Performance-Ready Gear Picks by the Musicians Who Use Them

Your guitar's sound starts with your hands, so a guitar that responds well to playing dynamics and touch will give you a wide tonal palette before your signal ever gets to a pedal or amp. Gigging puts wear and tear on gear, so a guitar that ages well is crucial.

Sergio Coronado, one of zZounds' guitar merchandisers, has wielded his trusty Gibson Les Paul Standard for years, and says it now fits like a glove. "This guitar has been my number one for over 10 years, so if that doesn't tell you it's reliable, then I don't know what will. I've probably played over 500 shows with this guitar, and since the nitro finish has aged with me, it plays even better than when I first got it," Sergio says.

As a gigging guitarist, you'll want an amp with plenty of headroom so the tone you've worked so hard to create stays true even at high volumes. Sergio recommends the famed Fender '65 Twin Reverb for its thick output and clean tone that takes well to pedals -- like the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Boy. "This pedal has been on countless tours, seen the inside of hundreds of venues, flown overseas twice, and still hasn't broken," Sergio notes.

Whether it's a driving beat at a sweaty club or a smooth walking bass line at a jazz cafe, audiences love feeling that low-end thump in their chests. As a bassist, it's your duty to bring the boom, and with the gear listed below, you'll be able to get tons of tones without needing a forklift. Martin Stonikas, zZounds' bass expert, says that just as with guitars, a responsive bass is the foundation of a great rig. "The Fender American Pro II Jazz Bass is one of the most versatile basses out there. I'm able to dial in pretty much any sound for any type of music I'm playing right on the bass," explains Martin.

There's nothing more disappointing to an '80s night bar crowd than hearing "Rock You Like a Hurricane" launched by a wimpy kick drum. Electronic kits pack those epic arena drum sounds and plenty more in a lightweight package. Martin, who also performs as a percussionist, loves the intuitive nature of the TD-17 module on the Roland TD-17KV Gen 2 V-Drums drum kit. He also praised the authentic feel of the cymbals on this road-friendly kit: "They have a sensitive response that makes the subtleties of drumming come through the mix."

There are plenty of travel-friendly acoustic kits as well, like the Tama Club Jamshell kit, which pairs well with Zildjian K Custom Hybrid cymbals for just about any gig. "They can be played so many different ways, and achieve a variety of tones," enthuses Martin. "K Customs sound good for jazz, rock, metal -- you name it!"

Keyboards and synths are, by nature, versatile instruments. A workstation like the 61-key Korg Kross 2 comes loaded with gigabytes of tones, and analog-modeling synths like the Nord Electro 6D let you build your own patches quickly.

Another option is to bring your sounds to the show on a laptop -- in which case you'll need a MIDI controller keyboard like the Akai MPK261 to trigger them. Check out our MIDI keyboard controllers buying guide for more options.

Maya Kuper, zZounds' keyboard merchandiser, recommends that gigging keyboardists ditch X-stands in favor of the solid foundation the On-Stage KS9102 provides. "This design is tough to beat: it's incredibly stable, the arms and legs all fold up inside the column core for transport, and it just looks really cool on stage," she said. "Leave the rickety X-stands at home and bring this bad boy to the show -- it's worth the investment."

Once the band has arrived and set up their gear, it's time for the soundcheck. Engineers, it's your time to shine. Having reliable, intuitive gear ready will help the soundcheck go smoothly and ensure consistent audio quality throughout the show.

The last thing you want as a live sound engineer is to have anyone waiting on you. Digital mixers like the PreSonus StudioLive 16.0.2 USB cut your setup time between bands dramatically by letting you instantly recall pre-made settings, and wirelessly tweak levels from anywhere in the venue via your iPad.

Traveling lightly is just as important to sound engineers as it is to performers. Look for speakers with great sound dispersion that don't require additional gear that weighs you down or clogs up your space -- a scarce resource in any live sound engineer's rig. The QSC K12.2 speakers are powered, and feature both a built-in limiter and EQ, so you can skip hauling a power amp or speaker processor.