1. Editor's pick
2. Books and lessons
3. Accessories
4. Cases & bags
5. Pedals/'boards
6. Amps
7. Guitars
8. Tech
9. Merch/Clothing
10. DIY kits
11. Last minute ideas
12. Where to shop
We're fully aware of how fussy musicians can be when receiving gifts. We're guilty of taking our musical equipment a little too seriously – and most of us aren’t particularly good at hiding our disappointment when we receive yet another six-string-themed mug. Well, you needn’t worry, as Guitar World is here to help! Our guide to the best Christmas gifts for guitar players is the place to be if you are looking to surprise your loved one with a guitar-related present they will actually love.
Gone are the worries of disappointing your dear guitar-playing buddy, family member or spouse with a sub-par overdrive pedal, garish strap or guitar gadget they have no use for – as we’ve trolled through the internet to compile a list of killer guitarist-friendly gifts that we'd be more than happy to receive ourselves this Christmas.
Included is everything from last-minute gifts that require no delivery time to handy tools and gig bag essentials, exciting practice aids and even a few of the most popular guitars and amplifiers over the last year if you are feeling particularly generous. So, regardless of budget, you'll be sure to find something that will make all their Christmas wishes come true.
Best Christmas gifts for guitar players: Editor's pick
While you can't go wrong with any product in this guide, below are the top six items that we believe make the very best gifts for the guitarist in your life.
Fender Play gives you access to a wealth of video lessons from a number of different teachers, all bundled inside a very well-designed app - beginner or pro, they'll be sure to get something out of this app.
This game-changing tuner revolutionized the way many players tuned their guitars with its clever feature that allowed you to play all the strings at once and see which are in or out of tune.
The Ernie Ball Musician's Tool Kit includes everything you need to make these adjustments yourself, such as a heavy-duty string cutter, peg winder, 6-in-1 screwdriver, ruler, and a hex wrench set. It even comes with a microfiber polish cloth and Ernie Ball Wonder Wipes for making the guitar shine.
If you’re an electric guitar player, laying down some chords to then solo over can help you with your improvising skills, as well as your timing. It can also help you understand harmony and melody better. The TC Ditto is one of the best out there, offering superb functionality with just one knob!
Not only is the Spark Mini a terrific practice amp, it’s also light, portable, and is powered by a USB chargeable battery that lasts up to 8 hours. You’ve got a ton of different tones available, covering all sorts of clean and distorted tones, as well as a massive selection of effects.
The Player series is Fender’s gateway into the world renowned brand, though it’s by no means an entry-level guitar. The Player Strat is just as good in the hands of beginners as it is on the biggest stages in the world. It’s the real deal and delivers players great playability, great sound and solid reliability.
Best Christmas gifts for guitar players: Books and lessons, from $/£9.99
When players are in the infancy of their playing careers, practicing can often be dull and pretty uninspiring. Now, one surefire way to spice up their practice routine is to give them the ability to learn from their musical heroes – and a tab book will do just that!
Tab is a relatively simple form of music notation and can be easily picked up by even the newest guitar players, and the beauty is they don’t need to be able to read music to understand it! Our go-to place for music books is MusicRoom, as they offer a massive collection of tab books, with almost every band you can think of being represented.
You’ll be able to find books on how to play Metallica’s Black Album, the hard rock masterpiece that is Back In Black, Green Day’s punk rock opera American Idiot and so much more.
Available for both iOS and Android, this simple app will hold their hand through the entire process of learning the instrument, from basic chords to searing lead lines.
This fun app uses a “gamified” approach that relies on an animated fretboard, which, provided you play the correct notes as the scrolling fretboard delivers them, you'll unlock more content.
Simply Guitar has a rather impressive library of contemporary songs, so they won’t get bored or run out of inspiration.
The beauty of the guitar - or any instrument, for that matter - is you are always learning. Whether that's a new technique, a new song, or just a mega lick, you can always learn something new - and Fender Play is our favorite online guitar lesson platform.
Fender Play gives you access to a wealth of video lessons from a number of different teachers, all bundled inside a very well-designed app - beginner or pro, they'll be sure to get something out of this app.
Whether you are looking for the ultimate present for a keen guitarist in the making, an intermediate player looking to broaden their horizons, or an old dog looking for new tricks, you can't go wrong with a Guitar Tricks gift certificate.
For a limited time, one of our top choices for the best online guitar lessons is currently offering a gift certificate for a 1-year annual subscription for only $99! This will give the recipient access to a wealth of content, with lessons covering everything from Bob Dylan to The Beatles, Nirvana to Prince.
Right now we're able to exclusively offer Guitar World readers their first month of Guitar Tricks for just $1!
Best Christmas gifts for guitar players: Accessories, from $/£8.99
Many players are scared of slide guitar. It may look difficult, but it can offer a level of expression that you simply don’t get when playing the guitar normally - and trust us, it isn’t as hard as it looks. Slides come in many shapes and sizes and a variety of different materials. So, we would opt for a chrome slide for beginners, as these are incredibly robust and offer a bright, articulate tone.
Restringing your guitar can be an ordeal, but the D’Addario Pro-Winder can make it a whole lot easier. This super-affordable tool combines a string cutter, bridge pin puller, and a string winder that will fit most electric guitars, acoustic guitars, ukuleles, and mandolins. This is the kind of tool that every guitarist should have in their case or gig bag at all times.
A good quality guitar cable is an essential part of playing the electric guitar, and for our money, the Fender Deluxe Series cables offer the best bang for your buck. Made using high-quality materials and braided shielding, these cables are durable and won’t affect the tone of their beloved guitar – and better yet, they are dripping with vintage Fender charm!
These cables are available in a variety of lengths (6", 1', 3', 5', 10', 15', 18.6' and 25') as well as two color options, Tweed and Black Tweed.
Every guitar needs a good-looking, stylish guitar strap to complete the look, and string pioneer, Ernie Ball, makes some of the best in the business.
Their ever-popular polypro guitar straps are available in an array of designs and colors, featuring machine-stitched leather ends with durable yet comfortable polypropylene webbing. These straps can also be made extra long, meaning punk fans don’t have to worry about running out of length!
As musicians, we spend the majority of our time in loud environments, whether that’s rehearsal rooms or concert halls, so it’s important to protect our hearing. At the end of the day, if we damage our ears, we may need to give up the hobby that we love so much.
One of our top choices when it comes to hearing protection is the Alpine MusicSafe Pro earplugs. These sophisticated plugs allow you to choose between varying levels of noise reduction (16 dB, 19 dB and 22 dB) and are extremely comfortable and reusable.
Now, no matter how good your significant other is at shredding the guitar, if they aren’t in tune, it’s going to sound, well, pretty awful.
Luckily the TC Electronic PolyTune is here to help. This game-changing tuner revolutionized the way many players tuned their guitars with its clever feature that allowed you to play all the strings at once and see which are in or out of tune.
Couple that with its bright display, smart design and multiple modes and you have one of the best clip-on tuners on the market.
The latest flagship from G7th - producer of arguably the most popular and best guitar capos around - comes with their Adaptive Radius Technology which allows the capo to adapt to the curve of the fretboard, and more importantly, the strings going across it.
Their claim of maximum tuning stability with minimum tension in every position on any guitar neck is certainly a bold one – but also very much true.
As guitar players, we are constantly making slight adjustments to how our instrument feels to play. From tweaking the action to fine-tuning the intonation and setting the neck relief, these are all elements we like to get just right.
The Ernie Ball Musician's Tool Kit includes everything you need to make these adjustments yourself, such as a heavy-duty string cutter, peg winder, 6-in-1 screwdriver, ruler, and a hex wrench set. It even comes with a microfiber polish cloth and Ernie Ball Wonder Wipes for making the guitar shine.
As guitar players, we love collecting instruments. There is one slight problem with acquiring a bunch of extra guitars, though – storing them! Well, that’s where the Hercules Multi-Guitar Rack comes in.
This 5-way guitar stand is the perfect space-saving option for those with multiple guitars and even a growing collection. While the stand only fits five guitars as standard, it can be expanded to fit up to ten! Better yet, the specially formulated foam (SFF) rubber covering is perfectly safe for all finishes.
Best Christmas gifts for guitar players: Cases & bags, from $129/£132
For so many of us, our guitar is our pride and joy. Therefore we take protecting it very seriously. When we take our guitar out and about, to rehearsals, a mate's house, or a gig, we want to know that the bag is up to the job of keeping our beloved instrument safe.
One of the best electric gig bags on the market is the newly released Boss CB-EG20, which features a semi-rigid design, is water-resistant and has thick impact panels to protect the guitar inside from the odd knock and bump. As you’d expect, the bag also comes with two external pockets for strings, cables, a tuner, and any other accessories they might have. For those with an acoustic guitar, you’ll want to check out the CB-AG10.
Now, if your loved one owns a Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster, then this is the case for them. Designed to look like the cases of yesteryear – but with modern reliability – this wooden, oblong case is a dependable way to protect their favorite guitar.
The three-ply hardshell wood case is beautifully wrapped in a tweed covering that just screams vintage Fender, while a gold steel carry handle and draw latches complete the look. The soft crushed acrylic plush interior lining guarantees their guitar will remain scratch and damage-free, and the spacious compartment offers plenty of room for all their accessories.
Now, it should go without saying, but please remember to check the guitar will fit into the case before purchasing.
Best Christmas gifts for guitar players: Pedals, from $17.99/£15.99
If the guitar player in your life is a pedal fanatic, then good quality cables to go in-between them is a must. You’re only as strong as your weakest link, right? With these Planet Waves patch cables, there are no weak links at all - these are quality cables that allow your signal to pass through from pedal to pedal without any unwanted noise or interference, plus their low capacitance means that the guitar’s signal will flow through them with utmost transparency.
Making no attempt to hide its intentions, the Nux Steel Singer tries to replicate the sound of one of the most revered, sought-after, not to mention expensive amps ever made, all for a tiny fraction of what the real thing would cost you. It’s an overdrive pedal that has a lovely rich mid-presence, and a nice and smooth high end.
You can use it in a number of ways - to boost for solos, as your main crunch channel, or to push a tube amp on the edge of breakup into a lovely, natural overdrive. There are a number of Dumble-style clone pedals out there, but this one probably offers the best value for money.
This pedal has been around since the late 70s and has appeared on a wide range of professional guitarists’ boards. It sits at a great price point, it sounds amazing, plus Boss pedals are amongst the most reliable and road-worthy pieces of gear out there.
You can use it to add a little more grit to your sound for things like solos, or you can use it as your main distorted tone when playing through a clean amp. There are loads of ways the Boss DS-1 can help add another dimension to your sound, making it one of the best gifts for guitarists you can get.
A good phaser can sometimes be underrated. They’re great for adding a cool, swirling texture to your guitar sound. Whether you’re using it on a clean, choppy funk guitar line, or on heavily saturated riffs, the Electro-Harmonix Small Stone will help you stand out to the listener, plus it doesn’t take up loads of space on your pedal board.
It’s also incredibly easy to use, so there’s no having to pour through a manual here. With one rate knob which controls the speed, and one colour switch controlling the depth, you can get to playing straight away.
One of the most useful things you can get for a guitar player is a looper pedal. Whilst it’s great for building up and layering different parts of a song, as popularised by Ed Sheeran, it’s also a great practice tool.
You really don’t have to want to be the next pop sensation to get the most out of a looper. If you’re an electric guitar player, of any style, then laying down some chords to then solo over can help you with your improvising skills, as well as your timing. It can also help you understand harmony and melody better. The TC Ditto is one of the best out there, offering superb functionality with just one knob!
The TC Electronic Hall Of Fame reverb packs a lot into a compact pedal. From subtle ‘always on’ reverbs to big ambient swells, it really does do it all. There can’t be many guitar players out there that wouldn’t find this pedal useful.
There’s a wide variety of different reverb types on offer, including shimmer reverb, which is often found on much more expensive pedals. The on/off foot switch even doubles as an expression pedal, so you can control the reverb with absolute precision.
Delay is one of the most popular effects, and Boss are one of - if not the most popular effects pedal brand, so it’s only right that one of their delays pedals makes it into our list of best gift ideas for guitarists. With a high build quality, amazing sound and superb functionality, this digital delay is hard to beat, especially for the money.
The DD-3T is an updated version of a classic. With only four knobs, you can dial in lots of delay that feeds back forever, or you can just add in a touch of slapback delay, and anything in between! We also love the fact they’ve added tap tempo to this, so you can tap in the delay speed with your foot.
If the guitarist you’re buying for is anything like us, they’ll be partial to an effects pedal or two. Or twenty. Help bring some order to their life with the Pedaltrain Classic Pro pedalboard - one of top picks for the best pedalboards out there. This 'board provides a dedicated base on which the player can store and transport their pedals, thanks to a handy included carry case. It’s not the most glamorous gift for guitar players, but it’s one they’ll be glad to receive.
Best Christmas gifts for guitar players: Amps, from $74/£65
If it’s good enough for the likes of Joe Bonamassa and Phil X, it’s good enough for you, right? This nifty little 3W battery-powered practice amp has become the favourite of many players for warming up backstage before a gig. With it being battery powered, you can take it anywhere too.
It sounds really good as well, especially considering its size! There are two channels - clean and overdrive, plus you can dial in some nice sounding delay for an even bigger sound. It’s loads of fun, which makes it a great gift for guitarists of any level.
The Fender Mustang Micro harnesses the power of 12 different amp sounds and 12 different effects combinations, all in the size of something that fits in your pocket! It’s a headphone amp, so all you do is plug this into your guitar, then plug in some wired headphones and you’ve got the perfect tool for silent practice allowing you to play well into the night without disturbing anyone else.
The sounds within this are great, as you would expect from a big name like Fender. It also doubles as a recording interface allowing you to get great guitar sounds directly from the amp into your Mac or PC.
Not only is the Spark Mini a terrific practice amp, it’s also light, portable, and is powered by a USB chargeable battery that lasts up to 8 hours, allowing you to play anywhere you want. You’ve got a ton of different tones available, covering all sorts of clean and distorted tones, as well as a massive selection of effects.
It’s also a clever little practice tool. The app that can be used alongside the amp can create drum and bass backing tracks based on your playing, which can improve your ability to play with other musicians. It can even scan your favourite songs and display the chords so that you can jam along - very clever stuff!