We’ve all been there: A holiday or birthday is coming up you still haven’t gotten that little something for that guitarist in your life.
This year, skip the candy and lottery tickets and hook-up the guitar player in your life with a gift they’ll appreciate and actually use. Below is a quick list of rocking gifts that should be available at the last-minute and will be a welcome addition to any guitar player’s gear collection!
Guitar Picks
Some guitarists can be pretty particular about their guitar pick choices, but in a pinch, most of us will use just about whatever pick we can get our fingers on. If you can find out your guitarist’s gauge of choice, a pack or two of picks will be a very welcome gift. Maybe even a guitar pick sampler! Regardless of the gauge, many guitarists like to have a variety of picks around to achieve different sounds, so whatever you choose will come in handy at some point.
A Stand
Leaning guitars against amps or couches is a dicey situation at best. You never know when the rogue roommate or pet is going to send it toppling over. Make things a little more secure for your favorite guitarist with a guitar stand. There are several types, whether you choose the standard tripod/yolk stand or a compact folding stand, the recipient will be sure to appreciate having a solid place to put their favorite guitar.
A New Guitar Strap
If you’re going to stand and play guitar, it’s pretty simple: you need a strap. There are plenty of choices here, so you can really get personal with your gifting. Are they more of a woven, or a leather type of person? Maybe they’d like a strap emblazoned with their favorite VanGogh or Dali painting? There’s literally a guitar strap out there for everyone, and plenty of companies even make custom straps if you want to get personal with it. Regardless, opening up a cool new strap will bring holiday joy to any guitarist.
Instrument Cables
Honestly, a guitarist can never have too many cables. You never know when you’ll need a backup, and cables of different lengths can be useful for different situations. A 10′ or 15′ cable is great for using around the house, but a 20′ or 25′ cable can really come in handy on stage. Also, a pack of patch cables or “pedal coupler” cables will go a long way with the guitarist who’s trying to figure out their optimal pedalboard setup. Some instrument cables even come with a lifetime guarantee. It’s hard to go wrong with a gift like that.
Let’s face it: sometimes when you’re down to the wire, a gift certificate can be your saving grace. And what guitarist wouldn’t want some free money toward that dream guitar, a new pedal, or the guitar lessons they’ve been putting off? Getting the guitarist in your life a gift certificate to their favorite store or site will surely put you on the “nice list.”
A Guitar Slide
A slide is the secret weapon of many-a-guitarist. It’s easy to get the hang of using them, they come in a variety of styles like metal, glass bottleneck and bone, and they can create some pretty interesting sounds. Conveniently, they’re pretty inexpensive and small, so they make the perfect last-minute gift. The unsuspecting guitarist in your life will be all smiles when they pull a cool new slide out of their stocking.
Strings
There is no more important part of the guitar formula than guitar strings – they are the part that actually makes the sound! The guitarist in your life will always need some eventually, much like picks, can be somewhat dependent on a guitar player’s individual preferences of gauge and type. So, if you’re able, you may want to see what their favorite set of strings is before buying too many. However, strings are pretty inexpensive, and sometimes it’s nice to have a variety on-hand or plenty of backups for when you inevitably break one.
Tools
Often overlooked, always under-appreciated until you need them, tools are a must-have for any serious guitar player. Whether you’re changing strings, keeping your guitar fresh, adjusting the height of your pickups, a set of tools is an invaluable asset. Any music shop worth its salt will carry a simple guitar tool set, usually consisting of a string winder, string cutter, and some screwdrivers and wrenches sized for the most common guitar hardware. Hook-up your favorite guitar player with some tools and they’ll be thanking you every time they change their strings.
Daniel Butler is a writer for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer
