Although it can be overwhelming to find the best guitar for you, it can be even more overwhelming to find accessories that are perfect for your guitar.
Between all the different capos, strings, tuners, and more it can be difficult to choose one.
In this guide for the best guitar accessories, we will review 5 different accessories and talk about what you need for electric guitars, how to work some of the gadgets, and which ones of these accessories are absolute must haves.
Best Guitar Accessories
Since we previously discussed such accessories as guitar pedals, guitar picks, guitar straps, guitar cleaner, and guitar cables, we suggest you check out our articles on those below:
- Best guitar pedals
- Essential guitar picks list
- Guitar stands review
- The best guitar straps
- Top guitar cleaners
- Guitar cables under $50
1. Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Nickel Wound Sets, .010 – .046
The first item on our list for best guitar accessories are my personal go-to for strings and that is the Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Set at a 10 gauge.
These strings are super durable and come in 5 different packs; a single pack, a three pack, a six pack, a black patch bundle, and a white patch bundle.
Because they are slinky strings, they are thinner than most strings.
Each string has one ball end and a single pack comes with six strings made of nickel in the gauges .009, .011, .016, .024w, .032, .042. and the black and white patch bundles come with three packs of strings in one bag, and 3, 6in (15.2 cm) cables, with a white or black sleeve and flat angled ends.
Unfortunately, they don’t work for most acoustic guitars and they don’t work at all for bass guitars, but they do work for pick harmonics.
These are great strings and as many reviews have noted the price is great. The strings are also good for kid’s guitars as they are quite softer on the fingers.
Many users of these strings have also stated that when they try new strings they always go back to Ernie Ball. In the end these are some of the best and most durable strings to buy.
Pros
Pros:
- Great price for a multiple pack.
- Durable for all types of musical genres.
- High carbon steel round wide and steel wrap wire.
- Easy to play.
- Creates a nice and balanced sound for your guitar.
- Great for guitars with s standard or floating bridge.
Cons
Cons:
- Will need to change frequently if you play daily.
- High strings are delicate.
2. Shubb S1 Stainless Steel Guitar Capo:
Next up on our list for best guitar accessories, we have the SHubb Stainless Steel Guitar Capo. If you are unfamiliar with a capo, it’s clamps on your guitar neck shortening the length of the strings and raising their pitch. The famous song “Wonderwall” by Oasis uses a Capo on the 2nd fret.
This capo is great because you can order it for a steel string guitar (acoustic or electric), a twelve string guitar, or a classical guitar, but unfortunately the price does vary for each capo.
Made of stainless steel with a new roller design that resists wear and opens and closes easier than the original Shubb Capo, this is a capo that will last for a while.
The capo’s rubber layer is also very durable making it the perfect protection for the capo. The steel string capo covers four strings and works on steel, nickel, and iron strings.
It is a very adjustable and adaptable capo and this makes it very easy to avoid the problem of too much pressure being applied on the strings and fretboard.
This capo also comes at a very reasonable price considering there are many capos that are very pricey.
The fit and overall comfort on the capo will depend on the thickness of your guitar’s neck. With a thicker neck it will be more snug and tight.
Pros
Pros:
- Affordable price.
- Smooth action.
- Easy to use and sturdy.
- Provides perfect tension for your strings.
- Great craftsmanship.
- Made in the USA.
Cons
Cons:
- Fit will be different depending on size of guitar neck.
3. D’Addario Accessories Eclipse Headstock Tuner
Our next pick is the D’Addario Eclipse Headstock Tuner. Being one of the best tuners on the market, this tuner has quick accurate tuning, auto power off, comes in 6 colors; black, blue, green, purple, red, and yellow, and is very moderately priced.
You can also get a bundle of two tuners. Unfortunately the price does vary. You can get a fun color to match your guitar or you can get just plain black which also looks really cool.
It has a full color display and works with moving arrows. When the two arrows meet in the center of the letter the string is tuned.
When the arrows go into the yellow area the string is sharp and when the arrows go into the red area the string is flat.
The jaw or clip itself is half an inch (1.27 cm) and it opens an inch and a half (3.8 cm). The tuner’s multi-swivel action allows for the perfect viewing angle and can also be mounted in front of the headstock or in the back.
Best of all, this tuner will work on pretty much any stringed instrument and has a CR2032 battery for the tuner included.
Pros
Pros:
- Works on any stringed instrument.
- Comes in 6 different colors.
- Accurate and precise tuning.
- Vibrant color display.
- Ability to adjust viewable angles.
- Fits conveniently on your guitar’s headstock.
Cons
Cons:
- Plastic clip is delicate.
- Will need to change batteries frequently if used daily.
4. VOX AP2CR Classic Rock Guitar/Bass Headphone Amplifier
Next on our list is a really cool guitar accessory. The Vox headphone amplifier allows you to plug in and rock out anywhere as long as you have headphones.
This headphone amplifier is amazing, especially because you can get it in 7 different styles; classic rock, blues, bass, AC30, clean, lead, and metal.
The AC30 is especially cool as it not only gives you gain control and a few echo effects. The amp plugs into the jack near the bottom of electric or acoustic electric guitars.
They produce a loud and clear sound and will plug into most guitars, and even some basses. You can plug in some speakers, guitar pedals, effects chains or even some cd players into the headphone jack, but it does not have a speaker in it so there has to be something plugged in for you to be able to hear it.
Best of all it is portable so you don’t have to worry about lugging around an amp and with a weight of only 3.04 ounces, it is super lightweight.
The headphone jack fits most headphones except some older ones. In the end it is a great portable headphone amp.
You will just need two AAA batteries and you are good to go.
Pros
Pros:
- Portable and lightweight.
- Each model includes three modes.
- Features 180 degree plug mechanism.
- Can jam along with any audio players.
- Up to 17 hours of battery life.
- Available in a variety of different styles.
Cons
Cons:
- Some older headphones may not be compatible.
- May produce some static based on the guitar that you own.
5. D’Addario Guitar String Winder
Our last item on our list of best guitar accessories is the D’Addario guitar string winder. This little guy will make your life much easier when you are changing your guitar strings.
This winder comes in either black or white, is made of alloy steel and is a must have in any guitar player’s collection.
Unlike other peg winders, this winder has a built in durable hardened steel wire cutters (Which can cut through most strings with ease) and pin puller.
It weighs 1.6 ounces and its dimensions are 3 x 1 x 8.75 inches ( 7.6 x 2.5 x 22.2 cm), making it nice and compact. It works for both acoustic, classical, and electric guitars, though it was designed with acoustic guitarists in mind.
You also can work on most banjos, ukuleles, mandolins, basses, and pretty much any stringed instrument. Reviews have called it “Practically Perfect” and “A swiss knife for guitar maintenance”.
Though it is not as crazy fancy or crazy pricey as some other winders, it gets the job done. Some people were skeptical about the price, but they also said that the tuner was worth it.
Pros
Pros:
- Makes changing strings quick and easy.
- Small and compact to carry.
- Has a built-in string cutter.
- Built in pin puller.
- Great for all guitars, banjos, and mandolins.
- Made in the USA.
Cons
Cons:
- Wire cutters may take some force.
- Peg remover may not fit all acoustic guitar pegs.
Best Guitar Accessories Buyers Guide
Now that we’ve gone over our list of the best guitar accessories, it’s time to answer some questions that are frequently asked when looking to make a purchase.
What are the must have guitar accessories and their uses?
Guitar Picks- Even if you eventually want to play fingerstyle, you will at some point need a guitar pick. Even the most known fingerstyle guitar players will use a pick. Your fingers will thank you. Guitar picks are without a doubt an essential. For more information on guitar picks don’t forget to check out our article on Best Guitar Picks on the market.
Guitar Straps – Even though you may not need one when sitting down and playing, they are an absolute necessity when you play standing up. Security and comfort are the most important aspects when researching these. To find out more check out our article on Best Guitar Straps.
Guitar Cables – If you have an electric or an acoustic-electric, then you will need a guitar cable to plug in and play. Check out our article on the Best Guitar Cables available.
Guitar Strings – Although it seems very obvious, it still is an accessory that you must have. They come in steel, nickel, and nylon, and it’s not hard to find really good quality ones.
Guitar Tuners – It can be a headstock tuner or an app on your phone, but keeping your guitar in tune is one of the most important things a guitar player has to do.
Guitar Cleaner – Kind of a no-brainer, guitar cleaner is a must have in any guitarists possession. For more information about guitar cleaner check out our article on Best Guitar Cleaners.
What guitar accessories are over-hyped?
This is of course a matter of preference but I will list what accessories are out there that are basically gimmicks and things you do not need to waste your money on.
Guitar Pick Punch
These stapler-like objects turn your credit cards into the shape of a guitar pick. It does make good use of your old and expired credit cards but being able to punch two guitar picks out of them.
I’ve tried these before and honestly they are not good. They shred super fast and if you play heavier and faster music they will shred even faster. It’s a gimmick and something you don’t need.
Fingertip Protectors
Another gimmick and something that’s not needed. They are just unnecessary. They get in the way and make it annoying to play.
Famous guitarist Tony Iommi is the only one who can get away with using them.
Expensive Guitar Cables
In our guitar cable article, we reviewed some great cables and they are all under $50. There is no reason why one should spend more than that on a guitar cable.
Save the money to purchase other accessories that you will need for your guitar.
Best Guitar Accessories Conclusion
There are literally thousands of guitar accessories out there and like many things in life, the more there are the more overwhelming it is to know what you need and what you don’t need.
We hope that we have been able to shift and sort through all of them and really hone in on the ones that you need and are essential and the ones that you don’t need.
With most guitar purchases, there are accessories that come with it. You will always be replenishing the ones you like and then researching to try out some different ones.
We hope you have enjoyed our picks for the Best Guitar Accessories.
I truly hope this has been helpful!
.
- How Many Frets On A Guitar? The Ultimate Guide - July 21, 2022
- Drop D Tuning: How to Easily D Tune Your Guitar - July 20, 2022
- Grote Guitar Review - July 19, 2022