These little pieces of gear that can save you time, aggravation, and really polish your professionalism on stage!

The 1/4" Quiet Plug - OK so the Quiet Plug is manufactured by Neutrik. I know, I know, they're better known for DJ equipment but this plug is definitely very handy if you don't already have an A/B switch pedal for your guitars. Basically let's you unplug your live guitar with no feedback from the amp! Cool! You can switch guitars without messing up your volume!  Keep in mind that you have to solder the piece once you receive it onto you main guitar cable.  I would suggest also buying a custom size Monster cable kit for better quality.

The Master of Clarity Capo - I recall a time when I could do bar chords forever and not get tired... oh yeah! That was on stage with my Fender strat and mostly muted chords hahaha! I can't tell you how much a simple Capo has been able not only to help me preserve strength on my fingers but also the dexterity needed for songs in weird keys.  Some musicians are just too proud to use them at times; bah!  I have 2 now!

The SM57 Mic for Acoustic Guitar Amplifiers With Mic Channel - The sensitivity of an acoustic guitar can be a crowd annoyance.  Put into the mix your microphone and a recipe for disaster is cooking.  So I turned to the most reliable classic of all time, the Shure SM57 dynamic microphone.  Not only does this mic clear away any feedback, but the clarity of your voice filters out great through an Acoustic Guitar Amp!  As soon as I made the change, I compared old digital hand-held recorder made tracks to before and after, and the results weren't short of dramatic!  It even cleared up annoyances in my own voice (which I hate)!  Not only does this classic MIC record great sounding guitar tracks through amplifiers, it also sounds great through an amp!

Because the SM57 was mostly designed for instrument miking, if you sing into it long enough it will get saliva particles on the head screen, so be sure to buy one of those wind screens for it to preserve it.

Good old Baby Powder - I remember a gig I did over the summer in Chicago with humidity in 90% with a temperature of 98 degrees F... yes you can feel the stickiness in you hands!  Came across some baby powder and aside from the weirdness of my classical guitar's reaction to the humidity, my hands were dry enough to pull out the gig without the clamminess of a coffee drinking 24 hr. paramedic in my hands!

RA-