The bard epic is very much representative of the jack-of-all-trades class, providing common storebought modifiers for all musical skills while incorporating one that cannot otherwise be modified—singing. But in order to get the most out of its potential, the weapon needs to be swung regularly otherwise the short-duration groupwide proc will fade before being reapplied. As noted by others, certain damage shields, resists, and stats are enhanced by the singing mod, often to such a degree that the bard's playlist changes accordingly.
It's worth mentioning that a select few songs do require that X instrument be equipped, ranging from raid mainstays like occlusion (drum) to situationally group-saving songs like the lower level dispel (lute); this restriction is bypassed with the epic, since it functions as an all-in-one instrument. But again, because it also doubles as a weapon, the bard's support role opens up to include melee combat, boosting others' ability to do physical damage while also offsetting/blocking most, if not all, incoming damage through song.
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