While not directly on the guitar itself, these accessories are absolutely essential for any acoustic guitar player. We’re talking about protecting your investment, making it comfortable to play, and unlocking new musical possibilities. Don’t skip over these – they’re just as important as the guitar itself in terms of your long-term playing enjoyment and the health of your instrument. Let’s dig into the crucial world of cases, straps, and capos!

Cases

Hard Shell Case

Protection: Maximum protection against impacts, crushing, and environmental changes. Essential for travel, gigging, or long-term storage.

Humidity Control: Crucial for acoustic guitars! A good hard case forms a relatively sealed environment, making it much easier to control humidity levels inside using a humidifier. This is vital to prevent cracking, warping, and glue joint failures.

Weight/Portability: Heavier and bulkier than gig bags. Can be cumbersome for short trips.

Best For: Any acoustic guitar you care about, especially solid wood instruments. Absolutely non-negotiable for expensive guitars.

Gig Bag

Protection: Offers basic protection against scratches and minor bumps. Varies wildly in padding thickness.

Humidity Control: Offers almost no protection against humidity changes. Air flows freely, making it a poor environment for long-term storage of solid wood acoustics.

Weight/Portability: Lightweight and easy to carry, often with backpack straps. Great for quick trips, lessons, or local jams.

Best For: Budget guitars, laminate guitars, or for very short-distance transport where minimal protection is acceptable. Not recommended for solid wood guitars for extended periods without strict environmental control elsewhere.

Humidity Control (The Silent Killer/Savior)

Why it Matters: Acoustic guitars (especially solid wood ones) are extremely sensitive to humidity fluctuations. Too dry, and the wood shrinks, leading to cracks, sharp fret ends, and sinking tops. Too wet, and the wood swells, causing bellying, high action, and dull tone.

The Goal: Maintain relative humidity between 45-55% for most acoustics.

Tools

Humidifier: In-case humidifiers (e.g., D’Addario Humidipak, Oasis, Dampit) are placed inside the soundhole or near the headstock in your hard case. Essential in dry climates or during winter.

Dehumidifier: In very humid climates, you might need a room dehumidifier or desiccant packs in the case to remove moisture.

Hygrometer: A small device that measures humidity. Absolutely essential to put inside your hard case to monitor levels. Don’t guess!

Key Takeaway: A hard case + a humidifier + a hygrometer is the trifecta for keeping your acoustic healthy. This is not optional for solid wood guitars!

Straps

Material

Leather: Classic, durable, breaks in beautifully, and often has a nice grip that prevents the guitar from sliding.

Nylon/Polypropylene: Very common, often more affordable, durable, and come in a huge variety of colors/patterns. Can sometimes be a bit slippery.

Cotton/Fabric: Soft, comfortable, good grip, often more breathable.

Width

Wider Straps (2.5″ – 3″+): Distribute the weight of the guitar better across your shoulder, making heavier acoustics much more comfortable for longer playing sessions.

Narrow Straps (under 2″): Can dig into your shoulder with heavier guitars, leading to discomfort.

Key Takeaway: Prioritize comfort, especially if you play standing up for long periods. Wider is often better.

Strap Locks

Purpose: Small devices that secure the strap to your guitar’s strap buttons, preventing the strap from accidentally detaching and your guitar from crashing to the floor.

Types: Various designs, some replace your existing buttons, others are rubber washers that fit over them.

Best For: Any player who moves around a lot on stage or is simply paranoid about their guitar taking a dive. Highly recommended.

Capos

What it does: A capo clamps down on all the strings at a specific fret, effectively raising the pitch of all open strings. It allows you to play in different keys without changing your chord shapes.

Spring-loaded (e.g., Kyser, Shubb Capo Lite): Quick to apply and remove, often one-handed. Can sometimes apply uneven pressure if not designed well.

Screw/Tension Adjust (e.g., Shubb, G7th Performance): Allow you to fine-tune the clamping pressure, which is crucial for precise intonation and avoiding sharp notes. Take a bit longer to apply.

Yoke/U-shaped (e.g., Elliott, G7th Heritage): Wrap around the back of the neck, often considered to provide the most even pressure and least interference with tuning. Often pricier.

Key Takeaway: Look for capos with soft, durable rubber padding where they contact the neck and fretboard to prevent damage.

A Personal Note on Accessories

Buying a new guitar is thrilling. It’s the big-ticket item, the shiny new toy. However, please, please, do not underestimate the importance of the accessories. They might not be the star of the show, but they are the entire supporting cast. 

A good hard case with proper humidity control isn’t just an expense; it’s literally the lifeblood of your solid wood acoustic. It’s what protects your investment from cracking in dry winters or swelling in humid summers. 

A comfortable strap means you can actually enjoy playing standing up for more than ten minutes without your shoulder screaming. And a reliable, intonation-friendly capo opens up countless musical possibilities you simply can’t access otherwise. These aren’t just add-ons; they’re essential tools that enhance your playing experience, extend your guitar’s life, and allow you to explore more music. Think of them as the unsung heroes that enable all the fun.

Don’t be “penny-wise and pound-foolish” here. Invest in good accessories, and your guitar – and your playing – will thank you for years to come. Seriously, take care of your guitar, and it’ll take care of you. If you want to see more useful accessories, checkout my video here, where I showcase 10 more of my favourite things every guitarist needs / wants.