We carry so much stuff around compared to other jobs.

[Siven]

Ok we don't need no stupid shield, or ranged ammo, so that frees up two spots out of 16. However in their place we get multiple instruments that boosts various songs. On a given day of lvling I have:

Cornette for Minuet
Royal Spearman's Horn for March/CHR
Harp for Minnue/Paeon range/skill gain
Piccolo for Threnody
Traversier's for Madrigal

This'll increase to 6 once I get Mary's Horn, and all of them seem pretty indispensable to me, even the Harp since how else are you going to keep string skill maxed? On top of that I carry both sword (just so I can get Spirit Within eventually) and dagger (for MP drain later) and eventually Monster Signa, so that's 9 pieces of weapon/instruments easy! We should get gobbie bags for free due to all the crap we have to lug around.

[Teffie]

a small tip...

If you can live without your +2 MP earrings, Don't keep em
My inventory is just packed, I hardly have enough room for the loot, and all the time people are like "Whose inventory is full" and its usually mine lol.

I try to cut down my instruments as low as possible.

Cornette +1 (+2 minuet)
Traversiere +1 (+2 madrigal)
Maple Harp
are the 3 most essential instruments.

a Piccolo and Ryl. Spear. Horn aren't totally necessary since March is a terrible skill, and I don't think the +1 Threnody actually does anything.
In exchange for these two instruments, I hold my Monster's Signa Staff, and my Paper Knife (AF). That way i can switch on a dime and do damage when necessary

[Necrosaro]

I did the first Gobbie Bag quest, 5 extra slots goes a long way.

[grunion]

i did bcnm50 and got raise II (check jeuno AH on midgard :D

with that 500k, the FIRST thing i did was gobbie 1-4 . i can't tell you how incredible it is to have 50 slots, since my instrument list is

trav +1
flute +1
harp +1
piccolo +1
mary's horn

now i can walk around at 35/50 and feel like i'm not carrying anything ^^

[Kweh]

Hmm, so do + stats on instruments actually make that big a difference?

I'm levelling in kazham at the moment and only use a Ryl. Spearmans Horn cos it gives a nice CHR boost.

Before I used to use Harp, Piccolo, Cornette and Flute.

Now I've stopped using those, I really havent noticed that much of a difference with just sticking to one instrument.

Maybe I'm not a high enough level yet, but I know a lvl 52 BRD that says she never swaps instrument either.

[grunion]

well, at a minimum i would recomend having a string + a horn

string for spot buffs, like minuet/madrigal on the melee

horn for long range, like paeon after the battle to cover the whole team, on hunter's prelude to reach the ranger as he runs off to pull, and for monster debuffs so you can hit them from a distance.

the +1 / +2 stat seems like a big deal to me. i haven't really tested its effectiveness but it seems like +2 is highest bonuses a bard can get to a song, it must do *something*

[Aniga]

I haven't really found a use for a Harp. I'm level 60 and my string skill is 5, hasn't effected me in the least yet--Just not one useful harp out there (+Paeon is useless at 60 unless you're farming with a Thief sub--It's all about the Ballad otherwise). I do try to gather as many instruments as I can to improve my performance, though. Here's mainly what I have:

- Travarsiere +1 (Madrigal +2)
- Mary's Horn (Lullaby +1)
- Piccolo +1 (Threnody +2)
- Angel's Flute +1 (Prelude +2)

In the future, I'd like to pick up a Horn +1 (Elegy +2), A Cornettet +1 (Minuet +2), and a Hamelin Flute (+2 Requiem, +3 CHA, +Something else ). Will need quite a few Gobby Bags to carry these all, but if you want to be the best you can be, they're a must.

What these effects actually do: When it comes to a beneficial song, like Minuet, it increases the potency of the song as well as the duration. When it comes to attacking songs, it will effect the resist rate for certain. The duration is up for speculation, some tests I've seen have, and some haven't. Also, I'm leaning towards that it effects the potency of the offensive song, so your Requiem is doing a few more ticks of damage, your Threnody is debuffing a few more ticks of that element, etc.

[Rekiem]

Each +1 will boost the duration by 10 seconds and will boost the number by 1. Minuet+1 will boost the attack bonus you normally get by 1. Reason why Mary Horn is so effective is because the duration of Lullaby is only 20~30 seconds so you add another 10 seconds to this and you already see a big effect.

[Seeker_Onos]

Gobby bags? How/where do I get the quests for these?

Is there a high fame requirement to get them?

[Niland]

yeah about level 5 or 6 jeuno fame =)