What's in Your Toolkit?

[Norris]

Having read the threads in the Bass Guitar forum about carrying a backup bass (or not - I don't), I wondered how many of you carry a toolkit with you, and what you put in it.

I always carry a toolkit containing:
Spare strings (min 1 set, pref 2)
Spare strap
Pliers (large and thin-nose)
Side cutters
Screwdrivers of various sizes
Allen keys of various sizes
Stanley knife
Soldering iron & solder
Chunk of wood with 1/4" hole drilled in it (for holding jack plugs while soldering them)
A variety of connectors, bits of wire, straplocks, etc.
Gaffa tape
Multimeter

Over the top?

[thisnameistaken]

All sorts of random stuff. Yeah strings and picks and batteries, allen keys, screwdrivers, coax wire cutters / strippers, multimeter, spare mains, XLR, instrument + speaker cables, spare strap, upright bass preamp, wire coathanger, kazoo, gas soldering iron + solder + braid, SM58 clone, spare mic clips and inserts, I can do just about everything at a venue except replace frets and nuts.

[Shawman]

my in-case toolkit consists of

1 allen key
1 cloth
1 set of strings
1 pair of snips
2 spare batteries

so comparing the two...i would say slightly OTT

Edited March 24, 2011 by Shawman

[xgsjx]

Pretty much the same with the exception of the bit of wood. I just get a guitarist to hold the 1/4 jack in his left hand.

Basically I have what was supposed to be a laptop case (tho the laptop would have to be about 8" thick ) & it's filled with the main leads that I use & then a load of spare cables, jacks, multitools, screwdrivers, strings, callgirl cards, adaptors, soldering iron, solder, a mic, & some other odds & sods.

[bigjohn]

Hmm...

Not carrying a spare set of strings can be disastrous... but I've always been able to improvise with anything else...

I sometimes take a swiss army knife, but often forget it.

[Cat Burrito]

We've had a few threads on this and bass players seem to be a good point of call for spares. I even carry capos and plectrums in mine for other band members. Mine has a folding "Guitool" with all the screwdrivers etc, a towel, a stand, spare leads & instrument cables, fuses, straps, strings and a bit of band merch.

[Rich]

Adjustable spanner
Allen keys, about a million
Araldite rapid
Batteries
Cable tester (homebrew)
Cable ties
Double-sided tape
Files
Fluke multimeter
Flux
Fuses
Gascat soldering iron
Insulating tape
Knives
Nail clippers
Pens & chinagraphs, various
Pliers
Safety pins
Scissors
Screwdrivers, various
Screws
Side-cutters
Solder
Spare 12AX7 preamp valve
Spare jack plugs/sockets
Strings
Superglue
Switch cleaner
Thread-lock
Torch
Various electronic components
Wet wipes
Wire

[icastle]

Oh lordy, I'm gonna regret this...

Allen keys (hex)
Allen keys (torx)
Soldering Iron
Two gauges of solder
Desolder tool (various)
Tip cleaner
HRC Fuses
FB Fuses
SB Fuses
Wrist strap and isolation box
DVM
Clamp Meter
Fluke Net analysis meter
RJ45 tester
Cable tester
Screwdrivers (flat)
Screwdrivers (torx)
Screwdrivers (posi)
Screwdrivers (phillips)
Cutters (various)
Pliers (various)
Mole grips (various)
Adjustable spanners (various)
Small spanners
Socket set
Trimtools
XLRs (M & F)
Speakons (M & F)
Jack plugs and sockets (6.25 & 3.5mm)
Wire strippers (pistol grip and rotational)
Scissors
Steel rule
Stanley knife
Various craft knives
Superglue
WD40
Blutak
Switch cleaner
Isopropyl Alcohol
Thread lock
Solder paste
Crimptool (standard terminals)
Crimptool (RJ45)
Crimptool (RJ11)
Punch tool (Krone)
Punch tool (110)
Punch tool (433A)
Assorted crimp assemblies
16A commandos (M & F)
Mains plugs and trailing sockets.
Files
Batteries
Torch
Insulating tape
Gaffa Tape
Self amalgamating tape
Masking tape
Various lumps of cable
Various pens
Various nuts, bolts and washers
Various electronic components

It all fits in one tool box that needs both hands to lift.

[Clarky72]

Allen keys
Screwdriver (flathead & crosshead)
Adjustable spanner
Pliers
Duct tape
Plectrums (even though I play fingers just for emergencies)
Electrical tape
Sweat towel
Spare kettle lead
Spare speaker lead
Spare guitar lead
Spare set of schaller straplocks
Spare set of strings
Spare batteries
Marker pen
Band business cards
Jack plug converters for iPod into various PAs
Free Cheeseburger vouchers for McDonalds

[kevin_lindsay]

As well ascend usual Allen keys, screwdrivers etc, I always take the following to any gigs I do:

Towel
Liquid soap

The reason? To remove the grime from my fingers amassed during gear set up on stage. Some of the folks I played with kind of thought it was strange, but when they too went on stage with clean hands, every one said they felt better when playing.

Or maybe myself and the folks I play with are just wierdos? Hahaha

[bassace]

Most of the above; not an allen key as I wouldn't need one (being a double bass player). But one very useful piece of kit is a 100mm length of welding rod with a hook formed at one end. This makes changing strings much easier.

[Clarky72]

[quote name='kevin_lindsay' post='1174712' date='Mar 24 2011, 02:34 PM']As well ascend usual Allen keys, screwdrivers etc, I always take the following to any gigs I do:

Towel
Liquid soap

The reason? To remove the grime from my fingers amassed during gear set up on stage. Some of the folks I played with kind of thought it was strange, but when they too went on stage with clean hands, every one said they felt better when playing.

Or maybe myself and the folks I play with are just wierdos? Hahaha[/quote]

Not a bad idea... i might get some, or maybe some of that sanitiser stuff we use at festivals to stay clean...

Edited March 24, 2011 by Clarky72

[MB1]

MB1.
Whats in your Toilet?
"Sorry! should have gone to Specsavers!"

[JTUK]

pretty much everything plus my car has a decent tool kit as well.

Allen keys, spare fuses, mini tool kit etc etc ... it all goes in my gig bag with leads, strings, batts

[Len_derby]

[quote name='kevin_lindsay' post='1174712' date='Mar 24 2011, 02:34 PM']As well ascend usual Allen keys, screwdrivers etc, I always take the following to any gigs I do:

Towel
Liquid soap

The reason? To remove the grime from my fingers amassed during gear set up on stage. Some of the folks I played with kind of thought it was strange, but when they too went on stage with clean hands, every one said they felt better when playing.

Or maybe myself and the folks I play with are just wierdos? Hahaha[/quote]

Yeah, stuff to clean your hands.
One of the pubs I play at regularly gives out free food in the interval. Usually pizza, samozas etc, and no cutlery.
I only ate once without cleaning my hands afterwards. Disgusting greasy smelly strings.
On the spares/tools bit, I'm pretty much the same as most of you.
The best string trimmers I've ever found to carry around are Shimano cable cutters, designed for bicycle gear and brake cables. Light and lethal.

[Rich]

[quote name='icastle' post='1174677' date='Mar 24 2011, 02:16 PM']Oh lordy, I'm gonna regret this...

[i]<vast list of stuff>[/i]

It all fits in one tool box that needs both hands to lift.[/quote]
Wow, and I thought [i]my[/i] list was a bit geeky... sir, I take my hat off to you

[skankdelvar]

* Two bags of grass
* Seventy-five pellets of mescaline
* Five sheets of high-powered blotter acid
* A saltshaker half-full of cocaine
* A whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers...

Also, a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of beer, a pint of raw ether, and two dozen amyls.

[TimR]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='1174961' date='Mar 24 2011, 05:27 PM']* Two bags of grass
* Seventy-five pellets of mescaline
* Five sheets of high-powered blotter acid
* A saltshaker half-full of cocaine
* A whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers...

Also, a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of beer, a pint of raw ether, and two dozen amyls.[/quote]

What happened to the Bessemer converter?

[TimR]

This question comes up every now and again. It seems that there are two camps. Those who take tons of unnecessary stuff and seem to be prepared for every eventuality, and those who've been gigging years and have found that it doesn't matter what you take you won't have what you need.

When you start out playing gigs you take hardly anything. The amount of stuff you take gradually increases as the gigs get more important and you get paranoid about; what if this happens, what if that happens. Then as the years go by you realise, if you have good gear, stuff just works like it should and you cut right back down to bare essentials.

Toolkit:
wire cutters, screwdriver for bass battery compartment.

I fix stuff at home I replace stuff at gigs so I carry:
Spare bass, spare strings, battery, DI for PA (in case of amp failure), spare mains lead.

[Big_Stu]

What? No Superglue? But it's in the rules!

[KiOgon]

[quote name='Rich' post='1174594' date='Mar 24 2011, 01:34 PM'][color="#0000FF"][size=4]Safety pins[/size][/color][/quote]

Just that made me laugh!

As my dear old Mum used to say, " If you're going on stage in them trousers - make sure you've got a safety pin with you"

God that was a long time ago

[icastle]

[quote name='Rich' post='1174765' date='Mar 24 2011, 03:11 PM']Wow, and I thought [i]my[/i] list was a bit geeky... sir, I take my hat off to you [/quote]

I'd take my hat off as well... just need to find my hat removing tool...

[TankJon]

[quote name='icastle' post='1174677' date='Mar 24 2011, 02:16 PM']Oh lordy, I'm gonna regret this...

Allen keys (hex)
Allen keys (torx)
Soldering Iron
Two gauges of solder
Desolder tool (various)
Tip cleaner
HRC Fuses
FB Fuses
SB Fuses
Wrist strap and isolation box
DVM
Clamp Meter
Fluke Net analysis meter
RJ45 tester
Cable tester
Screwdrivers (flat)
Screwdrivers (torx)
Screwdrivers (posi)
Screwdrivers (phillips)
Cutters (various)
Pliers (various)
Mole grips (various)
Adjustable spanners (various)
Small spanners
Socket set
Trimtools
XLRs (M & F)
Speakons (M & F)
Jack plugs and sockets (6.25 & 3.5mm)
Wire strippers (pistol grip and rotational)
Scissors
Steel rule
Stanley knife
Various craft knives
Superglue
WD40
Blutak
Switch cleaner
Isopropyl Alcohol
Thread lock
Solder paste
Crimptool (standard terminals)
Crimptool (RJ45)
Crimptool (RJ11)
Punch tool (Krone)
Punch tool (110)
Punch tool (433A)
Assorted crimp assemblies
16A commandos (M & F)
Mains plugs and trailing sockets.
Files
Batteries
Torch
Insulating tape
Gaffa Tape
Self amalgamating tape
Masking tape
Various lumps of cable
Various pens
Various nuts, bolts and washers
Various electronic components

It all fits in one tool box that needs both hands to lift.[/quote]

Why on earth would anyone need IPA and all the network cable tools and tester for gigging?

...assuming of course its your gig tool kit and not for work

Edited March 24, 2011 by TankJon

[Truckstop]

Multi-tool plier thing.
Small screwdriver to turn the 'mute' on the amp. The button fell out a while ago.
Prostitute.
Strings.

That's it. I always take two basses with me just in case. Honestly, I've never had to do anything except change a string at a practice or gig.

Truckstop

[icastle]

[quote name='TimR' post='1174990' date='Mar 24 2011, 05:53 PM']This question comes up every now and again. It seems that there are two camps. Those who take tons of unnecessary stuff and seem to be prepared for every eventuality, and those who've been gigging years and have found that it doesn't matter what you take you won't have what you need.[/quote]

In fairness I should point out that my electronics toolkit reflects the industry I work in and there are items in it that I'd never expect to have to use at a gig (a Fluke NetTool for example!).
I just keep all my electronics tools in one place because I find it easier than having different toolkits for different jobs.

If you think my toolkit is bad you wanna see my first aid kit...