Best Guitar Gadgets: Tuners, Capos, Amps and Wireless
Nineteen current guitar accessories grouped by job, from a $13 capo to a $350 smart amp, with what each maker states and what it costs in the US.
If a guitarist buys one gadget, make it a clip-on tuner. The D’Addario Micro Headstock Tuner at about $22 is the one we would start with. After that come a headphone amp for quiet practice (the Fender Mustang Micro Plus, about $130), a capo (the Kyser Quick-Change, about $25) and, for anyone tired of cables, a wireless system (the Positive Grid Spark LINK, about $150).
Prices are the makers’ own US prices where the maker sells direct. Boss, Snark, TC Electronic and Xvive publish no prices on their sites, so for those we give what US music dealers were charging. The descriptions are the makers’ too. Nothing below is a judgement from playing through any of it.
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Guitar gadgets compared
| Gadget | Job | What the maker states | US price |
|---|---|---|---|
| D’Addario Micro Headstock Tuner | Tuner | Colour display, four viewing angles | about $22 |
| Snark ST-2 | Tuner | Microphone or vibration sensor | about $23 at dealers |
| D’Addario Nexxus 360 Rechargeable | Tuner | USB-C charging, 24 hours a charge | about $30 |
| Boss TU-05 | Tuner | Rechargeable, up to 10 hours | about $35 at dealers |
| TC Electronic PolyTune Clip | Tuner | Reads all six strings at once | about $38 at dealers |
| Peterson StroboClip HD | Tuner | Strobe display, accurate to a tenth of a cent | about $60 |
| D’Addario Capo Lite | Capo | Moulded plastic, adjustable tension | about $13 |
| Kyser Quick-Change | Capo | Separate acoustic and electric versions | about $25 |
| Shubb Standard | Capo | Lever lock, machined brass | about $27 |
| D’Addario Pro Plus | Capo | Pad shaped to press like a fingertip | about $30 |
| Fender Mustang Micro | Headphone amp | 12 amp models, 4 hours | about $110 |
| Fender Mustang Micro Plus | Headphone amp | 25 amps, tuner and display | about $130 |
| Boss Katana:GO | Headphone amp | 10 amp types, up to 5 hours | about $140 at dealers |
| Positive Grid Spark LINK | Wireless | 70 feet, under 3ms, 6 hours | about $150 |
| Xvive U2 | Wireless | 70 feet, 5ms, 5 hours | about $155 at dealers |
| Boss WL-20 | Wireless | 50 feet, 2.3ms, up to 12 hours | about $220 at dealers |
| Positive Grid Spark GO | Smart amp | 5 watts, up to 8 hours on battery | about $150 |
| Positive Grid Spark 2 | Smart amp | 50 watts, built-in looper | about $350 |
| D’Addario Pro-Winder | Restringing | Winder, cutter and pin puller in one | about $13 |
Clip-on tuners
A clip-on tuner grips the headstock and reads the string through the wood, so it works in a noisy room. The six here differ in display, power and precision.
- D’Addario Micro Headstock Tuner, about $22. D’Addario’s pitch is that the audience never sees it. It has a colour display with four viewing angles and a ratchet clamp. A twin pack is about $40. D’Addario Micro Headstock Tuner on Amazon
- Snark ST-2, about $23 at dealers. It was on this page in 2022 and Snark still lists it in its Super Tight range, as an all-instrument tuner that lets you choose between a microphone and the vibration sensor. Snark ST-2 on Amazon
- D’Addario Nexxus 360 Rechargeable, about $30. Charges by USB-C and runs 24 hours a charge, with a screen that turns through 360 degrees. Pick it if you are tired of buying coin cells. D’Addario Nexxus 360 on Amazon
- Boss TU-05, about $35 at dealers. Rechargeable, with up to 10 hours a charge, accuracy of plus or minus one cent, and modes for guitar, bass, ukulele and chromatic tuning. It also handles tuning down by up to three semitones. Boss TU-05 on Amazon
- TC Electronic PolyTune Clip, about $38 at dealers. Strum all six strings and its polyphonic mode shows which are out. It also has a strobe mode that TC Electronic rates at plus or minus 0.02 cent. One dealer had it at $50, so compare. TC Electronic PolyTune Clip on Amazon
- Peterson StroboClip HD, about $60. The precise one. Peterson states tenth-of-a-cent accuracy and more than 50 of its Sweetened tunings. It is for people who set their own intonation, and more than a beginner needs. Peterson StroboClip HD on Amazon
Capos
All four clamp the strings at a fret to raise the key. They differ in how the pressure is set.
- D’Addario Capo Lite, about $13. Moulded plastic with an adjuster that D’Addario says lets you dial in the exact tension. The cheapest sensible capo here. D’Addario Capo Lite on Amazon
- Kyser Quick-Change, about $25. Kyser sells acoustic and electric versions at the same price, and says the electric one has lower tension and a smaller body. Buy the one that matches your guitar. Kyser Quick-Change capo on Amazon
- Shubb Standard, about $27. Machined brass with a lever that locks over centre. Shubb says its rubber is made to press like a fingertip, so the strings are not bent over the fret and need no retuning. A lighter aluminium Shubb Lite is about $20. Shubb Standard capo on Amazon
- D’Addario Pro Plus, about $30. D’Addario says the pad on its arm copies the way a finger frets a string, so every string rings with little pressure, and that it suits flat classical fingerboards as well. D’Addario Pro Plus capo on Amazon
Headphone amps
These plug straight into the guitar’s jack and feed your headphones, with amp sounds built in. They are the answer to practising in a flat at midnight.
Fender’s site turns away automated visits, so its figures here come from the Internet Archive’s recent copies of Fender’s own pages.
- Fender Mustang Micro, about $110. The one from our 2022 list, still on Fender’s store: 12 amp models, 12 effect combinations, Bluetooth audio for playing along and four hours a charge. The saved copy showed it on sale at about $100. Fender Mustang Micro on Amazon
- Fender Mustang Micro Plus, about $130. For $20 more Fender lists 25 amps and 25 effects, 100 preset slots you can edit in the Fender Tone app, a built-in tuner and a small display. That is the one to buy new. Fender Mustang Micro Plus on Amazon
- Boss Katana:GO, about $140 at dealers. Boss lists 10 guitar amp types, more than 60 effects, a separate bass mode, a tuner on its display and up to five hours of battery. Boss says its Stage Feel function gives a more immersive sound in headphones. Three US dealers had it at the same price. Boss Katana:GO on Amazon
Wireless systems
A transmitter in the guitar and a receiver in the amp replace the cable. The figures to compare are range, delay and battery.
- Positive Grid Spark LINK, about $150. Positive Grid states a 70-foot range (a little over 20 metres), delay under 3 milliseconds and six hours a charge. It is the only one of the three with a maker’s price, and the lowest. Positive Grid Spark LINK on Amazon
- Xvive U2, about $155 at dealers. Also from the 2022 list and still on Xvive’s site: 70 feet, 5 milliseconds and five hours. The dealer price we found was for a listing that was out of stock, so expect to shop around. Xvive U2 on Amazon
- Boss WL-20, about $220 at dealers. Shorter range at 50 feet (15 metres) in line of sight, but the lowest stated delay at 2.3 milliseconds and up to 12 hours of battery. Boss also makes a WL-20L for guitars with active pickups or a preamp. Boss WL-20 on Amazon
Smart amps and practice tools
A smart amp is a practice amp run from a phone app. Positive Grid’s Spark app is the reason to buy one: the maker says its Smart Jam feature builds a backing track for you and Auto Chords shows the chords of a song as it plays.
- Positive Grid Spark GO, about $150. Five watts, 346 grams, up to eight hours on its battery, and 33 amps and 43 effects in the app. It doubles as a Bluetooth speaker and a USB recording interface. Positive Grid Spark GO on Amazon
- Positive Grid Spark 2, about $350. The 50-watt version for a room, with a looper built in for recording a part and playing over it. It runs from the mains unless you add the $79 battery, which Positive Grid rates at up to 12 hours. Positive Grid Spark 2 on Amazon
- D’Addario Pro-Winder, about $13. Not smart at all. It is a string winder with a cutter and a bridge-pin puller built in, and D’Addario says it fits almost any guitar. D’Addario Pro-Winder on Amazon
The cheapest practice tool is still a phone. Our guide to guitar learning apps compares ten of them on what is free and what the subscription costs.
What changed since 2022
The first version of this page listed five gadgets. Three are still sold and are above: the Snark ST-2, the Xvive wireless system and the Fender Mustang Micro.
- Pickmaster Plectrum Punch: shops still list it, but we could not find a maker’s own page to check it against, so it is out.
- Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light: a guitar, not an accessory. Traveler Guitar’s own store still sells the Ultra-Light Electric Deluxe at about $400.
Which to pick
- First gadget for any guitarist: the D’Addario Micro Headstock Tuner.
- Tuner that never needs a battery: the D’Addario Nexxus 360 Rechargeable, or the Boss TU-05.
- Capo: the Kyser Quick-Change in the version made for your guitar, or the Shubb Standard for the lever lock.
- Quiet practice: the Fender Mustang Micro Plus.
- No cable: the Positive Grid Spark LINK.
- One amp for home: the Positive Grid Spark GO if it must fit in a bag, the Spark 2 if it stays put.
Quick answers
What is the best clip-on guitar tuner for a beginner?
A plain, cheap one with a clear display. The D’Addario Micro Headstock Tuner at about $22 or the Snark ST-2 at about $23 does the job. Strobe tuners such as the Peterson are for setting up instruments.
What is the best headphone amp for guitar practice?
On the makers’ lists of features, the Fender Mustang Micro Plus at about $130 gives the most for the money: 25 amps, a tuner and a display. The Boss Katana:GO at about $140 adds a bass mode.
Is there a good wireless guitar system under $200?
Two here. The Positive Grid Spark LINK is about $150 from its maker and the Xvive U2 about $155 at dealers. Both state a 70-foot range.
Can a capo damage my guitar?
The thing to watch is pressure, since too much pulls the strings sharp. D’Addario’s capos let you set the tension, and Shubb says its design presses like a fingertip and does not bend the strings over the frets.
What are good gifts for guitar players under $50?
From this page: any of the clip-on tuners up to the TC Electronic, any of the four capos, or the D’Addario Pro-Winder at about $13.
Prices move, so confirm on the maker’s or dealer’s site before you pay.
