Post-purchase

Now that you've acquired your dream guitar, what do you need to own to keep your needs in check? Or are you that type of person who would only purchase stuff on a needs-only basis?

First & foremost, you need an amplifier. However, the philosophy of amplification today had been displaced by amp simulators residing in the computer. Simply put, it pretends to be an amp so that when you plug into a computer, it receives your signals & processes it to make it sound like you are playing through an amp. I'm not compelling you to get an amp & tread the purist path because the simulators today are darn good imitators. The latency issues had been dealt with along the way & this, in my opinion, makes amp simulators more respectable. Let's move on.

The items on this list are neither definitive nor final.

Essential

• Tuner. Everybody needs a tuner unless you have perfect pitch. If you play acoustics without any electronics on board (a tuner is a common feature), a clip-on tuner is compulsory acquisition. The electric players are better off with pedal tuners (just my opinion) unless they are pro players who need to prance around on stage most of the time, away from their pedalboards. I've tried app-based tuners; not too bad but it gets distracted easily by extraneous noise. 
• Cable. Never be content with that complementary cable that came with your guitar. The ones that came with my Ibanez some time ago ended up being radio antennae. I heard a phantom Michael Jackson singing through my amp once, so there. Invest in a good cable which are very affordable today unlike in the 1990s when I started out. Preferably, get one with replaceable plugs & OFC wires. To me, a good cable makes or breaks your interest in playing.
• Picks. Try different picks along the way. Try different pick materials, thickness & shapes. These are the pick factors that would define your picking hand movements & eventually your playing precision. I started out with thin picks because those were given to me, I didn't know there were other picks out there which were life-changing (they still are). Also, what works for others might not work for you. Till today, I'm still trying out picks.

Good to have

• Strap. Even if you are a bedroom guitarist, you should at least try playing standing up. There's a marked difference in playing position & posture when you play standing up with the guitar strapped on, the main factor being the fretting hand curvature. I discovered that the standing position frees the hand from excessive stress (that impedes movements) simply because the guitar, in its strapped position, forces the player to straighten the forearm.
• Guitar stand. Do not lean your guitar against the wall, cupboard, table edge, etc. because the chances of it toppling over & breaking is very high. Also, not all guitars can be placed flat on the floor due to its angled headstock (eg. Epiphone, Gibson). If you have to leave your guitar out till the next playing time, get a good guitar stand, otherwise, keep it away in its case / bag.
• Polish cloth. Please, please... wipe down after play. If you don't believe in polishing, just give it a wipe down. This removes moisture & grime off your instruments. You won't appreciate this routine until your guitar's bridge is corroded beyond cleaning or your guitar's electronics get messed up entailing in repair costs. If you do not believe in buying a dedicated instrument polish cloth, use an old t-shirt which works equally fine but it needs to be cotton, no compromise.
• Polish fluid. The job of this fluid is actually to remove grime / oil off your instrument, a good shine is a bonus. This often goes unnoticed till its accumulated significantly on your instrument making it look really repulsive. At the very least, it will affect your instrument's resale value if you are considering selling it off.

Pics: Swee Lee / Dunlop / GC

Being picky

 

These days, when I play, I do not stick to a particular pick. I will have a few on standby & go with the one that I click with for the rest of the session. 

For instance, I will start with that glittery one (above: Northern Ghost Planchette, glitter edition) as this is my current preference. This will make me play with the least mistakes, it's the most comfortable. 

Then I will switch to the black one (Dunlop Flow 3mm) which is the trickiest to deal with. It's also downright slippery & will glide from string to string rather effortlessly & made me fumble. I will drop the pick the most times when I am dealing with this dark menace. 

Lastly, this clear wonder pick (V-Picks Mummy) is a cheat pick. It's my most enduring reference when all else fail but it's not the one I play the most. It's almost too precious to be played. So between these 3, one will make it till the end while the other two would return to the storage box to rest.

Clouds

Received - my second custom order from Northern Ghost guitar picks. It's just their Cloud model with a hole in the center for better grip. The finishes were a surprise by them, I only specified one to be in a glitter version, colours & whatever else were their end of the artistic manifestation. Made in Canada with lots of dedication.

You gotta pick them all

So you gotta have them all? Limited edition collaboration with ESP guitars, have not seen them here yet.

Giveaway: Ibanez JTC picks

Finally- the Ibanez JTC picks. The good people at Swee Lee decided to let me have a complementary pack since it's gonna be used as a blog giveaway. I'm keeping 2 pieces for review purposes, one will be on its way to Bintulu, Sarawak (Malaysia) so that leaves 3 pieces for quick blog readers. Here's the deal:

• Send me a blank e-mail with the subject: JTC me!
• Do not disclose personal details until you are declared one of the successful recipients
• FYI- my e-mail address is found somewhere on this blog page
• All postage handling fee- I'll take care of that 😎

Big thanks to branch manager, Faizal, for making this happen.