We’ve gathered up a handful of the best guitar accessories for you. This is for those who are starting to build up their collection of guitar goodies or looking for something new to play with.
You may be considering a gift for your guitar player. The must have guitar accessories are very low priced and can make a really personal contribution to your arsenal.
A thoughtful new gift can bring out some new inspiration.
We’ve scratched around and found 8 of the best guitar gifts, so read on ….
Accessory or Necessity?
There are so many new fantastic products out there, you wonder how you ever got by without them.
These types of accessories are the ones that can really elevate your playing style to the next level. Not in a ‘magic’ type of way, in a making practice more ‘fun’ kind of way.
Items like a metronome that help you turn into a beat catching machine. Essentials like headphones, so you can practice day or night without getting the police called on you… again.
Is It Time For a Change?
Sometimes there are accessories we own that may be outdated, or there’s another company who does it better! It’s well worth trying out new brands of accessories and gadgets to find what suits your playing style the best.
Trying out different brands of strings or picks can sometimes lead to a newer distinctive sound. It may bring a new feel or tone that really energizes you and your playing.
Small changes can have a big impact!
‘How’ To Choose Guitar Accessories
If you’re not a guitarist, knowing what is going to be a practical accessory for an ax-wielder can be tricky. Besides the more obvious and essential items, there are a bunch of products that even the most experienced string-slayers never knew they needed.
If you’re already a guitar player, then you might find a new product or brand you’ve never considered trying before. Technology changes so quickly, even the Capo has now been revolutionized, as you’ll see below.
So my advice would always be, always try new gadgets and avenues. It could lead to a whole different area of guitar playing.
The Buyers 10 Commandments:
Thou Shall Stay Away From Cheap and Nasty Guitar Gimicky Tatt. I’m a guitarist of 25 years, if someone bought me a fancy pick made of some cheap material and I sliced my beautiful fretboard, I’d literally weep (and my guitar would gently weep too, sorry!)
Buy something they like, not what you like! It’s incredible the number of times I’ve heard ‘it looks good on you’.
Try to find out what equipment they already own, and add to it. Simples!
Consider their age and skill level. Don’t go buying your Grandpa a ‘guitar finger strengthener’ or your 5-year-old a ‘100Watt Marshall stack’
If a gift comes with an instruction manual or is very technical, is the person one to sit down and read?
If the product requires batteries, make sure you buy a pack and ensure the product works! As your gift may end up gathering dust. Especially depressing if you’ve spent a lot of cash on it.
Check the reviews on what you’re buying. If your guitarist is of any worth, they’ll know their gear inside out. (that’s what authorityguitar.com is for!)
Consider what they ‘need’. Maybe they keep leaning the acoustic up on the wall after playing: ‘GUITAR STAND’——‘GUITAR CASE’—–‘ WALL MOUNT’. Add to their collection and your gift will be a success
Use the gift opportunity to help them move forward or into another creative area. Rather than an obligation
Value: The gift doesn’t need to be expensive, but it has to be thoughtful. As long as they can get maximum use from it you’re onto a winner.
Ok, we have sifted through ‘how’ to buy a gift for the guitarist’s armory, now its time for the:
‘8 Best Guitar Accessories And Gift Ideas’ (ta daaa)
1. Spare Guitar Strings
I realize these aren’t very adventurous but every player requires spare strings. They are the number 1 leader in ‘must have’ guitar accessories.
Guitarists love a brand new fresh set of strings. It’s like changing your bedsheets, but better.
An obvious gift choice, but one that’s a 100% appropriate.
Here’s an electric and acoustic guitar set I swear by:
If you need a full lowdown on the best strings available, see our article Ernie Ball Vs Daddario
The acoustic guitar tone is extremely reliant on which strings are being used, a fact that the people over at D’Addario understand. The Phosphor Bronze acoustic guitar strings deliver a warm, crisp, and well-rounded tone that makes picking up the guitar for a quick song or two all the more tempting.
As well as offering a balanced tone, these strings are easy on the fingers and bend with impressive accuracy, which isn’t as common as you’d think with acoustic guitar strings.
I’ve been using Elixir strings for years now. They cost that little bit more, simply because they last so much longer. I once completed four live gigs and rehearsals with the Elixir. So reliable and a massive favorite in the guitar world.
G7th is a company that’s revolutionized the guitar capo with its Adaptive Radius Technology. This gives the user maximum tuning stability by mechanically matching the curvature over the strings in any position, on any guitar neck (steel-string acoustic, electric guitar, or hybrid nylon). Don’t let the mechanical side of this capo scare you off, it’s so easy to use.
Designed for one-handed use, in any sized hands. With a little practice it’s nearly as quick to move between frets as a spring capo, but without the need for frequent re-tuning. Such a handy tool to have if you have a range of guitars that are all very different in size.
The G7th Performance 3 is the most expensive capo on the market today, but you’re paying for the high standard of engineering. This is the future of the capo.
AuthorityGuitar has written a really helpful article on ‘Everything You Need To Know About Guitar Capos’. You can check it out by clicking our in depth article Best Capo.
One thing a guitarist can never have too many of is; guitar picks (and guitars!). They seem to have the ability to vanish into thin air never to be seen again! That whole running across the carpet thing they do. How is that even possible?
There’s a whole bunch of companies that make guitar picks out there, but D’Addario knows how to keep their picks looking and sounding sharp. This assortment of pearl celluloid picks offer a variety of colors and sizes that would class up any guitarist’s collection.
Polytune has been making industry-standard tuners for years, but these contraptions tune all six strings at the same time. Yes, ALL AT ONCE. Fantastic technology and well worth your hard-earned dollar.
Usually, you’d see their pedal tuners plugged into many pro guitarist’s boards. The Clip on tuner is fantastically easy to use, just clip it to the headstock of your guitar and it’s ready to go.
With a company like Polytune, you know you’re getting a high-quality product that’s accurate, easy to read, and looks great.
Tablets offer guitarists a wide range of resources to help them develop their skills and learn new songs. From YouTube tutorial videos, recording studio apps, and sheet music applications. The portability and simplicity of the tablet give it an edge over its bigger predecessors (such as the laptop). The Amazon Fire HD tablet is my clear winner and offers all the features you need at a very reasonable price.
If you’re interested in browsing some top recording studio type apps for android, this review sums it up perfectly. There are free ones available. Click here
Unfortunately, there are times where shredding some gnarly riffs at full blast may not be appropriate. Fortunately, Vox has produced a nifty little headphone amp to keep your guitar from getting thrown out the window.
These are great for players that just can’t put their instrument down when others within earshot might wish they could!
Here’s the amazing bit:
The VOX AP2AC isn’t a dull amplified version of what’s coming out of your guitar. There is a Tone, Gain, and Volume switch. An Aux input if you want to go through a small amp. The effects onboard are outrageously good for the size of this ‘amp’! Chorus, Delay, and Reverb are the real deal. The best effect is the tremolo that layers on top of the other sounds. Truly an enjoyable gadget.
A real steal for the price and a great accessory for the guitar player or bass player.
Playing slide guitar is an experience every guitarist should try at least once. It’s a completely different skill altogether. If you love the old Delta Mississippi sound then a slide is a must. It’s also a lovely way to introduce children to music and guitar. Moving the slide up and down brings such joy to the ears.
At such a low price it’s not a risky punt. Both glass and stainless steel slides can be used on any guitar. Makes a wonderful addition to the guitar players toy box.
Creating a new avenue of creativity is important in life and for a guitarist. There are alternate tunings and hours of fun to be had studying this new skill. So if you haven’t already tried a slide, now is the time.
The Boss Loop pedal is going to be any aspiring lead guitarist’s new favorite toy. With this pedal, you can record a rhythm progression into the memory, when you press the footpad it will then repeat the progression on a loop (hence the name). You then play some tasty licks over the top. It even has built in drum loops for you to jam along with.
One of the best things about The Boss RC-3 pedal is the simplicity of use. It’s super easy to operate and it breathes new life into practicing technique and writing face-melting solos.
This would make a real special addition or gift for your guitarist. Because he’s worth it!
*Disclaimer: AuthoirtyGuitar is not responsible for any melted faces whatsoever.
Lee has been playing guitar for over 25 years. In the 1990's he made a few TV appearances in London and supported a few big bands at festivals. He's recently sung on radio and worked as a full-time guitarist/singer. Lee is the founder of Authority Guitar, a site where he wants readers to enjoy every aspect of learning the guitar.
