D'Addario · Tools
Pro-Winder
String winder, cutter and bridge pin puller
Turns a twenty-minute chore into a five-minute one, for the price of a set of strings
8.8/104.6 (30,841)
Catalogue
Accessories
The things that go with the instrument, judged the same way the instruments are: on what the manufacturer actually publishes, not on what the listing claims. Strings and picks change how a guitar plays for the price of a coffee; a tuner is the one purchase nobody should skip.
Care and transport
Never bought any of this before?
Most of what gets sold alongside a first guitar is unnecessary, and one or two things genuinely are not. The starter guide sorts them into what you need on day one, what can wait, and what you can skip entirely.
What you actually need to start playing
MusicNomad · Care and cleaning
Premium Guitar Cleaner (MN100)
4 oz spray
A cleaner, not a polish, and safe on the finishes that polish ruins
8.5/104.6 (1,870)
MusicNomad · Care and cleaning
Premium Guitar Care 3 pc. Kit (MN140)
Guitar ONE, F-ONE Oil and a microfibre cloth
The two bottles that actually matter, plus the cloth people forget to buy
8.5/104.7 (1,552)
Elixir · Strings
NANOWEB Nickel Plated Steel Electric
Light .010-.046
Standard .010s that survive a summer of gigs instead of a fortnight
8.3/104.8 (8,082)
Dunlop · Picks
Tortex Standard
0.60 mm orange, 12 pack
The Delrin pick that replaced tortoiseshell, in the gauge most people settle on
8.2/104.8 (20,638)
Kyser · Capos
Quick-Change Capo
Black, six-string acoustic
The original one-handed capo, and the shape every cheap capo is copying
8.2/104.8 (10,770)
Elixir · Strings
NANOWEB 80/20 Bronze Acoustic
Light .012-.053
80/20's brightness without 80/20's two-week lifespan
8.2/104.8 (15,539)
D'Addario · Capos
NS Capo Pro
Black
The capo that lets you set the clamping force instead of guessing it
8.0/104.5 (1,695)
Elixir · Strings
NANOWEB Phosphor Bronze Acoustic
Custom Light .011-.052
The same coated string as the light set, a step easier under the fingers
8.0/104.8 (8,201)
Elixir · Strings
NANOWEB Phosphor Bronze Acoustic
Light .012-.053
The long-life acoustic string, and still the one to beat on longevity
8.0/104.8 (12,221)
MusicNomad · Care and cleaning
F-ONE Fretboard Oil (MN105)
2 oz
Fingerboard oil that is not lemon oil, which is the entire point
8.0/104.8 (8,409)
D'Addario · Strings
EXL170 XL Nickel Wound Bass
Light .045-.100, long scale, four strings
The four-string bass set every other set gets compared to
7.8/104.8 (3,867)
D'Addario · Strings
NYXL1046 Nickel Wound Electric
Light .010-.046
The same gauge as an EXL110, with the tuning problem actually solved
7.8/104.8 (5,426)
D'Addario · Strings
XS Phosphor Bronze Coated Acoustic
Light .012-.053
A coated string that does not feel or sound like a coated string
7.8/104.7 (3,294)
CAHAYA · Bags and cases
6 Pocket Acoustic Gig Bag
Brown, 40 to 42 inch
Six pockets, which is five more than most bags and the reason to pick this one
7.8/104.6 (3,523)
Fender · Tuners
FCT-2 Professional Clip-On Tuner
Black
The tuner to buy first, before strings, before a strap, before anything
7.8/104.5 (18,489)
Gator Cases · Bags and cases
Deluxe ABS Molded Case
For electric bass
ABS with an aluminium valance, which is where cheap moulded cases fail
7.8/104.7 (887)
Snark · Tuners
SN5X Clip-On Chromatic Tuner
Black
The cheap clip-on that made every other tuner look overpriced
7.8/104.6 (38,042)
Dunlop · Care and cleaning
Formula 65 Guitar Polish & Cleaner
4 oz
The cheap bottle that has been on repair-shop benches for decades
7.8/104.7 (3,363)
MusicNomad · Tools
Nomad Guitar Cleaning Tool Set (MN204)
Two-piece set
For the grime a cloth cannot reach, which is most of the grime
7.8/104.8 (6,139)
MusicNomad · Care and cleaning
Guitar ONE All-in-1 (MN103)
4 oz
The same Guitar ONE formula in the bottle size most people should actually buy
7.8/104.7 (3,906)
D'Addario · Strings
EXL110 XL Nickel Wound Electric
Regular Light .010-.046, three sets
The electric string most guitars leave the factory wearing
7.7/104.8 (20,994)
Elixir · Strings
POLYWEB 80/20 Bronze Acoustic
Extra Light .010-.047
The slick, warm, easy-playing set for hands that are still toughening up
7.7/104.7 (1,698)
WINGO · Capos
Trigger Capo
Silver, with five picks
The fast, cheap trigger capo, with the tuning compromise that implies
7.6/104.8 (44,166)
MusicNomad · Care and cleaning
Guitar ONE All-in-1 (MN150)
12 oz
Clean, polish and wax in one pass, which is a real saving of effort and a real compromise
7.5/104.7 (3,905)
CAHAYA · Bags and cases
41 inch Acoustic Gig Bag
0.35 in padding, black
A third of an inch of padding, which is the number most listings hide
7.4/104.6 (12,283)
Fender · Bags and cases
Deluxe Molded Case
For Stratocaster and Telecaster
The case you buy when the guitar stops being something you can replace
7.4/104.8 (608)
GLEAM · Stands
Adjustable Guitar Stand
Black
The accessory that decides whether the guitar gets played at all
7.4/104.4 (23,955)
TANMUS · Capos
3-in-1 Capo
Black, with pick holder and pin puller
A trigger capo that also holds your picks and pulls bridge pins
7.4/104.7 (14,521)
D'Addario · Strings
EJ16 Phosphor Bronze Acoustic
Light .012-.053, three sets
The default acoustic string, and the one to buy if you are not sure
7.3/104.7 (38,577)
Ernie Ball · Strings
Earthwood Phosphor Bronze Acoustic
Medium Light .012-.054
A light set with a heavier bottom end, for a guitar that needs driving
7.3/104.7 (14,275)
SAPHUE · Care and cleaning
String Cleaner
Microfibre, double sided
The cheapest way to make strings last longer: wipe them after playing
7.3/104.4 (779)
D'Addario · Picks
Celluloid Picks
Medium 0.70 mm, 10 pack, assorted
Ten medium celluloid picks, which is the gauge most players end up on anyway
7.2/104.7 (25,368)
Fender · Bags and cases
Deluxe Molded Case
For electric bass
The moulded answer for a bass, and lighter than the wood alternative
7.2/104.6 (192)
Fender · Picks
Premium Picks Sampler
12 pack, thin, medium and heavy
Three thicknesses in one bag, which is the only sensible way to buy your first picks
7.2/104.8 (26,278)
D'Addario · Strings
EJ11 80/20 Bronze Acoustic
Light, .012-.053
The bright, brash acoustic string the whole category was built on
7.2/104.7 (17,357)
D'Addario · Strings
Pro-Arte Nylon Classical
Normal tension, tie-end
The reference nylon set, and the one most classical guitars are voiced around
7.2/104.6 (28,780)
AROMA · Capos
Adjustable Tension Capo
Antique Copper
Adjustable clamping pressure at a price where nobody else offers it
7.0/104.5 (133)
Gator Cases · Bags and cases
Hard-Shell Wood Case
For electric bass
A plywood-and-Tolex case, which is how basses have travelled for seventy years
7.0/104.4 (425)
IMUSGO · Capos
Trigger Capo
Black
The plain, cheap trigger capo, with a release lever that saves your strings
7.0/104.7 (5,076)
D'Addario · Strings
EJ27N Student Nylon Classical
Normal tension, full size, three sets
The same idea as Pro-Arte, sorted less tightly and sold three at a time
6.8/104.5 (22,877)
New Bee · Cables
Instrument Cable
10 ft, straight to right-angle
The cable an electric guitar needs on day one, at the price of a coffee
6.6/104.7 (25,429)
ROTOPATA · Picks
Guitar Picks Variety Pack
15 pack with organiser box
The same three-thickness idea, more picks, and a box to lose them in less often
6.6/104.8 (3,451)
Belfort · Strings
Phosphor Bronze Acoustic
Light
Cheap phosphor bronze from a brand with no published specification
5.8/104.6 (10,002)