Wondering what the best acoustic guitar accessories are? Whenever you buy an acoustic guitar, you’ll probably some accessories for your instrument. This guide will help you pick out these accessories.
I’ve been playing both acoustic and electric guitar for many years. I’ve gone through a whole host of different accessories during that time. Here are some of my top selections when it comes to acoustic guitar accessories.
Quick-Look: Best Acoustic Guitar Accessories
★ #1 Best Acoustic Guitar Accessory Overall: Snark SN-8 Tuner ★
- Best Cheap Acoustic Guitar Accessory: Jim Dunlop Picks
- Best Accessory for Acoustic Guitar: Elixir Acoustic Guitar Strings
- Best Acoustic Guitar Accessory Under $50: Fishman Neo D Pickup
- Best Acoustic Guitar Accessory Under $100: Fender Amp
You must experiment with different accessories. It can take time to find things that work the best for you. We all have different styles, techniques, and ways of playing acoustic guitar.
What is an Acoustic Guitar Accessory?
An acoustic guitar accessory is something that complements your acoustic guitar. For example, a pickup system is something that you can install in your guitar if it doesn’t have one. You need strings, picks, a strap, and so on.
There is a wide range of different accessories that you can use for your acoustic guitar. Here are the various types that you might want to consider for your own instrument.
Types of Acoustic Guitar Accessories
There are several different types of acoustic guitar accessories that you need to know about. Here are the major categories when it comes to accessories for your instrument.
Strings
The top accessories you need for your acoustic guitar are a good set of strings. There are many different brands on the market to try out. You may have to do a bit of experimenting until you find a good set.
See More: Best Acoustic Guitar Strings Buyer’s Guide
Playing Accessories
Playing accessories include things such as picks, slides, a capo, metronome, tuner, and so on. These are accessories that help you play your instrument.
Straps/Cables
Other accessories include guitar straps and cables if your acoustic guitar happens to have a guitar pickup. You’ll want to have a high-quality strap as well as a cable for your instrument.
Instruction
Another category of accessories for your instrument is instruction material. This includes music books, tablature paper, guitar stands, and so on.
Maintenance
Your acoustic guitar requires maintenance from time to time. Accessories in this category include a polishing cloth, oil, finish polish, and so on.
Things to Consider When Choosing an Acoustic Guitar Accessory
Before you purchase guitar accessories, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Not everyone is going to need every accessory. Here are a few things that you should consider.
Usage
First, decide what you’re going to use the accessory for. For example, if you’re playing live, you might need a pickup for your guitar. If you’re a student, you may need a good guitar music stand and some instruction books.
Quality
You should look at the quality of the accessory before you purchase it. Some accessories can be poorly made, so it’s better to go with major brands that make them better accessories for your acoustic guitar.
Price
The price of the accessory may be a factor. Guitar accessories can run anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars depending upon what you’re buying. Try to have a budget in mind before you make that purchase.
10 Best Acoustic Guitar Accessories
Here is a guide to the 10 best acoustic guitar accessories. These products have helped me in my own playing. You may find something else that you like.
This is meant to be a general guide to help you pick out quality products for your instrument. Try some of these accessories, and you’ll see that they can help you play acoustic guitar in a better way.
1. Elixir Acoustic Guitar Strings
- Type: Strings
- Material: Bronze
- Extras: No
- Best for: Those that want a long-lasting set of guitar strings
Elixir acoustic guitar strings sound amazing and have a long life. These strings can last for several months without having to be changed. You’ll save money when you purchase a set of these strings.
✅Good tone
✅ Long string life
✅Easy to play
✅ You buy fewer sets
❌ Expensive
❌ Slippery feel
Why I Recommend It
My favorite accessory for my acoustic guitar is a set of Elixir acoustic guitar strings. They come in a wide range of different gauges for your instrument. They sound amazing, and in the long run, you’ll save money.
With Elixirs, I might not change my strings for three to four months, compared to only a couple of weeks for other strings. This is a top accessory for acoustic guitars I rely on time and time again.
2. Jim Dunlop Guitar Multi-Tool
- Type: Guitar maintenance
- Material: Metal
- Extras: Carrying case
- Best for: Those that want to maintain their guitar to a high level
A good guitar multi-tool is something you want to have on hand all the time. The Jim Dunlop multi-tool has many attachments that include wire cutters, peg winder, and other tools for your instrument.
✅ Lots of tools
✅ Easy to use
✅ Easy to store
✅ Saves headaches
❌ Not for beginners
❌ Need the skill to use some tools
Why I Recommend It
You never know when you might have to do a little bit of maintenance on your acoustic guitar. This set of tools by Jim Dunlop has a lot of different accessories that you can use.
The peg winder and the string cutter are ideal for when changing strings. It also has a wide range of other small accessories that you may use. I like the fact that it all comes in a handy carrying case for easy storage.
3. Jim Dunlop Max Grip Jazz III Picks
- Type: Picks
- Material: Nylon
- Extras: No
- Best for: Those that want an easy to use a guitar pick
Jim Dunlop jazz guitar picks are easy to use and help improve your overall picking speed. They have a great grip on them, so you don’t drop as many picks. This is a great accessory for acoustic guitars.
✅ Nice grip
✅ Good price
✅ Sharp point
✅ Speeds up your picking
❌ It may be too small for some
❌ Harder to strum with
Why I Recommend It
Jazz III Max Grip by Jim Dunlop is an accessory I always have in my guitar case. I love these little red pics and use them all the time. They have an excellent grip on them, so you’re not dropping picks as much.
The best part about these pics is that they will help improve your guitar speed. I noticed a large improvement in my picking speed when I started to use these small picks, and you won’t notice this as well.
4. Guitar Chord Encyclopedia
- Type: Instruction
- Material: Book
- Extras: No
- Best for: Those that want to learn basic chords
Learning to play guitar chords can be hard, and it’s tough to memorize all the cords. This guitar chord encyclopedia includes chords in every key. You’ll have an easy-to-use reference book for all guitar chords.
✅ Handy reference
✅ Lots of chords
✅ Easy for beginners
✅ Lots of information
❌ Not that comprehensive
❌ A bit expensive
Why I Recommend It
The guitar chord encyclopedia is great for beginners or intermediate players. It has all the basic chords in the book, including those out of the first position.
While this is not a comprehensive book on guitar chords for advanced players, it will give you a great foundation and all the basic ones. It’s a handy book to have inside your guitar case.
5. Kyser Quick-Change Capo
- Type: Capo
- Material: Metal
- Extras: No
- Best for: Those that want a dependable capo
The Kyser Quick-Change Capo is easy to use. Pull down on the lever and place it on the neck of an acoustic or electric guitar. It’s small enough to fit in your guitar case, so you can take it with you.
✅ Easy to use
✅ Simple to store
✅ It lasts a long time
✅ Good price
❌ Can put strings out of tune
❌ No fine-tuning
Why I Recommend It
I don’t know where I would be without my Kyser Quick-Change Capo. This is a trigger-style cable, so all you do is pull down the lever and then place it on your guitar. You don’t have to fiddle with any screws or knobs.
I’ve been using this cable for many years, and I’ve never had a problem with it. All of my guitar cases have one of these inside. It is ready to sing a song or want a different sound out of my guitar.
6. Fishman Neo D Single Coil Pickup
- Type: Acoustic pickup
- Material: Metal
- Extras: No
- Best for: Those that want a solid acoustic pickup
Pickups for acoustic guitars can be expensive. Thankfully, the Fishman Neo D single-coil pickup is affordable, and it gives you great sound.
✅ Single coil tones
✅ Easy to install
✅ Inexpensive
✅ Long cable
❌ Not as good as some pickups
❌ Cable gets in the way
Why I Recommend It
I like the Fishman Neo-D single coil pickup for acoustic guitars. It’s simple to install the pickup in the guitar’s soundhole. You also have the option of putting it through the endpin jack, but this requires a little bit of work.
You get great single coil sound out of this pickup, so your acoustic guitar sounds better than ever before. It has a decent cable and comes at a great price.
7. Fender Strap Bundle
- Type: Guitar strap
- Material: Metal
- Extras: Picks and strap locks
- Best for: Those that want a low-cost guitar strap
When first starting, you need a good guitar strap. This strap bundle from Fender is an excellent choice because it not only includes a strap, but you get guitar picks and strap locks for your strap buttons.
✅ 3 products in one
✅ Strap locks for the strap
✅ Easy to use
✅Good price
❌ The strap could be better
❌ Beginner product
Why I Recommend It
I like the simple Fender guitar strap bundle. A guitar strap is one accessory that all players need. It’s important for beginners to get used to standing up while playing their instruments.
Although the strap included could be a little bit better, it does come with some nice extras. You get strap locks so the strap won’t fall off of your guitar, as well as a few picks. This bundle is also low-priced for those on budgets.
8. Snark SN-8 Tuner
- Type: Tuner
- Material: Plastic
- Extras: Metronome
- Best for: Those that want a quality tuner
You need a quality tuner for your acoustic guitar, but some of them are expensive. The Snark SN-8 is ideal as it attaches to the headstock with ease. You’ll enjoy accurate tuning, and it even has a metronome built-in.
✅ Tuner
✅ Metronome
✅ Easy to use
✅ Accurate
❌ May mark some finishes
❌ The clip could be better
Why I Recommend It
I like the Snark SN-8 tuner because it’s simple to use and comes with a metronome. It’s easy to clip onto the guitar’s headstock for easy viewing and pitch correction.
It has a nice bright display for easy reading. Rotate the Snark 360 degrees to place it in the right position while you play. It’s small enough to fit nicely in your guitar case compartment for fast access when you need it.
9. Fender Acoustasonic 15 Watt Amp
- Type: Amp
- Material: Plastic/metal
- Extras: Headphone jack and chorus effect
- Best for: Those that want a simple beginner acoustic amp
If your acoustic guitar has a pickup, you’ll want an amp to go with it. The Fender Acoustasonic is a simple 15-watt amp that has a great sound and a chorus effect. You’ll want to start playing the moment you plug into this amp.
✅ Mic and guitar input
✅ Great sound
✅ Chorus effect
✅ Fender speaker
❌ Only for beginners
❌ A bit heavy
Why I Recommend It
I like Fender amps, and the Acoustasonic is a simple 15-watt amp for beginners that are taking lessons and want some amplification. This one has a chorus effect for an even better sound to show off your creativity.
This one has a headphone jack for quiet practice and a jack for a microphone if you want to sing along as you play your guitar. There are higher wattages available if you need more volume.
10. Music Nomad Polishing Kit
- Type: Maintenance
- Material: Cleaner
- Extras: Polishing cloth
- Best for: Those that want to keep their guitar looking great
Music Nomad Polishing Kit comes with oil, cleaner, and guitar polish along with a cloth to make it easy to clean your guitar. You can keep your instrument’s finish in top shape with his quality cleaning kit.
✅ Easy to use
✅ 3 cleaners in one
✅ Polishing cloth included
✅ Save money
❌ Need a bit of skill to use
❌ A bit expensive
Why I Recommend It
It’s a good idea to keep your acoustic guitar clean. One mistake I see many players making is they use household cleaners. These don’t work and can harm the finish. This kit solves this problem.
You can use the general cleaner to remove grime for your guitar and polish it to get it shiny again. In the kit, you also get oil for the fretboard, so it won’t dry out or crack over time.
Best Acoustic Guitar Accessory Brands
Here are some of the best manufacturers of acoustic guitar accessories. You should try to purchase from major retailers as they have the best products available.
Jim Dunlop
Jim Dunlop carries a wide range of guitar accessories. Some other accessories include straps, guitar picks, capos slides, and guitar effects. They are an excellent company with a great reputation in the industry.
Elixir
Elixir is the top manufacturer of coated guitar strings. I enjoy working with this company because their strings last a long time, have a great tone, and save me a whole lot of money on string purchases.
Fender
Fender carries a wide range of guitars and amplifiers, and they also have a broad range of accessories. This includes picks, scraps, cables, strings, and other accessories for all of your guitars.
Kyser
One of the top manufacturers of guitar capos is Kyser. I’ve been using these cables for a long time and find that they are quite reliable. I never have to worry about my capo when I use one of their products.
D’Addario
D’Addario is known for their great guitar strings, and they carry other accessories such as picks, capos, guitar tuners, and more for your acoustic guitar.
Acoustic Guitar Accessory Aesthetics & Build
Here are some points to keep in mind before you purchase acoustic guitar accessories. You’ll want to ensure you get products that will work for your needs.
Quality
You have to look at the accessory to determine if it’s good quality or not. You don’t want to buy poor quality accessories for your acoustic guitar. This means you may have to spend a little bit of extra money.
Price
Price may be a factor for you. While some accessories don’t cost a lot, things like amplifiers, guitar pedals, and other accessories do. For example, if you want an acoustic pickup, you’re going to have an added expense.
Usage
Try to determine what you’re going to use the accessory for. You may end up buying something that you never use in the future. A helpful accessory should be something that you use all the time, like a strap.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Here are some frequently asked questions about acoustic guitar accessories that you should know about before you order something for your instrument.
What Accessories Should I Own?
Here is a basic rundown of some of the accessories that you should have for your acoustic guitar.
- Picks
- Strings
- Strap
- Pickup (if you want one)
- Amplifier (if you have a pickup)
- Instruction books
- Music stand
- Guitar stool
- Capo/slide
- Maintenance tools
How Do I Determine the Best Acoustic Guitar Accessories for Me?
To determine the accessories that are the best for you, you need to have an idea of what you want to do on an acoustic guitar.
For example, if you’re into fingerpicking, you might want to pick up books about it.
How Much Do Acoustic Guitar Accessories Cost?
There are guitar accessories in all price ranges. Basic accessories can run from a few dollars to $50. Other accessories such as acoustic guitar pickups and acoustic amplifiers can run several hundred dollars depending upon the model.
What Are the Best Acoustic Guitar Accessories?
Here are three of the best acoustic guitar accessories that I think you should own. These are all products I have used in the past. These accessories have helped me improve my acoustic guitar playing.
Elixir Acoustic Strings: Best for All Players
One thing that frustrated me with my acoustic guitar was that I was always going through strings. This changed when I started using Elixir acoustic guitar strings, as they last a long time and keep a bright tone for months.
Jim Dunlop Jazz III Picks: Picking Accuracy
I like Jim Dunlop Jazz III picks as they are easy to hold with a great gripping surface. They help improve your playing as they are accurate due to a sharp point. This is one of the best picks I’ve ever used.
Fender Acoustasonic 15 Watt Amp: Best for Beginners
If you want to plug in and do some recording or just play around with different sounds, I suggest the Fender Acoustasonic 15-watt amplifier. It provides everything that beginners need in an amplifier for their acoustic guitar.
Where Are the Best Acoustic Guitar Accessories Made?
Most acoustic guitar accessories are made in the United States, where most manufacturers are located.
Where to Buy Acoustic Guitar Accessories
There are several places where you can pick up great accessories for acoustic guitars. Here are my top choices for where you should be shopping for these items.
Amazon
I tend to order from Amazon. They have a great selection of products, excellent prices, fast shipping, and you can read reviews before ordering.
Online Music Retailers
Guitar Center and Sweetwater are two other excellent retailers for musical instruments online. They have a wide selection of products, ship items fast, and offer quality customer service.
Your Local Music Store
Your local music store carries a wide range of acoustic accessories. They may not have everything in stock, so you might have to wait for some products. This is also a great way to support your town.
Review This Post
Table of Contents
- Acoustic Guitar Accessories
- What is an Acoustic Guitar Accessory?
- Types of Acoustic Guitar Accessories
- Things to Consider When Choosing an Acoustic Guitar Accessory
- 10 Best Acoustic Guitar Accessories
- Best Acoustic Guitar Accessory Brands
- Acoustic Guitar Accessory Aesthetics & Build
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- In Conclusion
In Conclusion
This concludes my guide to the best acoustic guitar accessories. You’ll find a wide range of different products out there to complement your acoustic guitar. You should experiment and try some of them to see how they work for you.
Please share this article, leave a comment, or ask me any questions. I look forward to hearing from you. Now, go out and enjoy your acoustic guitar by trying out some great accessories for it.
