Question Of The Week: What Else Do You Keep In Your Case?
Whether at home or on the road, our instrument usually travels with a few staple accessories. Tuners. Capos. Extra strings. Picks. But some people bring along a bit more. It could be tools for instrument maintenance, or a personal memento from our musical travels.
This week we ask you to take a look into the deepest, darkest pockets of your instrument's case, and answer this...
Aside from the common things (picks, strings, capos and tuners) what are the other tools or knick-knacks you keep with your instrument?
Unbeknownst to Folkcraft's Richard Ash (but knownst to us), I uncovered a few things in his case...
assorted batteries, wire cutters, a Beatles book, and a little credit card reader. Nothing too incriminating.
But what do you have?
Dig deep. No response is wrong. We want to hear from you!
Aside from the common things (picks, strings, capos and tuners) what are the other tools or knick-knacks you keep with your instrument?
Your Answers
Aside from the common things (picks, strings, capos and tuners) what are the other tools or knick-knacks you keep with your instrument?
Name: Diane T.
Location: Tucson, AZ
"Glasses specific prescription for the distance from my eyes to music with a dulcimer in my lap. Old frames, though, held together with paper clips. I look ridiculous but don't care since I'm into the music."
Name: Crystal H.
Location: PA
"A pair of earrings, some hard candy, a chapstick or lip balm, and a racecar. I tell people it's my son's car, but really I use it for comic relief. :)"
Name: Terry O.
Location: Springboro, OH
"Can of Rooster and a 6 of Red Wolf. Never know when yer gonna pull an allnighter."
Name: Mary Jane C.
Location: Jackson, MI
"String cutter, extra tuner battery, extra picks, emergency moleskin, and the ubiquitous jam tunes list!"
Name: Cheryl F.
Location: Soddy Daisy, Tn
"I keep extra tuner batteries, wire cutters, something to clean the frets with and a polishing cloth, plus extra strings. Almost forgot, miniature teddy bear - I just love teddy bears!"
Name: Chris W.
Location: Flower Mound Tx.
"I keep a digital metronome, some strumming feathers, a capo mode chart, and always a microfiber cloth."
Name: Jan P.
Location: Lexington, KY
"I keep some of the original paper Post-it flags--they came in a pack with one end gummed together--to use as an almost silent pick when I want to do some strummin' but don't want to bother people who may be napping or have a headache, etc. You can exert the same energy you would with your usual pick, but there will be very little sound--just enough for you to tell that you are playing the correct chords! It works kind of like the brush that drummers use. The closest thing that they currently sell is the Post-it Flat Notes, size 1.5 x 2. You don't use the whole pack as a pick, either...you want plenty of flexibility, so just break off 7-8 flags from the gummed pack. You should give this a try if you want to practice without other people hearing what you're playing."
Name: Vickey S
Location: Cincinnati, OH
"I have needle nose pliers, wire cutters, a first aid kit (you know playing the dulcimer can be dangerous!), recorder, highlighter and lots of pens, calendar with playdates, a small light to attach to the music stand, and a collection of business cards from other musicians."
Name: Mac S
Location: Eastern US
"Wire gauge, wire cutters, extra strings, extra tuner, batteries, glass slide, extra finger picks, nail cutters and file, diamond file for fret ends, cards."