Here are some other things you can try that may make you a happy guitarist.
ACOUSTIC PICK-UPS… If you would like to amplify your guitar, try one of the many pick-ups on the market designed specificly for acoustic guitars. Your local music store will be able to show you the state-of-the-art in acoustic pick-ups.
EFFECT PEDALS… If you have a pick-up installed in your acoustic or if you play electric, you may want to try putting the signal through an effect pedal to color its sound. Effect pedals are for changing the sound that comes out of your guitar. With a pedal you can get sounds ranging from distortion to flanging to delay to chorus and so on. By puting two or more pedals in line you can use different sounds at the same time. Ask for a demonstration…
STRING WINDERS… This tool really makes fast work of restringing. It allows you to turn the tuners faster while getting the string started on the roller. A must for every guitarist!!
PITCH PIPES & TUNING FORKS… These devices are used as reference tones for tuning your instrument to standard pitch. Pitch pipes usually have 6 blowholes, one each for the 6 strings of the guitar, sounding the note for each string played open.
Tuning forks on the other hand, are made to reproduce one note only, but very accurately. Usually you just need one tuning fork, say for E or A, and then tune the rest of the guitar from there.
ELECTRONIC TUNERS… These devices take all the guesswork out of tuning. Just watch the needle or light display to see when each string is in tune. This is a must these days!
METRONOMES… Timing is everything so it is said! And the best way to practice staying in time is with the help of a metronome. This is a device that makes a steady “click” sound which maintains a preset tempo. You control its speed and beats per measure. The metronome can be a very useful tool.
BOTTLENECK or FINGER SLIDES… Worn on one finger of your chording hand, these are very popular items for getting a truly unique sound from your instrument. It’s not something that will be picked up easily, but with a little work you can be a slide guitar playing fool! Try a bottleneck slide with an open tuning for something different. Good stuff!!
STRAP LOCKS… Strap locks are devices that keep your strap from coming off the guitar so you don’t drop the instrument. Check out the different kinds at your music store.
LESSONS… There is no better way to learn about guitars than by talking with others. One good way to meet other guitarists is to take lessons at your local music store. Not only do you learn a lot of neat stuff (if the teacher is good), but you’re in an environment where other players hang out. While there are a lot of excellent books on how to play, nothing compares with being around other players to make you want to practice and excel.