The Worst Guitar Accessories
- The American Guitar Academy
- 1 hour ago
- 6 min read
In a world where there is always a new gadget, accessory or piece of technology that promises to revolutionise the guitar industry, how do you actually tell what is worth your hard-earned money?
With this blog post, I will be presenting a few of the worst guitar accessories that exist. They promise the world, and deliver trash – at least in my opinion. If you have ever purchased or used one of these then you will know exactly what I mean! I have personally used each of these, but for the sake of balance I will include some accessories that you absolutely should purchase.
The Bad
Gibson/Tronical Min-ETune/G Force (robot tuners)
I distinctly remember when these replacement tuners started to gain some popularity, regardless of how ill-founded that popularity was. The main problems I have is that you immediately have less control over your instrument and if the guitar is well maintained then it will stay in tune well and, as a result, usually quicker to do it manually. You also cannot tune by hand with these systems installed as is my experience.
Popular YouTube guitarist Tyler Larsen, better known as Music Is Win, even demonstrated what is reportedly a common problem with these devices when his guitar headstock was cracked whilst the system was tuning his guitar – this was captured on camera and the damage is audible. You can check it out at the link here.
One other consideration people neglect is that guitars really benefit from a tuning specific set-up, with adjustments made to the action and even string gauge. This is usually not a problem for drop D or Eb standard tuning, but these robot tuners are all too happy to throw you straight into B standard tuning. The guitar would need time to settle in any way, and there is a chance it would feel weird to play the instrument given the aforementioned set-up issues.
I believe it was in 2014 or similar when Gibson included this product as part of the Standard line up of instruments, alongside some other poorly chosen modifications. The robot tuners were that unpopular that some retailers in the United Kingdom even offered to remove and replace them completely free of charge if you bought the guitar!
Finger Protectors
You first have to ask yourself “Why!?”. Why would you actually use small rubber tips for all of your fingers?
The idea is that they protect your fingers from hurting, but the immediate disconnect between you and the instrument is evident; with that extra barrier between you and the string you lose the ability to articulate and perform with the guitar as effectively. Another clear indicator that this ideally is generally a waste of time is that major, reputable retailers do not stock them; these finger protectors are only available online.
Also, I think we can all agree that one of the few people allowed to actually use tips on their fingers is Tony Iommi!
Fretboard Stickers
You can easily purchase fretboard inlay stickers for a cheap and easily reversible way of changing the look of your guitar. However, in this case I am referring to the fretboard markers that give you the notes, fret numbers or outline scale shapes. In my opinion this is cutting a huge corner and skipping an important step in a beginner’s learning journey. If you stick with these only, you will inevitably rely on them and, as a result, be lost when the time comes you have to work without them.
I believe this is similar to what happens if you only give a young child Velcro or slip on shoes for their whole life, they never learn how to tie shoe laces.
A quick note on mapping out entire scales across the whole of the fretboard – I think this is overwhelming for most students. Too much information at one time creates a bottleneck and then nothing goes in, or the scale can be played but not retained. It is better to gradually build up fretboard knowledge through carefully thought-out exercises and self-discovery.
Expensive Cables
You should be able to rely on your cables; a guitar lead is a functional item and does not need the frills and fancy certain manufacturers would believe. In the real world, a cable needs to be made well, feature the correct materials and typically have a generous warranty period.
I consider longer cables especially to be breakable items, they are consumable and so spending an extraordinary amount of money on them is a fool’s errand. Any increase in fidelity beyond a certain point is so miniscule that, after your signal has passed through the rest of your rig, through outboard gear and through a PA system, the difference is imperceptible. This does not take into account the differences in your tone that can occur with voltage differences or dirty power in the venue (those of you that have experienced this will know exactly what I am talking about!). I know that some people like to use a coiled cable as they reportedly tame some of the high-end frequencies – I cannot say that this is true for sure, but one wonders if just turning down the treble control on your amp is enough.
The Good
Dehumidifying Products
Getting something as simple as some packets of silica gel can be helpful with maintaining the correct moisture balance in your guitar case or elsewhere – these are usually free when you purchase a multitude of household goods. It is also possible to find cheap dehumidifying boxes in discount stores like Daiso or CanDo. Companies like D’Addario also make moisture packs designed for this purpose!
Cleaning/Lube
Not all maintenance products and accessories are created equally, and many people swear by their own choice whilst condemning others, but here are some that I like.
I would argue that some products are better than others purely because of availability, the type of finish of your guitar or the materials it is made of. For example, a guitar with a nitrocellulose finish might require something specific, and unfinished maple fretboards do not react well with lemon oil. Having a decent cloth helps a lot too!
Some well respected luthiers and guitar technicians that I know swear by the cheapest furniture polish you can find – though I would advise against this if you are reluctant… you never know!
You should also get some good quality lubrication of the nut and other contact points between the strings and hardware of the guitar. This is the one I like to use, and as far as I can tell, the only real difference is in the applicator.
Sound Hole Cover/Feedback Buster
If you have ever played a live show with an acoustic, then there is a high chance that you have had to deal with feedback at an excruciating level. Purchasing an inexpensive rubber disc to fit in the sound hole of your guitar is a must, it is not hard to fit them either. As well as mitigating feedback, this also lowers the volume of your acoustic to a point where it is more manageable in an apartment building.
Final Thoughts
The accessories you choose to use are entirely dependent on your situation and whatever scenarios you are likely to find yourself in. You should always make your purchases based on these factors. Do not be afraid or reluctant to put in the hard work you might need to avoid needing random gadgets to help you along, and especially avoid falling victim to those flashy Instagram and TikTok adverts that push the pointless accessories that solve a problem which did not exist.
A special mention for the good side of the accessory argument is a cable I recently used at a jam session that automatically cuts the signal when it is no longer connected, this is a genuinely useful idea if you are constantly changing guitars. As for the bad side, I recently came across an advert for a guitar pick with a tuner built in, what a useless, cumbersome and wasteful item that benefits nobody. If you purchased one, then you should hang your head in shame.
What is the best guitar accessory in your opinion?