If you don’t play the guitar yourself, it can be hard to know what kind of gift to get a guitar player. Whenever I’m shopping for someone, I prefer to get them something they need over something they want. At the same time, I want it to be something fun that they will excited about. Here are some essential guitar gifts that all guitar players really do need and will be sure to use.
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ESSENTIAL ITEMS UNDER $25
1. Guitar Capo
All guitar players need a guitar capo. So if the person you are buying a gift for doesn’t have one, this is a great place to start. Before you buy a capo, be sure to find out the TYPE of guitar the capo will be used on.
There are three main types of guitars:
- Electric Guitars
- Acoustic Steel String Guitars
- Nylon String Classical Guitars
You may need to ask them what type of guitar they have.
Guitar Capo for Electric Guitars & Acoustic Steel String Guitars:
The Economical Choice: Dunlop Acoustic Trigger Capo, Curved, Black
This is the capo I have all of my students get prior to taking lessons because it’s affordable and works great for the price which is usually under $15 on Amazon. I have a tendency to misplace capos and find myself using the same one for my own gigs without a problem.
A Guitar Capo They Will LOVE: Dunlop Victor Capo, Curved
The Dunlop Victor Capo is only about $5 more than the 83CB and allows you to control how hard the capo is clamped down. This allows for better intonation so you don’t have to re-tune every time you put the capo on making it a great guitar gift.
Guitar Capo for Nylon String Classical Guitars: Shubb C2 Nickel Capo for Nylon String Guitar
Nylon String, or classical guitars have a flat fingerboard, so they need a special capo. The one that I use is the Shubb C2 Nickel Capo for Nylon String Guitar. They are relatively inexpensive (about $15), and mine has lasted me for years. There are more expensive Shubb options out there, but I have been happy with this one and haven’t felt like I’ve needed to spend more.
2. Guitar Strap
A guitar strap can help make it easier for a guitar player to use the correct holding position. It also and helps the guitar feel more secure. When choosing a guitar strap, you really can’t go wrong. However, below are a few of my favorites that make great guitar gifts.
Guitar Strap with a Pick Holder
NEUMA Guitar Strap with Leather Ends and Pick Pocket, 3 Picks Included, Ideal for Electric Acoustic Bass Guitar and Ukulele, (Brown)
My younger guitar students LOVE guitar straps with pick holders. It is fun to watch how happy it makes them to grab a pick part way through a song.
Leather Guitar Strap
Perris Leathers Guitar Strap
There are quite a few leather guitar straps out there under $25. I have several and they’ve never worn out. This Perris Leathers Guitar Strap seems to beat out the competition in quality.
Guitar Straps & Artwork too
Levy’s Leathers Polyester Guitar Strap Sublimation-Printed with original artist’s Design, Genuine Leather Ends
Guitar straps can be a great way to show your own personal style. Levy’s straps allow you to do that. Here is one of my favorite, but they have many designs.
3. Guitar Picks
Guitar picks come in all different shapes, sizes and thickness. Each variable makes the pick harder or easier to use or sound different. As general rule, guitar picks that are thinner are easier to play, but don’t sound as loud or clear. The thicker the pick, the better the sound.
For the Beginner
Fender Premium Picks Sampler – 24 Pack Includes Thin, Medium & Heavy Gauges
Beginner guitar players probably don’t know what type of pick they like. This is why I recommend that you get them a variety of Thin, Medium & Heavy Gauges.
My Favorite Pick
Dunlop Tortex Pitch Black Jazz III, 1.14mm, 12/Player’s Pack
This is my go-to pick. I like that it’s inexpensive, small and thick. At my last guitar recital, I gave them out as guitar gifts and most of my students have found that they also prefer this pick over others.
A Bone or Horn Pick
US Blues T3-GripEX Samplers Grip Exotic Trilogy Bone/Horn Guitar Picks
These picks are made from Buffalo Bone, Black Horn & Amber Horn. The bone and horns are obtained from animals which are brought to abattoir for human consumption. They do not come from where the animal has been killed for its horn or bone. The tone you get from one of these picks is incredible and they make for a great guitar gift.
4. Guitar Care Kit
Dunlop 6500 System 65 Guitar Maintenance Kit
I bought this for myself last Christmas and have loved using it. All of my guitars, both electric and acoustic look and sound better because of it.
5. A Guitar Tuner
Fender Clip-On Tuner FT-004
This is the tuner that I have started recommending to all of my new students. It is inexpensive and easy to use. Phones often have free tuner apps, but they require the room to be quiet. When you have a clip on tuner, you can have noise in the room or other instruments playing and the tuner will still work.
Some Favorites under $100
For the Rock Star
VOX Amplug 2 Lead
All you need is this unit and some headphones and you’ve got all the special effects and tones you need to play guitar without bothering anyone around you. The amplug can also be connected to a guitar amp or other speakers which improves the sounds coming from the amp. I’ll admit, I haven’t tried this one out before. However, the reviews are great and I’m planning to pick one up for my son this Christmas so he can play his electric guitar at night once his little brother has already gone to bed.
Full Grain Leather Guitar Strap
Anthology Gear The Reticent Full Grain Leather Guitar Strap For Electric, Acoustic, and Bass Guitars – (Aged Steel)
A soft, high quality leather guitar strap can’t be beat. Even if your guitar player already has a guitar strap, they would be crazy not to swap it out for something this nice.
Don’t Forget about Guitar Lessons!
A guitar is useless if you don’t know how to play it. I get a lot of phone calls from parents, grandparents and spouses looking to give their guitar player the gift of guitar lessons. You can always start by checking out some of my first guitar lesson tutorials like The First Seven Songs I Teach All Of My Beginning Guitar Students, or Easy Songs For Guitar Using Chords G, C & D7. Better yet, sign up with your local guitar instructor and show this music to them so they can help walk you through the lessons.
