Things guitar players should buy in bulk
There are things you should buy in bulk and other things you shouldn't. What I'm going to concentrate on here is stuff you should buy in bulk as a guitar player.
Picks
When you find the pick you really like you should buy them in a big bag. You won't find these in guitar stores and you have to purchase exclusively online to get this big bag of picks, but it's totally worth it because you won't have to buy another pick for years.
My preferred pick, the Jim Dunlop Tortex, is available to be bought in a bag of 72 picks, and the price is usually $20 or less. If you do the math on that, your cost is about 28 cents per pick.
Here are some links to get the big bag of 72 in all the sizes of Tortex Standard picks, from thinnest to thickest. Click any pick below to see what's available.
Note: Sometimes certain picks will show no listings currently available. That's fine. Just come back to this web page in a week and try again, and they will probably be there, so keep this web page in your bookmarks.
(Be sure to read my tips on where to place these picks after the links below!)
Where to place picks so you always have one at the ready:
- In every new pack of guitar strings you buy. Whenever you go to change out your strings, there's a fresh unused pick ready-to-use. For every new pack of strings you get, always throw a pick in the package so it's there when it's string changing time.
- In your guitar case or gig bag. Toss in 5 picks in your case or bag.
- Taped behind your headstock. You can use one of those pick holder things on your headstock, or do it the cheap way and just tape three picks behind the headstock. Tape is better - especially if you have more than one guitar.
Polish Cloths
You probably have a polish cloth, but it's most likely old and worn out. These cloths are not something that "get better" as they age, and you have to keep these things fresh.
Guitar polish cloths can be bought in packs of 12. The cost will be anywhere from $20 to $30, or around $2 per cloth.
Click the image below to see listings for these cloths.
Important note: From the link above you will see Fender cloths, Jim Dunlop cloths, Washburn cloths, Dr. Lixx, and so on. There is no one cloth that's better than the other. Buy the cheapest one because they're all the same.
Bounty Basic White Paper Towels
Everyone needs paper towels for cleaning. However, you would be surprised how difficult it is sometimes to find quality plain white single-sheet paper towels.
When it comes to cleaning things like bridge saddles, headstocks and fingerboards, a polish cloth isn't enough because you need something you can get wet with water to clean properly; that's where the paper towel comes in.
The only proper paper towel to use is the plain white single sheet. No printed patterns, no scented sheets, no "select-a-size" with those weird cuts in the paper. Just plain single white sheets.
And the best sheets to get are Bounty Basic brand in "White" (meaning no "fun prints"). The best way to buy these are in packs of 6 or 12 rolls.
Click the link below to see listings for these paper towels.
Bounty Basic White Paper Towels
"Bounty Basic White paper towels aren't available in my country"
I bet you they are and are probably just being sold under a different brand name. Just look for paper towels that are single-sheet-only, white and plain with no patterns printed on them. If they are not available in your local department store or supermarket, seek out a janitorial supply store as they will have them.
Note: Avoid buying more than 12 rolls
A 6-roll package, while light in weight, is a big package. A 12-roll package is huge. And then there are listings where you can buy 2 12-roll packages for a total of 24 rolls. Don't buy that because it's way too big and won't fit in your kitchen, so you'll have to store all the unused rolls in the garage where they will get ruined from moisture. At the absolute most, buy 12 rolls. I personally buy only the 6-roll packages because it does last a really long time.
Published 2012 Jun 29
