info
Top 7 Gifts for Guitarists
Need a gift for a guitarist? No idea what to buy the guitar playing person in your life? As a guitarist, I would love to receive any of the gifts below.
Strings…
Every guitarist needs strings and they always need changing. This is a present you can buy them for Christmas, Birthdays every year.
Try looking in their gig bag/guitar case to see what brand/gauge they prefer. If that’s not possible, look for some Ernie Ball strings; they’re the market leaders.
A set of Super Slinky strings is a great bet, but of course, we’re all different.
FYI, acoustic guitar strings are different from electric guitar strings so make sure you know. There are also different kind of strings for acoustic (steel string and nylon strings).
The best/easiest present you can buy for a guitar player.
Picks…
You can’t go wrong buying picks for a guitarist. Just like strings, they are always in need of replacement. Either check the brand/size they prefer, or go pick n’ mix at your local guitar store.
They come in all shapes and sizes, and guitarists are always losing them. Easy, cheap and a very good present.
Jim Dunlop make excellent picks, but there are literally thousands of brands available these days. You can go ultra high end with something from Etsy (solid silver £40) or do what normal people do and get something you don’t really mind losing.
Capo…
This device allows the player to change the pitch of all strings without touching the tuners. Very handy, great fun and very affordable. Stick to something by Kyser or G7th.
Avoid cheap capos, they carry a whole host of problems with them. They give uneven pressure (meaning one or more strings is muted), they’re not finished correctly (with sharp edges that scratch/dent guitar necks) or they don’t stay put.
This is one of those present where spending a few extra pounds makes a massive difference.
String Winder…
A great present to pair with strings. This clever device makes it much easier/quicker to change strings.
Many guitarists are still doing it manually with their hands and a pair of wire cutters. Don’t get me wrong that’s fine, but this is a tool that takes up a fraction of the space and just makes things easier.
It also doesn’t have any sharp/pointy edges to dent your lovely shiny guitar.
Get one with a built in string cutter, it makes things a lot easier. D’Addario Planet Waves make excellent winders, I’ve had mine for 20 years and it’s still going strong.
Guitar Polish…
Most guitarists want to keep their guitar looking nice and shiny. Polish and cloths are a great gift. You can buy kits for very little money.
You can buy cleaning products for both the body and the fretboard. Lemon Oil is very commonly used on the fretboard, whilst wax is used on the body.
As with most cleaning products (ever looked at the full range of car cleaning products available), there is a bewildering choice out there.
Gibson and Jim Dunlop make some great cleaning products, but I personally use Gerlitz Products. They’re not cheap, but they offer the very best products on the market.
Cables…
One of the pricier options on this list but DO NOT BUY CHEAP CABLES!! You’ve been warned.
Cheap cables can sound terrible and give poor connections. The last thing a guitarist needs is a) an intermittent connection mid-song b) their sound being choked by a cheap cable.
Cheap cables don’t last, and they cause so many problems it’s not even funny. Whilst a good quality cable costs only a little more and will last years.
Spend a little more for a good brand. D‘Addario Planet Waves make some excellent cables. My Planet waves cables are nearly 20 years old at this point and have never ever let me down.
You can buy them with cloth covering, but I would stick with plastic/rubber. The cloth covering looks great until it gets all filthy and gross. Saying that relic’d guitars (i.e. intentionally damaged) are a thing so maybe that could be the new trend.
Guitar Stand…
Every guitarist should have a stand. But beware, there are good ones and bad ones.
The good ones support the guitar from underneath, the bad ones hang it from the neck. The problem with the bad ones are they can be unstable and then fall over (completely negating the point of the stand in the first place).
Goliath make excellent stands, but the cheaper ones are generally okay as well.
If you really want to push the boat out, you can get stands that hold up to 14 (electric) guitars (by Goliath). I own one of these and would buy another in a heart beat (as it’s full). I don’t need any more guitars, but expect I will fill another of these up in the future 🙂
So, there you have it; seven great gifts for guitarists. If you’re not sure, go with the strings. Guitarists always need strings and you really can’t go wrong with those.