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Essential Acoustic Guitar Accessories - Give Your Acoustic Some Love!

Dendy Jarrett

By Dendy Jarrett
in Acoustic Guitars

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Idunno Newbie

Idunno

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"Capo - Great for beginners, a capo lets you transpose your guitar's key and sound while using the same basic chord fingering shapes. They also have a range of creative uses for savvy professionals, like capoing up a couple semitones, but playing chords transposed down to semitones, to give a different timbre. "

 

This above is not how I'd describe the use for a capo.

 

The guitar case, humidifier, dehumidifier, hygrometer and the other doodads are not accessories (to me).

 

Most of the following were mentioned and these are my idea of accessories for home and gigging -

 

1. Strap.

2. Capo - Full and half. Shubb, of course. No squeezie hair barrette thingies.

3. Picks - Including thumb picks, finger picks, flat picks.

4. Strings - For that aw crap moment.

5. Batteries - Per your rig's requirements.

6. Tuner - Clip on. None of the L.E.D. peacock tail feather display pretties. Just a read-out showing up to 3 cents out from spot on.

7. Stool - Unscented type. Venues often fail big time here.

 

 

 

 

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Freeman Keller Apprentice

Freeman Keller

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When this was first a discussion thread I think I suggested a good setup by someone who knows what she is doing and good instructions/lessons (ditto). But I guess those are really accessories.

 

Much of the stuff on Phil's list would be lost on me but then I don't perform or play out. I would assume that anyone at that level would have their signal chain figured out. I do take exception to the explanation for the nut extender - it has one use, to convert a conventional acoustic to lap style play (and thus should have a lap style bar or steel to go with it). It is not needed for conventional slide.

 

A couple of things on the list that I would especially NOT recommend are guitar stands (they should be in their case when not being played), the foot stool (OK if you are a classical player, most of us aren't), and all the effects stuff (hey, these are acoustic guitars, there is another forum for that noisy stuff).

 

So I guess my list would be a lot shorter - a hardshell case (which should come with the guitar), a humidifier (which you can make), a spare set of strings (the same as what is on the guitar), some sort of tuner or tuning fork (probably optional, just tune the guitar to its self). For me a slide is a necessity (home made probably)

 

 

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catscurlyear Newbie

catscurlyear

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A couple of things on the list that I would especially NOT recommend are guitar stands (they should be in their case when not being played),

So I guess my list would be a lot shorter - a hardshell case (which should come with the guitar),

agree with this ,my jaguar got knocked off it`s stand and went for a burton off the front of the stage when some curtains were being closed ,luckily it only suffered a big dint in the body nothing snapped off , but to me it never sounded the same after that ,don`t know why ,it must be when i look at the dent it raises my blood presure causing my ears to flap .so it`s back to bed for them before a gig .

saying that they`re not even safe in their cases , we had just finished a gig and this "in house crew member" came bounding across the stage, my guitar was laid in it`s case on the floor but with the lid open and he came running across the stage and he stood right on the guitar and kind of used it as a trampoline and then jumped up onto the lighting rig and shind up the rig like some wild animal ,luckily for him the guitar was ok it was a strat and they can take some abuse,i tried to have a word with him but there was loud music and he seemed a bit oblivious anyway ,what the heck it was still ok.

 

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Phil O'Keefe Rookie

Phil O'Keefe

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Aside from a good case' date=' the humidifier and hygrometer are the two main ones. Personally, I don't have any use for pedals with acoustic and my "Cleaning Supplies" are an old T-shirt. I might also add a music stand.[/quote']

 

What? No picks? No capo? How about a tuner? Most people need one. If you're totally anti-electronic, or just like to roll old-school, there's always tuning forks and pitch pipes...

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Phil O'Keefe Rookie

Phil O'Keefe

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"Capo - Great for beginners, a capo lets you transpose your guitar's key and sound while using the same basic chord fingering shapes. They also have a range of creative uses for savvy professionals, like capoing up a couple semitones, but playing chords transposed down two semitones, to give a different timbre. "

 

This above is not how I'd describe the use for a capo.

 

Okay. :) How would you describe the use of a capo? :snax:

 

(FWIW, have you tried layering acoustic tracks played with different chord inversions in the studio? If not, give it a try sometime. It's a lot richer and thicker than playing the same part twice. :wave: )

 

 

7. Stool - Unscented type. Venues often fail big time here.

 

 

EXCELLENT suggestion! :philthumb:

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DeepEnd Mentor

DeepEnd

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What? No picks? No capo? How about a tuner? Most people need one. If you're totally anti-electronic' date=' or just like to roll old-school, there's always tuning forks and pitch pipes...[/quote']

People generally think of picks or a tuner. "Player packs" usually include them. I didn't use a capo when I was starting out although that changed as I progressed. What people don't think of nearly often enough is a humidifier and hygrometer. I played for decades before I knew better.

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Phil O'Keefe Rookie

Phil O'Keefe

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I've written articles and numerous posts harping on the importance of humidifiers. I agree that the subject doesn't get enough ink, and that we as MI journalists need to do a better job of trying to educate people about their importance. Some companies are making serious efforts in that respect. For example, both Gibson and Taylor has quite a bit of info up on their sites regarding the importance of humidifiers... just a couple of examples:

 

https://www.taylorguitars.com/blog/guitars-more/using-guitar-humidifier-and-other-guitar-humidity-tips

 

http://archive.gibson.com/absolutenm/templates/FeatureTemplate.aspx?articleid=153&zoneid=2

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Freeman Keller Apprentice

Freeman Keller

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What? No picks? No capo? How about a tuner? Most people need one. If you're totally anti-electronic, or just like to roll old-school, there's always tuning forks and pitch pipes...

 

Actually Phil, I do not use picks or a capo at all. I have a couple of capos in my shop for repair and setup use and I do have some picks in my music room for friends who think they need them - however I am a flesh and nails player (and FWIW, I down tune instead of capo up). I sometimes use a pick on my electric guitars but I thought this was Essential Acoustic Accessories....

 

I do have a couple of electronic tuners and I do use them from time to time, but I also have an A440 tuning fork (that I use to calibrate the electronic tuners). Most of the time I tune the guitar to itself (usually using 5th and 7th fret harmonics). I use a very accurate strobe tuner in the shop for setup and intonation, but its totally unnecessary for daily playing.

 

We recently saw Alex D'Grassi in concert - multiple tunings including DADGAD and standard, no tuner, capo or picks. And of course my idol, Leo Kottke, retunes his 12 string by ear while keeping up that line of chatter that he is famous for. Leo gave up his finger picks years ago and usually tunes somewhere in the cellar.

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Mikeo Grand Master

Mikeo

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In my acoustic guitar essentials for playing out is a tuner (w/ extra batteries), a couple of capos's ( I have Shubbs, Kyser, and G7). I broke the spring on the Kyser one during a gig and I was glad to have a back up. Picks, extra strings, all my guitars I keep in a hard shell case, I don't leave too many out just hanging around when I'm not playing there.

 

I do have a Fishman Specrtra DI and you want extra batteries for that.and if you acoustic has a pre amp.

 

A nice strap, is essential.

 

I have also played gigs where it was 100 degrees in the shade and humid too. i like those microfiber cloths to wipe down stuff afterwards. I get em by the bag load in the car cleaning Isle at Walmart. Plus the are hand if you happen to be moving stuff in the rain and want to wipe down you case or a amp cover.

 

 

I also carry a small screw diver and a pair of wire cutters to trim off the guitar string end. If you buy the cheaper string winder they have a slot to remove the bridge pin. It might be handy to have and extra bridge pin, just in case. I have never broken one on a gig, but the bridge pins can be hard to get out sometime.

 

 

If you play slide and use a glass or ceramic slide, make sure ya buy two. I drop a glass slide on my cellar floor. It didn't make it.

 

Make sure you unplug your guitar and put it in a stand when on break. I have seen folks with good intentions, approach the stage and get tangled up in cord and guitars do go over.

 

 

I like these things too.

 

429002000000000-00-500x500.jpg

 

 

I have seen folks that have a little tray that attaches to the mic stand, and that's a great place to hold your guitar goodies or a harmonica.

 

I am probably getting a little off the subject, as far as acoustic guitar essentials go.

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