Guitar Accessories

 



Strings

 

The strings on a guitar can make a big difference!
There are different materials used in strings and there are different gauges as well.
A thin (light) string (like gauge 10) will be much faster and more easy to play compared to
a thick string (like gauge 12), but the thicker string will have more volume and brilliance.
The material makes a big difference (in tone) as well, for an acoustic guitar for instance
bronze strings sound bright and clear.
Phosphor-bronze strings sound warmer and keep tone for a longer period of time.

On an electric guitar the most common string is nickel plated.

Classic guitars have nylon strings.
The three low strings have a silver plated copper
wound around them to add mass to the string,
but the core is still nylon.

 

If you decide to pick another gauge of strings,
you'll have to check with the guitarshop
where you buy them if it's necessary to
re-setup your guitar!

Try different kinds of strings to find out what your favorite is...



Ernie Ball and Martin are good brands of guitar strings.

Elixir strings are very good and last long, but they´re quite expensive.


Like steel strings should never be used on a classic guitars,
nylon strings should never be used on steel string acoustic guitars.




Pick

 

The size and gauge of the pick you use can produce
a whole different sound! Heavy picks (> 1.5 mm)
produce a thicker and somewhat darker sound,
while thin picks produce a brighter sound with less depth.
Choose picks that are well made and make sure they
have no rough edges.

Picks are available in a lot of different colors and styles.

Jim Dunlop is a good brand for picks.




Capo

 

A Capo (capodaster) is a guitartool (clamp) wich you put on a fret
on your guitars neck where it functions like a "moveable nut"
(the same effect as playing a barre with one finger).
This changes the key or pitch of the open strings.
If you place the capo behind the first fret,
all the strings have been raised by a semi-tone and

if you place it behind the second fret, all the strings have
been raised by a tone. For instance if a song has
Eb, Ab and Bb chords in it, place the capo
at the first fret and play E, A and B chords.
A Capo makes playing though chords a lot easier!


The name comes from the Italian "capodastro"
which means "head of fingerboard".


There are a lot of different types of capo´s and
for every different guitar type you have a matching capo.
For instance you have a capo's for nylon string,
electric and steel string acoustic guitars.

Shubb and Dunlop are good brands for capo's.

 


Straplocks

 

Straplocks are a life insurance for your guitar, you can't
afford not to have them to protect your investment.
Without the security of straplocks the strap can slip off
of the pins, seriously damaging your guitar.
With Strap locks you don't risk dropping that
beautiful guitar you've put all your hard-earned cash into.
Straplocks cost between $15 and $20, that's a pretty
cheap price to pay for an insurance policy that
protects your guitar from possible serious damage.


Schaller is a good brand for straplocks.



Tuning devices

 

There are different devices available to tune your guitar.
There are online tuners (and programs you can download) available
to tune your guitar with your computer.
Some of these use your computer's microphone to tell you to tune up or down
in order to get the right pitch, others only play the right sound through your computer's
boxes so you'll have to listen very carefully and adjust your guitar's sound
to the sound you hear with the right string.
When you´ve done it right, the sound of your guitar is exactly the same as the sound you here.
You can check this by playing a chord you know: listen if it sounds harmonic.
This is also the way to use the next device: the tuning whistle.
This is a whistle with 6 pipes, representing the six open strings.
The A string should sound exactly the same as the pipe which represents the A on the whistle.

The easiest way (but the most expensive as well) is the electric tuner with a built-in microphone.
This tuner´s microphone will pick up the sound when you pluck a string and shows the pitch
(on a digital display or by a needle, this depends on the model you have).
It shows you wether to tune up or down to in order to adjust the strings to the proper pitch.
Experienced guitar players often only tune the lowest (E) string with a device
(or instrument, like a piano) and tune the other strings by ear. This is the most difficult method.

 

There are devices available which combine chromatic tuners and metronomes!
Like this one from Ibanez:

 


Metronome

 

A metronome is a device which helps you to keep your rythm and tempo
by producing a steady pulse (or beat).
It's usually adjustable from slow (35 BPM) to fast (250 BPM),
measured by the number of beats per minute (BPM).
Musical pieces usually have time signatures which indicate the number of beats.

 

Metronomes are also available online and in programs you can download.





Line 6 Pocket Pod


Another great accessory for an electric guitar is the Line 6 Pocket Pod.
This is a tuning device, headphone amplifier & multi effects processor in
pocket format! Read more about it here.





Power Ball

 

If you'd like to level up your guitar playing,
this will improve your playing skills by improving
your co-ordination and boosting up your hand- and fingerstrength.