The life of musicians is a constant ‘battle’ for sustaining yourself from gig money you love to spend on new gear and accessories. With the huge choice of new and improved versions of guitar equipment, this need to buy new bits is a pretty normal thing because the one thing musicians want is to sound better and to improve their play. In the end, feeling good and comfortable while playing is paramount.
Contents
What Every Guitar Player Should Have?
Guitar Picks
One of the first and most essential accessories you’ll need to use on your guitar in order to sound awesome is a pick. Picks are small but mighty guitar accessories that allow you to play easier and better while being more agile with the guitar. They’re small pieces of plastic with a semi-pointed end that allows you to go after every single note while allowing you to play smoothly.
An important thing to have in mind when choosing the best ones for you is to know that you can choose from the thicker and more flexible types of picks. According to guitar experts, the thinner ones are better for acoustic strumming and for creating brighter tones. Thick picks, on the other hand, are guitar accessories designed for lead guitarists and they’re better for creating mellower tones and heavy distorted sounds.
Strings
Having no spare strings means that the chances a string will unexpectedly break while playing are huge. Just like the Murphy’s law. Given the fact that breaking strings isn’t something new, having spare ones can come in handy when you need them the most. Having spare ones will help you stay prepared when you need to change them because they’ve become dull and difficult to play with.
The main reasons for this are accumulated dirt, dead skin from your fingers, sweat and oils. However, having the strings alone won’t be enough, especially if you don’t know how to replace them. For that reason, you should learn how to tune your guitar in order to be ready all the time.
Strap
Guitar straps are essential accessories for guitar since they are designed to keep the guitar secure around your body. Usually, these straps are adjustable and they give you the chance to adjust them according to your needs. With a strap like this, you’ll feel comfortable to play as long as you need.
The best part of all is that it’s available in numerous colours, designs and prints, giving you the chance to pick the most dazzling one. While we’re at straps, don’t forget another crucial piece of guitar accessory – the strap lock created to protect your instrument even in the most energetic stage performances.
Amp
Amps (guitar amplifiers) are an essential accessory mainly for those who have electric guitars and they’re the main ‘culprit’ for making some much-needed noises when playing. Amps are an electronic device/system, that is designed to strengthen the electrical symbol from a pickup on an electric guitar mainly. However, it can also be used for picking up signals on bass and acoustic guitars as well.
Once the signal is picked up, amps have the goal to produce sound through one or more loudspeakers which are usually housed in a wooden-like cabinet. These days amps come in a large selection of sizes, volume potential and sound quality, offering you different sound options and improved playing experience.
Headphone Amp
While amps are great when performing in front of a crowd, sometimes the use of headphone amps is essential. Whether you don’t want to bother your family and friends with your guitar or you simply want to play in private, you should certainly invest in a pair of headphone amps. They are designed to be plugged into your output jack since they have a standard headphone output. With amps like this, you’ll be able to improve your play while letting your family enjoy their peace and quiet at home.
Pedal
If you want to take your music to the next level and create some different effects, all it takes is to plug your guitar into the pedal and the pedal into an amp and expect to hear some effects that can alter the sound and volume of your guitar. With an accessory like this, you can completely change the sound of your guitar only by touching a button.
Spare Batteries
This may sound strange at first because batteries aren’t really an accessory for guitars, however, they can come in handy for pedals, wireless transmitters and some other accessories that use batteries. Having spare batteries can be of assistance especially during a show when you have to perform for a longer time. So, in order to avoid dealing with dead devices during play, it would be better if you have the right size of spare batteries for them.
By having all of these accessories, or some extras too that you find proper for your needs, you’ll be able to stay prepared all the time, especially in times when some malfunctions happen during a show.
