Holiday Gift Guide For Guitarists

By Martine Ehrenclou

Gifts for guitarists and guitar enthusiasts are easier to find than you might think. Here are some of my top picks for gifts that guitar players will actually use. Many items are practical and are used by guitarists all the time, and others are just pretty cool. One or two are just for fun. You can’t go wrong with these. You might not think of them right away when looking for holiday gifts for guitar enthusiasts or professional players.

There are a couple of options for you here with strings that are most often used. If the guitarist gigs, it’s a must to have a pack of guitar strings handy in case a string breaks. Changing guitar strings on a regular basis is also important as fresh or fairly new strings just sound better. Guitarists usually have guitar strings around so you can’t go wrong with these.

Elixer guitar strings are a personal favorite for the acoustic guitar. They sound great and some guitarists think you don’t have to change them as frequently.

D’Addario strings are commonly used by many guitarists. Personally, I use the D’Addario on my electric guitars.

Guitar players are on an endless pursuit of guitar tone. We shop for new guitars, pedals, and amps to find that perfect tone that hits on all cylinders. Check out this book that’s not only entertaining but filled with practical tips. This is a great gift for yourself or other guitarists.

You might not think that guitar cloths are a necessary item. A guitar cloth is essential to maintain the guitar and prolong the life of the instrument. It’s designed specifically for guitars and instruments. They’re used for cleaning and general maintenance of acoustic and electric guitars to clean pickups, the body of the guitar, and strings. Most are made from microfibers to pick up dirt and dust, are free of lint, and safe to use on any type of guitar with any finish.

Guitar players who stand while playing, know that it’s essential to use a guitar strap. You might think that straps are all the same, but they’re not. Some are plush leather that feel nice over the shoulder, and others are made of different materials. Some guitars are heavier than others and that affects players’ shoulders and bodies. Some guitar straps come with locks. For those that don’t, you can buy locks separately. This prevents the strap from pulling away from the guitar button and falling to the floor.

For guitarists who live in apartments or have neighbors close by, a mini practice amp is essential. Many sound great at low volumes and can be very affordable. Even if neighbors aren’t close by, a mini practice amp is lightweight and portable. You might think that a small amp might sound terrible. Some do, but these two are pretty decent. The Orange Micro Terror was a holiday gift to me. And I am ever so grateful.

I use these guitar wall hangers myself. I have several guitars hanging on the wall, making it easy to grab one to play. For home or studio, these guitar wall hangers free space on the floor, which if you have a few guitars, they are a no-brainer. Plus guitars look great hanging on the wall. They’re easy to install too. 3-packs are popular because many of us have more than one guitar.

Jamming when inspiration strikes might be in the middle of the night while everyone is asleep. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Professional Studio Monitor headphones are top-rated studio headphones that offer a big bang for the buck that you can plug into your amp, monitors and more. For a very reasonable price, these headphones offer good and balanced audio. They’re lightweight and have padded ear cups. If you live with a guitar player, perhaps these actually might be a gift to you.