Guitars » Guides » 21 Items Every Guitarist Needs in their Gig Bag (with Free Checklist)

21 Items Every Guitarist Needs in their Gig Bag (with Free Checklist)

As a guitarist there can be nothing worse than being in the middle of a gig and breaking a string, having a cable fail or losing something and realizing you don’t have a replacement. Being unprepared is a musicians worst nightmare but happens far too often.

You should always have a fully stocked gig bag! There’s no excuse to not have all the essentials.

items guitarists need in gig bag

But you might not be sure what to include or what are the most important items to prioritize. If so then this list is for you.

We will look at the essential items you’ll want to keep in your gig bag at all times as well as a few extras that aren’t necessities but you might want to have anyway, just in case.

Gig Bag Essentials to Pack

Strings

This is a no brainer. Breaking a string has to be the most common issue guitarists face when playing live.

And unless you get lucky and break a string that you never use – for example you only play power chords but break the high e string – then it’s going to cause some major problems. You don’t want your set to be interrupted while you try to find another or have to try and play on missing a string.

So keep a spare set of strings with you at all times. Maybe even consider keeping a few in case a band mate needs one too.

Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings 3 Pack - 10-46 Gauge
One of the most popular strings and what I use: Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings 3 Pack – 10-46 Gauge

Picks

If you’ve played guitar for more than 5 minutes you’ll be very aware of how often picks go missing. It’s like they’re trying to escape.

Not to mention the dreaded dropping-it-in-the-sound-hole! You can literally spend days trying to jiggle a pick out of the body of an acoustic guitar, like some sort of nightmarish game.

And that’s just when you’re practising at home. When you’re playing live you can’t really stop to pick up a dropped pick, scrabble around on the floor looking for it or spend who knows how long trying to get it out of your sound hole.

So you need some spares.

Dunlop Tortex Standard .50mm Red Guitar Pick, 12 Pack
You can’t go wrong with Dunlop. The Standard Tolex 0.50mm are hard to beat

Cables

Cables break. Maybe it’s never happened to you and you’re thinking”I’ll be fine”.

Well you’ll regret that attitude. As one day you’ll here a crack, hit a string or strum and get no response and feel the pit of despair deep in your soul as you realize your cables gone and you’ve got nothing to replace it with.

Don’t be that guy or girl. Pack a cable.

D'Addario Guitar Cable - Guitar Lead - Geo Tip for Secure Connection - 1/4 Inch Male to 1/4 Inch Male - 15 Feet/4.57 Meters - Straight Ends - 1 Pack
D’Addario Guitar Cable with Geo Tip for Secure Connection – 1/4 Inch Male to 1/4 Inch Male – 15 Feet/4.57 Meters

Batteries

You might be able to skip this one if you’re playing acoustic with no pedals. But if you’ve got pedals, a tuner, active pickups etc. then a spare 9v battery is a must.

If your current one runs out in the middle of a performance you’re going to be stuck without a spare you can quickly replace it with.

Duracell Coppertop 9V Battery, 6 Count Pack, 9-Volt Battery with Long-lasting Power, All-Purpose Alkaline 9V Battery for Household and Office Devices
Duracell Coppertop 9V Battery, 6 Count Pack

A Strap

Straps have a variety of ways they can break – tearing, snapping, the strap holes getting worn etc. It might be another occasion where you think it’ll never happen to you.

But when it does and you can’t hold your guitar up you’ll be kicking yourself that you didn’t have a spare one with you.

Levy's Leathers 3" Wide Leather Guitar Strap with Foam Padding and Garment Leather Backing; Black (M26PD-BLK)
I use a Levy’s Leathers Wide Leather Strap

A Tuner

Having a spare digital or clip-on tuner is a good idea too. If your tuner pedal dies you want something to cover you.

Also if you want to tune up backstage but your gear is on the stage then a clip-on tuner is the solution.

Fender FT-1 Professional Clip-On Tuner
Fender FT-1 Professional Clip-On Tuner

Earplugs

Ear protection is really important. Playing the guitar live means standing near to a very loud amp.

Studies have found that musicians are twice as likely to develop tinnitus and hearing issues. When music exceeds 85 decibels musicians are access to wear ear protection and the majority of amplified gigs and concerts – especially ones with loud electric guitar amps – are over 100 decibels.

So you shouldn’t ever play live without earplugs. And carrying a spare pair is sensible too.

Fender Professional Hi-Fi Ear Plugs
Fender Professional Hi-Fi Ear Plugs

Water

A live gig can be hot and sweaty. Keeping hydrated is necessary for both your health and playing well.

Your playing won’t be nearly as good if you’re feeling the effects of the heat and need a drink. So having a bottle of water with you is a priority.

Yes, a lot of venues will have water they can provide. But you might be in a rush to setup and not have the chance to get any. If you’ve got your own then it’s one other thing you don’t have to worry about.

Alpine Spring Water, 35 Bottles per case, 16.9oz Bottles, Bottled at the Source (075140350018)
Bottled Alpine Spring Water

Food

Much like water you won’t be able to play well if you’re doing so on an empty stomach. You might have a drop in blood sugar or start to feel weak.

Live gigs can be pretty nerve wracking too, as well as using up a lot of energy. Having a snack you can quickly get to is practical and something you’re going to be glad you had when you need it.

Other Items you might Want

These are a few things you probably should have but aren’t quite as essential as the list above.

A Capo

This is more dependent on the type of music you’re playing. If you never use a capo then you don’t have any need for a spare.

But if you use one extensively or even on a couple of songs it might be a good idea to have a backup one with you. Capo’s can break and get lost like anything else.

Kyser Quick-Change Guitar Capo for 6-string acoustic guitars, Black, KG6BA
The Keyser Quick Change Capo is the one I use

Multi tool / Allen key or wrenches

If at any point you need to adjust something on your guitar then having a set of tools or the necessary allen wrenches is a must.

Pliers, screwdrivers etc. will fix most issues that might happen with your guitar. And allen wrenches are needed if you have locking tuners or a tremolo.

Gerber Gear 30-001364N Suspension-NXT, 15-in-1 Multitool Knife, Needle Nose Pliers Pocket Knife with Pocket Clip, EDC Gear, Steel
Gerber Gear 30-001364N Suspension-NXT, 15-in-1 Multitool Knife, Needle Nose Pliers, Pocket Knife with Pocket Clip

String Winder/Cutter

If you break a string and are replacing it you don’t want to spend ages winding or trying to cut the new one. So a combo winder/cutter or one of each is always useful to have close to hand.

D'Addario Pro-Winder - Guitar String Winder, Guitar String Cutter, Guitar Bridge Pin Puller - Ultimate Ergonomic All in One Guitar Tool for Restringing - Black
D’Addario Pro-Winder – Guitar String Winder, Guitar String Cutter, Guitar Bridge Pin Puller – Ultimate Ergonomic All in One Guitar Tool for Restringing

Extension Cord/Power Strip

What happens if you turn up to the venue you’re playing and you find there aren’t enough outlets for all your gear? And on top of that it’s so far away your power cables won’t reach.

An extension cord and power strip (maybe surge protector) is going to be a life saver.

Surge Protector Power Strip - 6 Ft Flat Plug Extension Cord with 8 Widely Outlets and 4 USB Ports(1 USB C), 3 Side Outlet Extender for Home Office, White, ETL Listed
Surge Protector Power Strip – 6 Ft Flat Plug Extension Cord with 8 Widely Outlets and 4 USB Ports(1 USB C), 3 Side Outlet Extender for Home Office, White, ETL Listed

USB Cable

Depending on the gear you’re using a USB cable could be an extremely important part of your setup. If so then chuck one in your gig bag and be prepared for any problems you might have with one.

Amazon Basics USB 2.0 A-Male to Micro B Cable, 6 feet, Black
Amazon Basics USB 2.0 A-Male to Micro B Cable, 6 feet

A Towel

A lot of gigs are pretty intense. You’re probably going to get hot and sweaty.

Having a towel on your amp or somewhere you can grab quickly between songs to wipe yourself down is a good idea.

Utopia Towels - Luxurious Jumbo Bath Sheet - 600 GSM 100% Cotton Highly Absorbent and Quick Dry Extra Large Bath Towel - Super Soft Hotel Quality Towel (35 x 70 Inches, Grey)
Utopia Towels – Luxurious Jumbo Bath Towel – 600 GSM 100% Cotton Highly Absorbent and Quick Dry Extra Large Bath Towel

Duct Tape

Duct tape is always useful. It doesn’t matter what breaks or goes wrong some tape will probably help in some way.

Seriously, keep some in your gig bag and it’ll get used a lot more than you expect.

3M Multi-Use Colored Duct Tape, Black, Duct Tape with Strong Adhesive and Water-Resistant Backing, Multi-Surface 3M Duct Tape for Indoor and Outdoor Use, 1.88 Inches x 20 Yards, 1 Roll
Multi-Use Black Duct Tape

A Flashlight

A lot of venues are dark. Think of bars and pubs – the lighting is terrible. Having a flashlight so you can set up your gear properly or make any necessary adjustments to it is a smart move.

ENERGIZER LED Flashlight Vision PRO, Ultra Bright 1000+ Lumens, IPX4 Water Resistant, Aircraft-Grade Aluminum LED Light, Rugged Metal Flash Light for Outdoors, Emergency Power Outage, Black
ENERGIZER LED Flashlight Vision PRO, Ultra Bright 1000+ Lumens, IPX4 Water Resistant, Aircraft-Grade Aluminum LED Light

Pen and Paper

Definitely not the most important to have but still useful so you change or add to your set list and make any notes. And you never know, you might even get ashes for an autograph!

Canson C400100928 XL Series Pen & Ink White, 9-x-12-Inch
Canson C400100928 XL Series Pen & Ink White, 9-x-12-Inch

First Aid Kit

Accidents don’t just happen to your gear, they can happen to you or band mates too. Having a small fist aid kid will deal with any minor injuries or cuts that occur.

First Aid Only 298 Piece All-Purpose First Aid Emergency Kit (FAO-442)
First Aid Only 298 Piece All-Purpose First Aid Emergency Kit

Money

You never know when you’re going to need some money. Keeping a bit of cash on or with you is sensible even if you can’t foresee needing it.

An Orange Micro Terror

You read that right – an Orange Micro Terror should be in EVERY gig bag. You might think I’m kidding but take a look:

orange micro terror going in gig bag

Excuse my dusty gig bag!

orange micro terror in gig bag

The beauty of these tiny lunchbox amp heads is that you can take them anywhere with you. If you don’t like the Micro Terror then why not the Micro Dark or Terror Stamp?

I’ve seen people making them part of their pedal board as they’re so small and they make the perfect backup amp.

orange Micro terror on pedalboard
source

Ok, it’s the last on this list and a bit tongue in cheek but give it some thought. And maybe take a read of my Orange Micro Terror review to help you make up your mind.

Orange Micro Terrror 20W Mini Hybrid Guitar Head
Orange Micro Terrror 20W Mini Hybrid Guitar Head

Gig Packing Checklist

The checklist below can be printed out and used to make sure you’ve got everything you need before gigs.

guitar gig bag checklist

Before you go…

For more information about what you need for playing the guitar try this guide:

Everything You Need to Play Electric Guitar: A Guide

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About Andy Fraser

I'm Andy and I've been crazy about music, and specifically the guitar, for longer than I can remember. As a former guitar teacher I've been immersed in the world of music for years. It's this passion and enthusiasm about all things guitar that drove me to start this website. A place where I could talk about the gear, techniques and general awesomeness that is the best instrument. I began playing somewhat late compared to a lot of people. I was 15 years old as it had taken me a while to find the confidence to believe in myself and take that step to learn to play an instrument. It started my lifelong love of music and playing in general. Since then like so many before me I've become an addict and gone through more guitars, amps and gear than I care to remember. I taught guitar for some time but unfortunately was forced to stop due to ill health. This lead to me starting this website so I could still share my love for and what I've learnt about the guitar. Guitar Inside Out is my way of sharing that love and passion with the music community and hopefully inspiring and helping others to enjoy it as much as I do. Learn more about Andy

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