Buying a gift for someone that plays guitar? Without playing this instrument yourself, it could be difficult to know exactly what types of gifts to buy. Sure, you can purchase them a new guitar or a new amp – but these can be expensive gifts that a guitarist themselves is likely to want to have more of a hand in choosing. Practical accessories and fun guitar-themed novelty gifts can often be a cheaper and safer option. Below are just a few gift ideas for guitarists that could strike a chord.
Practical gifts for guitarists
Guitar care kit
Help them to maintain their guitar by buying them a guitar care kit. These kits come with various small accessories for helping to look after their instrument. Some are designed for guitar cleaning and contain items like varnishes, brushes and swabs. Others are designed for repairs and contain items like spare strings, nuts, allen keys and screwdrivers. Such gifts could be particularly useful for guitar collectors who may want to preserve their guitars in pristine condition. However, your everyday guitar owner may still appreciate this gift. Compare different kits and their contents online.
Capo
A capo is a small clamp device that attaches to the fretboard of the guitar. It changes the open string key of the guitar and can make it easier to play chords at a higher key without having to rely on complex barre chords. What is the best type of capo to buy? Most capos will provide the same function, but some are likely to be more durable or are easier to attach. Shubb, G7th and Ernie Ball are a few notable manufacturers. It’s worth reading capo comparison guides such as this one https://www.musicradar.com/news/best-guitar-capos to help you choose the right capo.
Guitar slide
A guitar slide is a small metal cylinder that a guitarist can wear on their finger. When sliding this cylinder up and down the fretboard, it can create a distinct ‘glissando’ effect. Guitar slides are heavily used in blues music but can be used in other genres too. This could be a fun alternative accessory to buy for a guitarist. Slides are typically very cheap and so are ideal as a small gift for a friend or a stocking filler. You can compare different options online at sites like https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/best-guitar-slides.
Personalised plectrum
A plectrum or ‘pick’ is the small piece of plastic/metal/wood used to pluck the strings when playing guitar. There are many different plectrum designs that guitarists can choose from. This includes custom plectrums that can have a name or photo printed on them. A personalized plectrum could be a fun bespoke gift for someone who plays guitar – it could contain their name printed on it, or a photo that’s meaningful to them. There are sites online that can produce these for you.
Personalized guitar strap
Another personalized gift option to consider could be a personalized guitar strap. Guitar straps allow guitarists to play standing up without having to hold the body of the guitar up. Straps come in all different materials and colors, which you can explore online. A custom strap could make for a fun and unique option. This could be a strap with their name printed on it, or even a strap with a custom band logo printed on if they play in a band. There are sites online that specialize in these custom straps.
Drum machine
Drum machines are fun tools that can allow musicians to digitally compose their own beats. They can be useful when recording songs or practicing songs. They can also be used in live settings as an alternative to using a live drummer. You can find top quality drum machines such as this one https://www.singularsound.com/products/beatbuddy online. If you’re buying a gift on a tight budget, there are some cheaper more basic drum machines that you can also choose from. You could even consider buying them a drum machine software subscription.
Electronic tuner
When it comes to tuning a guitar, an electronic tuner can be a handy gadget to have. These small devices can tell you whether the strings of a guitar are in tune – telling you to tune up or down if necessary. Some tuners are designed to be used with a variety of different instruments, while others are purely designed for tuning guitars. You can shop around for tuning devices online. Experienced guitarists are likely to already have a tuner, so this is typically a better suited gift for beginners.
Guitar stand
Guitar stands come in all different shapes. This includes basic A-frames for holding a single guitar, larger guitar stands with arms to hold the neck and even racks for storing multiple guitars. Basic stands for single guitars can be quite cheap and are a good gift for a new guitarist. More elaborate multi-guitar stands may be better for guitar collectors or serious guitarists. This guide at https://www.colemansmusic.com.au/blogs/blog/ delves more into the different types of guitar stands to help you choose the right one.
Guitar case
For transporting a guitar safely, a decent guitar case is often a necessity. You can buy ‘soft cases’ (which are more like bags) and ‘hard cases’ (which offer more protection against things like airport baggage handling). Such cases can be made from all kinds of material from leather to metal, and also come in all kinds of colors and patterns. It’s worth taking the time to compare different styles when buying one as a gift so that you can find the best suited one. It’s worth noting that some cases have shoulder straps to make them easier to carry and pockets for placing accessories or music books.
Tabs booklet
While some guitarists prefer to read traditional sheet music, tabs are the most popular way of reading music for a guitar. There are many booklets that you can buy containing tabs for various songs. These could be a great gift for a guitar player who is eager to learn new materials. When choosing a guitar tabs booklet, try to choose a booklet containing songs that they are likely to enjoy learning. You can find booklets online that cater to certain genres or even booklets containing songs by a single artist.
Fun novelty gifts for guitarists
Music stickers
Some gifts are less practical for guitar playing but can still be fun and thoughtful. Music stickers are popular gifts for teens – these could include stickers containing certain band logos or stickers of certain musicians. Such stickers can be stuck on guitar cases or amps. You can find cheap stickers online themed around various bands and musicians.
Guitar coffee spoon
Buying a gift for a guitarist who also loves coffee? A stainless-steel coffee spoon shaped like a guitar could be the perfect novelty gift for appealing to both of their passions. You can find these spoons online. They’re cheap and are certain to be a memorable gift.
Guitar bottle opener
If beer is more their thing, a guitar shaped bottle opener could be another option. You’ll find a few of these novelty bottle openers online. Some are keyrings, while others take the form of fridge magnets. Decide which type of bottle opener your recipient is most likely to appreciate.
Guitar cufflinks
Guitar-shaped cufflinks are a fun accessory for formal occasions. These could take the form of small metal guitars or more detailed color guitars. You can also buy cufflinks shapes like plectrums or even amp knobs. Such cufflinks vary in price depending on the material – the most expensive are likely to be those made from silver or those containing gems.
Guitar earrings
A great gift for someone that plays guitar and wears earrings could be a pair of guitar-shaped earrings. Whether they’re guitar-shaped studs or guitar-shaped pendants, they’re certain to make an impression. As with cufflinks, such earrings can vary in price depending on the material.
Guitar-shaped chopping board
If you’re buying for someone who plays guitar and loves to cook, a great way to combine both of these passions could be to buy a guitar-shaped chopping board. These are literally wooden boards shaped like guitars. Compare different guitar-shaped chopping boards online.
Guitar clock
There are a few clocks that you can buy that incorporate guitar themes. This includes clocks shaped like guitars and even clocks with small guitar-shaped hands. Some of these are wall clocks while others are tabletop clocks. Consider whether one of these clocks could be a fun gift.
Guitar posters
There are a few different guitar-themed posters that can be great for someone who loves playing guitar. This includes posters of famous guitarists or posters with images of specific guitars. You can even buy informational posters that label different types of famous guitars. There are many sites online that sell posters where you can peruse different poster designs.
Guitar t-shirt
Finally, there are many guitar-themed shirts that you can look into online. This includes wild button-up shirts that are covered in guitars and more simple black tees with a guitar in the center of the chest. T-shirts are often a safe gift – just make sure that you buy one in the right size.
Leave a Reply