The "Bard melee is horrendous" meme is a little overblown in my experience, at least below level 45 or so and with modest twinking. Bard weapons have very nice ratios and are fairly cheap (BoH 10/18 and Guardian's Mace 14/24). STR gear is also cheap and abundant (i.e. Crystal Chitin Gauntlets, Hero bracers are +30 STR alone) and makes a noticeable difference when meleeing. Then to top it off, you can self-haste and slow the mob you're fighting. It's very easy to level a Bard into the 40s this way. You won't confuse yourself for a Monk or Rogue, but your self-haste, mob slow and great weapon ratios go further than a lot of people think toward closing that gap.
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