Items that I consider invaluable:

Instruments: Good drum is essential, everything else can be so so at first, doesnt make a huge difference if you dont have a good flute to play invis.. but a good lute is nice also for healing if you dont have a boxed healer.

Armor: I would start out with basic mele stuff.. for the first 50 levels or so I just went with highish ac player made stuff (magnetic mostly) till I had to use charm songs that required mana then I worried about int and mana regen more. Once you have to use mana the game changes considerably.

Weapons: You really can mele yourself to 40 or so if you get some decent equipment so get some quick weapons so your skills go up.

Songs: Check out which songs are drops and which are buyable at guild.. keep an eye out in the baz constantly for cheap droppable songs, they're out there but they get expensive sometimes! Again, this isnt a big deal till 50ish.

Most importantly, have fun! Bards rock!

Lohe
70 Bard
Povar

Just a weapon suggestion: The combination of Velium Swiftblade (+34 haste, delay 22, about 3k) and Pale Velium Short Sword (Damage 10, damage bonus 9, Delay 22, Str, Wis, Int, Agi +8, HP and Mana+ 45, SV fire, cold, and magic +6, And Endurance +45, about 1k) make a good combination. I like my bard for songs, but I like tanking better. ;) I use melody (Hotkey would be /melody 1 2 3...) and fight at the same time. It's not that good of a choice for soloing, But for grouping it helps. With melody tie in a healing song, a mena regen, an attack haste, and a DD against the mob you're attacking. You're attacks should be back to back (one after the other) therefore taking of alot of the damage along with the songs, I found it makes a good strategy.



Dreamynight
Level 32 Bard
Tunare

Sebilite Croaking Dirk, drops in Old Seb.
Sionachie's Partisan, bard version of lammy
couple of others as well... check your bazaar for "Fabled" (yeah, some luclin items are tradeable)... Fabled Gore Covered Horn / Fabled Needlite Stinger