If you spend anything whatsoever on guitar accessories, you MUST get a guitar stand. Why? Well, if your guitar is always packed away in its case, you won't remember to practice. But if it's on a stand, it's always right there, handy, and ready to play. It's a psychological thing, but it's totally true. If you want to learn to play the guitar and get the most out of your lessons, buy a stand.

Having both a tuner and a metronome in a single package is a great help to stay in tune and in time. If you would rather get them separately, then I would still recommend Korg for tuners -- good quality and inexpensive.

A music stand will make sure that your music is always at eye level. I am not exactly crazy about this particular stand, but it is inexpensive. If you can afford to spend $30 or $40 then you can get a much nicer one.

Get these caps to go along with your gripmaster. These will speed up the process of building calluses on your fingertips and give you fingers of steel in no time. Worth every penny!

Fretboard conditioner is critical to ensure your guitar stays in good condition. You should use this every time you change your strings to prevent the wood on your fretboard from drying out (and ruining your guitar).

A string winder is inexpensive and will help you restring your instrument. I like this particular one because it is very cheap and also pulls out the bridge pins on acoustic guitars.

These are the electric guitar strings I use. I like the 9-46 gauge, and Ernie Ball strings seem to keep their "edge" longer than other brands I have tried in that they last longer without losing harmonic bite.

For younger students who need a smaller guitar to get started, a Dean JTJ is very affordable option. It comes in 1/2, 3/4, and 7/8 size.