The (Alternative) Essentials

Dude,

This started off as a “what-goes-in-your-toolbox” post but I thought since there are already countless articles on that, let me share with you some other important stuffs which others may take lightly upon. They are not necessary to be in the toolbox, but I always make sure they are accessible.

Music Stand

I wouldn’t have bought one if it wasn’t for your bro’s wedding gig. This is the best investment I’ve ever made. I used to practice sitting down, with the manuscript on the table. After 10 minutes, my neck feels the strain. After 30 minutes, I will get stiff neck for the whole day (and many a time, continued through the next day) and if I am determine enough to sit through whatever I was doing for an hour, I will die. Music stand literally, saved my life!

Micro-fibre Cloth

I was a champion for guitar polish until Mr. Shopkeeper introduced me to “Magic Cloth”. To support a friend doing business (friend is more of his boss actually) I bought one, but did not use it (it came from the Shopkeeper, I was skeptical) until my Mum (the greatest Mum on Earth) told me about her new discovery – a cloth so good, you can wipe oil and dirt off the kitchen tiles without any detergent or liquid. Guess what – it was microfiber cloth. She was right. I could get rid of fingerprints and dirt on the guitar with just one wipe. Note that this was back in 2005, where microfiber was just introduced as a household cleaning tool.

I now use 2 pieces of cloth – micro fibre for “polishing”, and another piece (not microfiber but lint-free cloth) purchased from Shell petrol station, to hold the guitar while doing the wiping.

Polish is still important, but I will probably do it once a year. Now is to get a real good polish.

Brush

Any type of brushes, with art brushes being the best choice (although I am contemplating Chinese brush). What is it for? For those hard to reach places – between your strings and the body, bridge, pickup mounting, trem spring cavity, body-neck joint, and where ever the cloth can’t reach.

Zip lock bags and bubble wraps

What the hell? Put your glass slide in, zip it up and roll it. Rest assured it won’t be crush by whatever you have in your tool box. You can extra-secure it with a bubble wrap around it. Zip locks helps to prevent the slide from… sliding out. You can also throw that glass slide into your gig bag and not worry being greeted by glass pieces by the time you need to use.

Olive Oil

Or recently Canola oil. Cooking oil is probably very very low in moisture (had it been high, imagine this – Cook prepares a wok of oil for frying stuff, oil heats up and oil start splattering around. Cook runs away. Neighbours thought here is gun fight in the house. Neighbour calls police. Police come. Cook arrested for negligent…..and the story goes on with the finale of aliens taking over Earth. Don’t ask me why. Long story.).

Dude, I don’t advocate this but if the fingerboard – particularly unfinished boards, particularly, rosewood – is having signs of dryness and cracking (….and BIG shop is closed for a week so you can’t get lemon oil), get into your kitchen, get a cotton bud, dip into oil and “brush” on the fingerboard.

Oil protects metal surfaces as well but you need to experiment if cooking oil will cause fret wires to turn black. Lemon oil will. I doubt olive oil will do that.

Cotton Buds and Tissue Papers

Cotton buds to brush oil, tissue papers to wipe off excess oil (tissues are disposable, micro-fibre cloths are not).

Sandpaper

I used to have the finest grade in my toolbox. I thought there will be metal deposit on my cable jack due to moisture, which may interfere with the signal. I think too much. Never heard of that before (eventhough from the electrochemistry point of view, it’s possible)

Anyway, if you are a fingerpicker, this is essential to shape your nails. I remember having one manicure lesson with my classical guitar teacher on how to shape your nails!

Rubber Bands/Tying wires

Or anything that can bind things together. It’s always nice to keep cables rolled up nicely to fit into gig bags. I always save up all the wires’ tying cables that come together with electrical appliances. Comes in real handy.

Sitting Cushion

I sit on a chair with a marble seat. Try playing for an hour sitting on that. Enough said.

Mineral Water and Dequadin Lozenges

Try playing for an hour straight without any liquid to keep you hydrated. Enough said.

Of course, don’t forget the “real” essentials – pack of picks, cables, tuner, metronome, extra strings, etc – all in a good gig bag.

I would have put chocolate and ice-cream as well as teh ais and nasi goreng telur mata kerbau ayam tepi as some of the essentials, but that will be a little too much isn’t it?