits considerably fewer reflections than before.
These matte screen protectors are incredibly affordable, readily available on platforms like eBay or Amazon. You can easily apply them yourself and witness the difference almost instantly. I acquired four screen protectors along with all the necessary wipes for application for just £5. Additionally, they provide the added benefit of protecting your screen—arguably their primary purpose!
Conclusion
So those are 5 must have accessories for gigging! Not the normal accessories that people would recommend, not the flashy kind of things people show. However, these are genuinely useful things to take with you to every gig!
Do you have any must have accessories that you take to gigs? Anything you can’t live without when you go to gigs? Let us know over on our Instagram, we would love to hear all your suggestions! We might even have to put them together for “5 more, more” articles!
If you want to support the site then please give us a follow on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube.
Check out our other Articles here