In one of my favorite comedy bits, Chris Rock discusses how he hates it when his wife tries to set him up on “a grown man play date, where they shove you into a room and say, ‘He likes baseball, just like you!’”
This bit has stuck with me for years and always comes to mind when entering new social circles. Just substitute guitars (or cameras) for baseball, and you get an idea of the conversations I get nudged into.
People who like baseball are relatively easy to shop for around the holidays. There are a limited number of franchises (30) and team loyalty is usually determined geographically, so it’s easy to get a sports fan a gift that you’re pretty confident will be a hit.
Guitarists are just as passionate about their affinities, but it’s usually harder for their loved ones to shop for them — without help. Thankfully I’m here to help! Read on to learn more about what to (and more importantly what not to) buy for the guitarist(s) in your life!
Approach With Caution:
Before we get to the recommended purchases, let’s start with some of the gifts to avoid — unless you know 100% that something like this is the kind of cheesy humor your player enjoys.
T-Shirts
Now I’m a HUGE fan of cheesy T-shirts. I recently purchased a bunch of them, but since I bought them they reflect MY sense of humor. Shirts like these, these, and these certainly have their markets, but I am not in that market just because I play guitar. Ok, I take that back, option 2 is pretty funny — but I still wouldn’t buy it for someone as a gift.
T-shirts of someone’s favorite band are totally fair game, though, and since you know their sartorial style, you’re probably on safe ground. But avoid the clever shirts unless they have been specifically hinted at.
Novelty Items
There is no shortage of guitar-related novelty items out there. From kitchen utensils, to mugs, to desk accessories, if they can slap a guitar on it, they will.
When I’m cooking, I want to use tools that will help me cook, not show my allegiance to Fender or Gibson. When I’m drinking coffee, I want a vessel that will safely get coffee from the table to my face. When I’m at work, I honestly want to be able to choose what I share about my outside-of-work life, so I’d rather not be pressured into bringing in a guitar-shaped pen holder.
Picks & Strings
Players tend to be VERY particular when it comes to strings and picks. Whether it’s a 20 year-old habit or a preference that is due to their particular playing style and situation, strings and picks are very personal and the wrong gift will likely be a waste of money.
Now if you’re not above a little snooping, this topic changes greatly. If you can find the brand, style and gauge of their preferred strings, you can get them a great stocking stuffer or one of the 10-packs available online. Those make a really awesome gift for the player in your life.
For example, if my loved ones (hello family!) were looking for strings or picks for me this holiday season, they should look for D’Addario (brand) XL Nickel-Wound (style) 10s (gauge) for electric or D’Addario (brand) Phosphor Bronze (style) Extra-Light (gauge) for acoustic and Herco 75 Flex Picks.
So if you’re up for it, poke around their guitar case and see if you can find what they play. If you can, you’ll hit a home-run this holiday season (and you thought I’d moved on from baseball!).
Stocking Stuffers and Other Small Gifts
Now that I’ve given out a few cautionary tales about what not to buy and what to approach with caution, let’s jump into some sure-fire hits. Personally I love this Guitar Pick Holder and I have it on the back of the headstock of every guitar I own. I also have this Fender Strap Lock W/Button set on all of my instruments. I like this Fender set because it comes with replacement strap buttons. I trust the horseshoe shape of the strap portion of this system because it has gravity on its side in addition to the locking mechanism.
Magazine subscriptions are a holiday standby. Look into a subscription to Guitar World, Guitar Player or Premier Guitar. If your player really enjoys magazines, there are options through Amazon to bundle them together and save on the overall price.
If the musician in your life performs live, this Microphone Stand Pickholder is a great addition to their live setup. This, coupled with the previously recommended pick holder, will ensure that they have multiple sources of pick refills.
Guitar maintenance is another great area for gifts. If your player has acoustic instruments, a D’Addario Acoustic Guitar Humidifier is a great way for them to help keep their instruments properly maintained. The Music Nomad MN205 The Nomad String, Body, and Hardware Cleaning Tool is ideal for keeping guitars looking their best, and this String Winder and Cutter set is handy because it’s a one-stop restringing tool. That saves trips to the garage to hunt for wire-cutters. Adding in a Neck Cradle Maintenance Station will also make string changes and other routine maintenance that much easier. Finally, if your player’s guitar has complicated hardware like a Floyd Rose system (if you’ve never heard them complain about it, they probably don’t have one), an Ibanez Quick access multi tool is a must-have for their case.
There are a few other low-cost accessories worth mentioning. First, the Snark SN5X Clip-On Tuner for Guitar, Bass & Violin is a steal considering its versatility and small price tag. A slim, low-profile stand like this Folding A-Frame Stand for Acoustic and Electric Guitars is a useful addition for both gigs and home playing. Couplers like these are a great way to save real estate on any pedal board setup.
Finally, there is the Shubb Guitar Capo. In my opinion, these are the top capos out there and every player who ever uses a capo should have one in every guitar case. Speaking of capos, while I don’t recommend this as a capo, I do think that this Smartphone Capo is a handy way for people who are learning on smartphone-based platforms to be able to keep one eye on their lessons and one eye on their playing.
Larger Price Tag Gifts
Speaking of smartphones and guitars, an iRig 2 Guitar Interface Adaptor is a great way for a player to advance their learning without disturbing the neighborhood. If your player is not smartphone-savvy, an order (or two) of Soundproofing Foam Bevel Tiles are handy for dampening their rehearsal space and providing relief for everyone else in the household. If your player is dabbling in home recording, it’s pretty easy for them to do so quietly for most instruments — except for vocals. This Portable & Foldable Sound Absorbing Vocal Recording Panel is a helpful way to dampen vocals while tracking without negative impacts on the recorded sound.
If your player is a fan of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, or any other singer-songwriter who makes frequent use of the harmonica, an entry level Harmonica & Harmonica Holder is a great way for them to take their playing to the next level. Fun fact: My father used to practice with this kind of setup while driving in the 70s and 80s, long before hands-free was the law of the land.
Speaking of practice, this Digital Metronome + Pitch Generator is a handy tool for any player. The metronome will challenge them to play to a click and not just to feel. The pitch generator also helps them practice tuning by ear rather than rely on a digital tuner. If your player is looking for a challenge, an EBow will allow them to explore highly affected pickless playing.
Back to novelties, I will say that I think that this Wall mounted guitar amp key holder is a fun way to organize the household’s keys, although if your player is not a Marshall fan this might not be for them!
Thanks for checking out my recommended gifts for guitarists. If you’re looking for more recommendations, please check out the following recommendation pages: