Guitar players love guitars. It’s a pretty simple formula, isn’t it? Few hobbies have quite so many options for gifts, but here we’ve compiled the best gifts for guitar players, ranging from the super practical to the humorous, from stocking stuffers to brand new guitars.
The Katana line from Boss is one of the best-received new amplifier products in a long time. We put the Boss Katana Artist 100 on our best amps under $1,000 list because it far exceeds expectations for a solid-state modeling amp and can hang with much more expensive offerings.
This Air model isn’t quite giggable at an optional max of 30 watts, but it does excel for at-home applications, in particular because of the wireless abilities. It will allow wireless playing for up to 12 hours on a charge, and has an automatic stand-by mode to conserve that battery life.
It’s also a fairly advanced modeling amplifier that can be used for recording, which basically makes it a wireless Yamaha THR10. Both are great options for the guitarist seeking a compact, easy-to-use practice and recording rig at home.
Guitarists have two favorite guitars: their number one guitar and their next guitar. If you’re looking for a gift to give a guitar player, it’s hard to go wrong with a new guitar.
If you’re looking for a slightly unconventional choice, consider the Electromatic Jet from Gretsch. While the brand is better known for their hollowbodies, their mid-range solid body offering is a very nicely appointed, well-built alternative to the Fenders and Gibsons out there. I especially like the Black Top Broad’Tron pickups, which are wide spectrum and detailed.
For pedalboard-using guitarists, a new pedal is always appreciated as a gift. Especially if that pedal is a really, really nice example of the effect. All Chase Bliss pedals are nice examples of their respective effects, and the Warped Vinyl is no different.
We went into detail as to why on our best chorus and flanger pedals post, but the short version is that it sounds amazing and has a wealth of controls to make the most of it. It’s quite a robust unit, as well.
Okay, sometimes introducing a guitar into everyday functions is somewhat cliche and forced, but it works best when something about guitars is well-suited to the object in question. In this case, a wooden cutting board makes perfect sense to be formed into the shape of a guitar.
For one thing, the Stratocaster body type offers enough surface area to make a competent cutting board, while the wood look certainly follows on from the fact that guitars are indeed made of wood. I also think it just looks quite good as a piece for your home. This will be great for wine and cheese nights, but can also function normally in any kitchen for less glamorous tasks.
I recieved one of these made by a local merchant a few Christmases ago and I really love it. I use it as my daily keychain, which means I always have picks on me for when I pop into a guitar shop and want to try a guitar I probably won’t buy.
This handy little holder can hold two or three picks, depending on the thickness you prefer, and has a durable snap to hold them in place. It’s a nice piece to hold, too, so it makes a perfect everyday carry item.
You can also consider some of the best guitar picks to include with this, as well.
In my experience, being a guitarist requires plenty of coffee. Whether that’s because gigs run late (usually on weeknights) and you still need to be functional the next day or because you’re mixing recordings and the lines on the screen are starting to blur together.
This mug loudly proclaims that 24 ounces of coffee is akin to standing in front of a dimed Marshall JCM800. It isn’t, but for all the times you’re stuck doing something that isn’t playing through a loud amp, this mug will make a fine aesthetic stand-in.
Socks with designs on them are easy gifts to give for the right person. If that person is a guitarist, consider these relatively subtle socks from Foot Traffic. With a headstock clearly modeled after a Fender Stratocaster, the frets and strings complete the design down to the toe. I like the detail of the pick held in the strings, too.
Leo Fender’s contribution to guitar design cannot be understated. So many of his ideas became the defacto standard for guitar building, particularly in a relatively low-cost way. These patents refer back to those patents, which have been so widely emulated over the years.
There are four prints in this set, depicting the iconic Stratocaster, Telecaster, Precision Bass, and a Jazzmaster/Jaguar hybrid of some variety. The frames aren’t included, but the prints still make a nice gift. There’s a set for Gibson guitars, too.
Some guitarists will tell you that multiple guitars of different types are necessary for capturing the essence of certain songs. That’s especially true when recording; double-tracking guitar takes sounds much better when each track is played on a different guitar with complementary tone to round out the sound.
All that aside, the simple desire to own many different types of guitars is a good enough reason to gift this shirt. If you know a guitarist with a room full of different rock machines, this makes a great gift.
For classical or fingerstyle players, it’s helpful to have a stool or something to rest a foot on in order to elevate the leg holding the guitar. If you know a guitarist who has been making do with a normal stool, you could upgrade their experience with this purpose-built foot rest.
It achieves two things the common stool does not: First, it folds completely flat, which makes transportation to the gig much easier. Second, it’s adjustable to five different heights. Non-slip feet and a top rubber pad complete the piece.
Part guitar-focused decor and part guitar-focused daily utility, this is a key holder designed to look like the front of a number of different amplifiers. I know that just inside the door of my home is a bowl with a pile of keys in it, which is neither very functional nor aesthetically pleasing and it definitely wants for something to do with guitars.
There are four input jacks into which four TRS-style connectors fit, which are included. That has the added benefit of not only adding a neat amplifier-looking item to the home, but also a guitar cable connector to four sets of keys.
In addition to this Orang Amps homage, there is one resembling amps from Vox, Fender (in black and tweed versions), and Marshall, as well as a seafoam green and a paisley option. You could also get a Fender licensed model, too.
The thing I love about the String Swing is that it accomplishes three things. 1. It holds your guitar safely. 2. It turns those guitars into wall art that you can look at all the time. 3. It moves your guitar up off the floor and away from pets and children.
I use these for all of my guitars, which allows me to lovingly stare at them while I’m doing other things, but also to randomly pull them off the wall for a few minutes of playing at any given moment. They’re robust units that are easy to install and look great in most rooms.
The basic premise of a capo is that it allows you to change song keys but retain the use of open position chord shapes. The most popular ones are probably the quick clamp offerings from Kyser and Shubb, both of which are very durable and work great.
This capo takes a slightly different approach. The SpiderCapo allows for exotic tunings, playing behind the capo, and a virtually unlimited library of new chords. Strings can be optionally held down in any position you would place a normal capo, which makes this an interesting creative and compositional tool.
If the guitarist in your life spends more time at a desk (like me) than actually playing guitar, you can help remind them that at the end of the work day, the guitar will be waiting for you. This pen and pencil holder is simple but effective, with a nice gunmetal finish and hardware construction.
It measures 4.75 inches wide by 5.25 inches tall and 2.5 inches deep. It would certainly be an upgrade over the pile of pens I just have loose on my desk right now.
It is the opinion of your humble correspondent that every guitarist should have an Ebow. They’re just fun little toys that can quickly become serious compositional or recording tools.
How these work is that they generate a magnetic field that vibrates the string as long as you hold it in place. This can be used to create swells, mimic bowed strings, woodwinds, and more. It’s excellent for layering and ambiance and just for playing guitar in a new way.
Every guitarist should learn how to maintain their guitars. For one thing, a set up costs $50 when done at the local guitar shop, which are increasingly harder to find in the first place. For another, regular maintenence keeps guitars in better shape overall and can protect an investment in a really nice guitar. Lastly, setting up your own guitar means you can set everything to your exact preferences.
To accomplish all that, a few tools go a long way. This Ernie Ball toolkit provides those tools, including a variety of hex tools, a ruler, a screwdriver, wirecutters, a string winder, cleaning wipes, and a polish cloth. That’s everything you need for intonation and string height adjustments and basic string changes and cleaning.
Whether you gift the toolkit on this list or not, a guitarist doing their own maintenance can also benefit from this practical gift. When working on a guitar, laying it down on a flat surface is unavoidable, but it doesnt’ offer the best access to actually perform the work. This all-cork neck rest props the guitar up off the work surface while safely cradling it and preventing any damage.
This is good for the back of the neck, of course, but also very beneficial for Les Paul players for whom the headstock angle could quickly result in a costly repair just from a string change.
You could pair this with the Mr. Power Guitar Work Mat to protect the body of the guitar and your work surface, as well.
This shirt works on two levels: First, either the guitarist in question plans to parlay their playing skills into riches on which they can retire, which is good motivation to practice. Or second, finding time to actually sit and strum a guitar without other cares interrupting them during retirement.
Both of these are worthwhile goals and every guitarist should consider one or the other. This shirt is available in six sizes and is made of 90% cotton and 10% polyester.
Guitarists are, naturally, inspired by guitar heroes through the ages, which in turn might inspire the choice to play a certain type of guitar. This book bridges the gap between those heroes and their guitars of choice, detailing elements of their playing and tone, respectively.
I like the minimalist approach of this guitar-themed everyday item, which pairs two Strat-style shakers in a configuration that looks kind of like a real guitar holder. I like that it’s obviously a guitar, but not too garish to fit on most tables, even if they otherwise lack a guitar theme.
The choice to use clear polycarbonate means that you could, in theory, fill these with other food-grade shakeables if you wanted different colored guitars for your kitchen, as well.
Every practice space and recording room needs a few (preferably retro-styled) signs for decor. They liven up the look of the place and can also pay homage to the brands making your music possible. Since Fender is likely to be one of them, this handsome sign depicting a Fiesta Red Stratocaster a Twin Reverb makes a great gift for those who love these things.
The sign is made of metal and come with pre-drilled holes for hanging. It measures 11.75 inches in diameter, which is a generous size, particularly for the price. There are six different Fender-related options to choose from, but this is, to my mind, the cleanest design of them all.
Like the key holder on this list, this clock is designed to look like a tweed amplifier, using elements from real amplifiers. The time markers are made of brads that would hold down the tolex on an amplifier, which incidentally is also present as the tweed (or black, depending on the style you choose). Real speaker cloth is used for the front face, as is a metal nameplate.
Honestly, I think this looks great as a clock in either the tweed or black guise, regardless of whether you know it’s supposed to evoke an amplifier. Few wall clocks have this kind of subtle and cohesive styling these days, and this will certainly complement a rehearsal space or guitar room nicely.
Acoustic guitar players have to be conscious of their instruments drying out in the winter, which can be prevented with the use of one of these simple devices. A guitar humidifier hangs on the strings into the sound hole of an acoustic guitar, slowly releasing moisture that the wood then absorbs, which keeps it from cracking and warping in the long run.
This particular humidifier works by suspending a sponge inside the plastic holder. As long as the spong is moist, water is being slowly released inside the guitar. There are other variations on this idea, such as the Dampit and the high-capacity Oasis OH-5 Plus+, if you prefer.
These make great stocking stuffers, or to pair with giving an acoustic guitar as a gift to help protect the investment.
A great stocking stuffer, Fingerease is certainly not necessary, but for those playing marathon studio sessions or embarking on long tours, it can be a nice addition to the arsenal. While all guitar players who play even semi-regularly will build up callouses that eventually stop hurting after playing, that does nothing to alleviate the squawk strings make when sliding those callouses over the wound strings.
If this is particularly annoying, and it can be in studio situations, Fingerease helps solve that problem by adding a Teflon-like coating to any set of strings. In addition, it can make changes quite a bit faster and could be used to ease the pain of learning for beginner guitarists. I use it occasionally because I’m a fan of heavier gauge strings, including a wound fourth, and I like the improvement in speed.
Even if the guitarist on your list never sets foot on stage, an amp stand is a nice addition to any setup. There are a number of benefits to moving your amp off the floor, from aesethetic to practical.
Sound-wise, moving an amp to a stand helps isolate resonant bass that can travel along the floor and get picked up in microphones as rumble. Speaking of microphones, stands can make it easier to place mics on the speaker cones, as well. Aesthetically, the amp stand looks a bit better than sitting directly on the ground.
The 176 pound weight capacity is more than enough for just about any gigging amp or practice combo, while the solid bar in the front means that it can host a wide variety of amp sizes. That’s in contrast to the On-Stage RS7000 amp stand, which I quite like for many reasons, but has a minimum amp size.
