Gear Guide
Your one-stop-shop for all things guitar
Not sure what gear you need? Check out my recommendations for guitars, picks, and more!
Each one of these items I currently use or have used in the past, so I never recommend anything that I haven't personally tried out first. Most of these products are linked to their brands' websites, but you can also find many of them on Amazon or music store websites (Sweetwater, Sam Ash, Guitar Center, etc.) as well.
Guitars
My first ever guitar as a kid! I couldn't find the exact guitar since I got it so long ago, but this guitar is the closest I could find. My guitar definitely wasn't standard-sized, so I linked the 3/4 size guitar with the 1/4 size and full-size as additional options. Its nylon strings are easy on the fingers and perfect for beginners. The smaller options are perfect for kids or people with smaller hands.
This was my first quality guitar I got at age 13 after playing a small kid-sized guitar for a few years. It was definitely an upgrade to say the least! This guitar is slightly slimmer and smaller overall, but has great volume and tone to it. It's for beginners and experienced guitarists alike. Still one of my favs!
If you're wanting a step up from the BBT, take a look at this one! The 214ce features Taylor's signature guitar body shape. The "c" in the name means it has a cutaway, letting you reach those higher frets. The "e" means it has electronics built into it. It has an expression system so you can plug your guitar into an amp and make the sound louder. This was the guitar I upgraded to after my BBT. I tend to prefer the tone of Taylor's first Expression System (just my personal preference), but you may like the Expression System 2 in this guitar better! Overall, a great guitar that has a special place in my collection.
- Taylor 314ce Acoustic-Electric Guitar
My all time favorite!! This guitar has the same shape of the 214ce, but is a major step up in quality. It doesn't have a link as my particular model has been discontinued. Taylor used to make it with their classic Expression System. However, you can still purchase the updated 314ce from Taylor, but it'll have their Expression System 2 instead. If you like the tone of the updated version, feel free to check it out here! If not, you can still find the original 314ce used, but it will take some tracking down. But it's SO WORTH IT in my opinion!
This electric guitar pack by Fender comes with a Squier electric guitar, amp, picks, and more. Squier is Fender's budget-conscious version of their signature world-renown guitars. This pack would be perfect for beginners and newbies to electric guitar!
Ok so this not a guitar lol, but it's a super similar instrument that makes for a seamless transition from the guitar if you ever wanted to diversify. This ukulele is concert-sized, meaning it's a bit bigger than those tiny soprano ukuleles you typically see. The pack also include a gig bag, clip-on tuner, lesson book, and more. Love this little pack!
Guitar Accessories
Picks
These nylon picks have a sandpaper-like feel to them and are great for grip. These are my go-to picks when I'm wanting a pick with excellent grip. They are also thin and flexible, making them great for strumming acoustic guitar. I'd recommend the .53mm and .60mm options. If your pick is constantly slipping from your fingers, these are for you!
These quality picks by Fender are great for acoustic or electric guitar. I would probably use them more for electric as they're a bit harder and less flexible. However, you can still use them for acoustic if you want more volume or to pick individual strings.
These nylon picks are called Max-Grip for a reason. They have a cat-tongue feel on them for maximum grip. They are also light and flexible for strumming.
These nylon picks are a bit sturdier and offer more volume with less effort than the .60mm version above.
These are my favorite picks! They're great for tone, grip, flexibility, and strumming. They're super light and flexible too. I also like that they don't have a very "plastic" type of sound when they hit the guitar strings. Some picks are cheaply made and you can really hear the pick as you strum. These don't have that issue!
Capos
This capo has been my favorite I've owned so far. It's easy to clamp down on the strings and can be easily moved around the guitar neck. This capo is for acoustic guitars, but Dunlop also offers capos for electric guitars. I also have it in black which you can check out here!
Strings
These acoustic guitar strings are bright and smooth, and they last a really long time. Guitar strings vary in thickness. This one's gauge is .012-.053, so it would be considered light and therefore a bit easier to play for beginners. All the Taylor guitars I mentioned above come with these strings, so they are awesome strings!
Love these! These are the strings I currently use on my acoustic. They have a warm tone and a slick feel to them. These also last forever and have great playability.
Straps
This suede leather strap is sleek and looks perfectly worn-in. It's durable and softens over time. I always use it!
Apps
This is the free app I use to tune my guitar. It's super quick and easy to use. You can also get the subscription version that offers additional features (I don't have the subscription, but it's there if ya want it!)
This metronome app has been so helpful in improving my timing. I have the paid version, but there is also a lite version that is free.
This app allows you to change the pitch and speed of a song. So if a song is too fast or slow for you to play along with, this app lets you change it. If a song is too high or too low, you can also change the key of the song which comes in handy!
If you sing, this app is for you! Like with guitar, it's important to always warm up before you sing. This app features tons of different warm-ups that you can choose from. You can also adjust the speed or create your own warm-ups. I'd suggest the paid version if you don't want ads interrupting your warm-up time.
Etc.
This waterproof bluetooth speaker is so useful when I want to play guitar along to songs. You can still purchase this one on other websites, but the company now only offers their other versions here.