DUNLOP MAX GRIP NYLON PICKS

One of the coolest picks to come along in a while, this spin on the time-honored Dunlop Nylon feels, plays, and sounds great. It features a subtle but effective grip area and comes in a variety of thicknesses. Jimmy Dunlop explains: “The grip is the obvious thing, but we also looked at the beveled edges, the tip, and the shape for a truly balanced pick.” $5.43 retail for a pack of 12. jimdunlop.com—Matt Blackett

MOTU ZBOX

Amp modelers offer convenience and increasingly accurate sound, but for many their “feel” remains lacking. The ZBox ($39 street) deals with this issue by matching the output impedance (“Z”) of the guitar to the input impedance of amplifiers, mixers, effects processors, etc.. Its circuits emulate the two-jack switching network in some guitar amps, and employ an analog simulation of the input tube grid. I found it added immediacy and natural sag to the response of AmpliTube and Guitar Rig. So if you haven’t been feeling your modeling software, this may be the answer. motu.com — Michael Ross

SNARK SN-1 CLIP-ON CHROMATIC TUNER

The Snark SN-1 ($19 street) clips onto the headstock and features a 360-degree swiveling head that makes it easy to see the multi-color LCD screen. The SN-1 has a pitch reference range of 415Hz to 466Hz, and it includes a Transpose function, a visual metronome, and a power saving feature that turns the unit off if no notes are detected for two minutes. snarktuners.com—Art Thompson

MUSIC NOMAD THE GUITAR ONE AND SUPER SOFT MICROFIBER SUEDE POLISHING CLOTH

One-stop shopping for guitar cleaning, polishing, waxing, and protecting, the Guitar ONE ($10.99 retail) is a biodegradable, ecofriendly way to get a “show perfect” shine in one easy step. Armed with their microfiber cloth ($6.99 retail), I sprayed a particularly grungy guitar, applied some elbow grease, and voila! It was gleaming. The stuff even smells nice too. musicnomadcare.com—Matt Blackett