Buying guide

Essential Accessories for a New Guitarist

A guitar on its own is not quite a complete setup. These are the accessories worth getting early, and the ones that can wait.

Get these first

Clip-on tuner: guitars drift out of tune, and playing in tune builds your ear.
Spare strings: strings break, and fresh strings sound and feel better.
Picks in a few thicknesses: find the one that suits your playing.
Gig bag or case: protects against knocks and humidity.

Comfort and practice

A strap lets you practise standing. A guitar stand or wall hanger keeps the instrument within reach and out of harm's way. A capo changes key quickly and is useful for many songs. A metronome, or a metronome app, helps your timing.

For electric guitarists

You will also need an instrument cable and an amplifier. A small practice amplifier or headphone amplifier is plenty at home.

What can wait

Effects pedals, upgraded pickups and fancy tools can wait until you know your own sound. Spend early money on the things that help you practise more.