Bard Starting Raid Gear

[Saddil]

Hi all. I'm a new player to the server and my bard will be 46 soon so I've started buying resist gear to prepare for raiding. I have a question regarding this (really two intertwined questions): Is it worth it to get a resist weapon and shield? I was thinking of Sarnak Battle Shield for 10FR/10CR/10MR and something like Jagged Blade of Mourning for 10MR. Obviously though, the reason for Bards in raids is their songs so the other side of that question is whether or not I'll actually want a weapon/shield equipped or an instrument. As I understand it, during a fight, Bards are often used for resists and mana, correct? The Psalms are all singing, as is one of the two mana songs, so do Bards equip instruments during these boss fights or are they free to equip weapons/shields?

I recognize that not all fights are the same and that Bards will have other roles (e.g. pulling), but are there a significant number of boss fights where I can equip sword/shield without negatively affecting my role in the raid?

Thanks in advance.