On the hunt for Father’s Day gifts for your guitar-playing dad? You’ve landed in the right spot. After over 20 years with a guitar in my hands and a mountain of gifts behind me, I can tell you the best presents are the ones that actually get used. There’s genuinely nothing better than unwrapping something that feels like it was picked just for you, and that you’ll actually want to use.

That’s exactly why I've put together this Father’s Day collection. It’s full of practical, tried-and-true gear that any guitarist will actually appreciate. Trust me, it’s best to skip the big, risky buys like electric guitars and gig-ready guitar amps, unless you’ve talked it through with them. Let guitarists pick out the big stuff for themselves. Instead, go for the essentials and quality accessories that make everyday playing more fun.

Father's Day in both the US and the UK falls on the third Sunday in June, so in 2026, that’ll be June 21. So, there’s still plenty of time to get something delivered ahead of the big day.

This year’s lineup of gifts features the Fret 12 String Thing, which I recently got myself, and I’m really enjoying building, trusty Ernie Ball cables, Blackstar’s awesome 4.5-star-rated BeamMini amp, and loads more.

Watch the video below to see how the Fret 12 String Thing works

Few artists in rock history have left a mark as indelible as Slash. From the opening riff of Welcome to the Jungle to the soul-crushing solo in November Rain, the top-hatted guitar legend has spent decades inspiring a slew of new players to pick up the guitar, me included. With his unmistakable tone, his cigarette perpetually dangling, and that iconic Gibson Les Paul slung low, Slash is the definition of a guitar hero.

In celebration of Guitar Center’s Guitar-A-Thon, the online retailer has pulled together the ultimate collection of Slash signature gear, including everything you need to get closer to that legendary tone. Now, as a Slash diehard, I’ve gone through the entire collection and handpicked a few of my favorites – and even added a few of my own suggestions. These are the items I’d pick up if I wanted to sound more like Slash, at various price points.

So, whether you’re a lifelong fan or a player chasing that classic rock sound, there will be something here for you.

Guitars

If you’re eager to replicate Slash's iconic tone at home, you're going to need a Les Paul as a starting point. Below, I've selected a couple of his signature Gibson models, from the AFD to Jessica, but I've also included a couple of wallet-friendly gems from Epiphone that may not say Slash on the headstock but will certainly get you close to his sound.

Okay, so we know that at the heart of his sound is a love affair with the Les Paul that has endured for over four decades, and for many, the two are inseparable, but Slash has used other guitars over the years, from his scarlet B.C. Rich to a Korina Flying V, and of course, a J-45 acoustic. So I've included a few of them at various price points, too.

Amps & Effects

In terms of amps and effects, Slash likes to keep things simple, using minimal pedals at his feet and a cranked tube stack behind him.

Of course, Slash was a major fan of Marshall amps in the past, having more than his fair share of signature heads and cabinets, but these days he's switched to Magnatone, so that's why I've included the M-80.

Accessories

It's fair to say that tone can start before you ever plug in. Slash’s signature accessories are the small details that make a massive difference.

I've included everything from his Ernie Ball signature strings to his go-to Dunlop picks to help you get even closer to the Slash sound without spending a fortune.

Round it all out with Seymour Duncan’s Slash signature pickups, the same humbuckers loaded into his beloved Les Pauls, and you can add that Slash DNA to your own guitar without having to buy an entirely new axe.

Amazon is typically the home of cheap guitar pedals but with the launch of the Spring Deal Days sale, I've spotted some significant discounts on one of the stalwarts of stompboxes, Boss. Reductions have hit up to 26% off, which makes it a great opportunity to bag yourself a top-quality guitar pedal for a lot less.

It's available on a select few pedals, including a Waza Craft Metal Zone, the super versatile Boss DD-8, and a couple of more left-field selections. One of our top-rated looper pedals has seen a discount with money off the RC-600, as well as the excellent guitar amp headphones in the Boss Waza-Air.

I've had a look through the whole Amazon spring sale to see what's available, and picked out 7 of the best for you:

My name is Daryl, and I'm an addict. A pedal addict, to be specific. I can't help but get inspired by new gear. There always seems to be a new song hidden within a new guitar, amp, or stompbox – and frankly, a pedal is the cheapest out of the three if you need an extra jolt of inspiration without buying a new Gibson Les Paul every time.

Over the past year, I've tried to keep my pedal obsession in check, but when Amazon's Spring Deal Days rolled around, all bets were off! If you’ve browsed the online retail giant lately, you know there are some jaw-dropping deals on pedals just begging to be snagged.

With all that said, I’ve compiled a list of the coolest deals I’ve found and some that are seriously tempting me – one more pedal can't hurt, right?

Amazon has launched its Spring Deal Days sale in the UK, and this year I was very surprised to see that there are quite a few good bits of guitar gear available. Typically, Amazon is the home of cheap, lesser-known brand offerings when it comes to guitars, but I've already spotted deals on Boss, Squier, Ibanez, Laney, and more.

Accessories have always been the bread and butter of Amazon's sales offerings when it comes to music gear, and that's no different this year. It's the perfect time to spring clean your guitar collection with some big discounts on multi-packs of strings, a nice discount off a super handy Ibanez multi-tool, and plenty of handy accessories that will serve you well as we move into gigging and festival season.

I've had a look through the whole sale this morning to find where the very best deals are, picking out 10 top deals that are perfect for guitar players.

For as long as most of us can remember, the guitar industry has been a boys’ club. From ad campaigns to signature series, it’s mostly been men designing, building, and, most visibly, slinging guitars on the world’s biggest stages. But as any music fan knows, that’s never been the full story. Women have always been there, pushing boundaries and making their mark, even if the gear world hasn’t always recognized it.

Now, International Women’s Day is the perfect moment to spotlight just how much things are changing. In the last few years, we’ve seen more and more women getting their own signature guitars, and frankly, it’s about damn time.

Look at Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent. Her Ernie Ball Music Man model is a total rethink of what a signature instrument can be, with radical lines, a lightweight design, and a vibe that’s all her own. Susan Tedeschi’s Fender Telecaster channels her decades of blues power, built to take the kind of beating her intense touring schedule demands, while Fatoumata Diawara brings Malian influences and a global perspective to her custom SG model, and Yvette Young’s quirky Ibanez signature is just as innovative and expressive as her finger-tapped melodies.

In this collection, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite artist models to shine a spotlight on these standout instruments and the artists behind them, showing how female signature models are changing the face of guitar for good.

This is a call to all Foos fans! With the Foo Fighters back in the headlines, fresh off the drop of their raucous new single Your Favorite Toy, teasing a soon-to-land album, and currently tearing up the UK with a string of secret, sweat-soaked club shows, we thought it was the perfect time to dive deep into the stompboxes that power Grohl’s massive sound.

Now, Dave Grohl is the king of making a simple setup sound stadium-sized. He might not be the world’s flashiest pedal-tweaker, but he does regularly rely on a few stomps to achieve his signature tone. From the fuzzed-out, face-melting distortion of the ProCo Rat to the subtle modulation of the famed Phase 90 and the spacey delay of the DM-2, Grohl’s arsenal is all about simple, affordable, and reliable pedals.

In this Guitar World collection, I’ve hand-picked the secret weapons on Grohl’s pedalboard, from classic dirt pedals to the wildcards that sneak in for special songs like the talkbox used on Generator. Armed with these stomps, you’ll be able to easily recreate those legendary anthemic tones from just about every era of the Foo Fighters' massive 30-year career. So, this one’s for all the cows, get ready to breakout and play everlong with your new favorite toy.

Watch the Foo Fighters perform the new single Your Favorite Toy live below

Well, just like that, we say goodbye to 2025 and hello to 2026. The holidays are over, the resolutions have been made, and maybe you're feeling that familiar post-holiday slump. You know what the perfect cure for that creative itch and a great way to shake up your regular six-string routine is? Getting your hands dirty with a DIY guitar project!

I’m no stranger to guitar mods, switching out pickups, replacing tuners, and I’ve even turned my hand at putting together a couple of kit builds too – one was a rather stringing bright pink Firebird-esque electric. There is something so rewarding about building an instrument with your own two hands, and it’s a great way to learn more about what goes into producing a playable guitar. Of course, you don’t need to limit yourself to just guitars; there is also a wealth of pedal projects to get stuck into as well.

So, this year, go beyond just practicing scales and licks and consider diving into the world of DIY guitar, pedal, and modding kits. It’s an incredibly rewarding journey that will give you hands-on experience in woodworking, electronics, and finishing. Below you’ll find a few projects I recommend for beginners.

Electric guitar kits

Most kits come as bare-bones canvases. You get to choose the color, the finish and even the hardware. Want a bright green Telecaster with a humbucker in the bridge? Go for it!

For me, assembling a guitar demystifies the instrument. You’ll learn how the neck joint affects sustain, how the wiring works, and how to properly set up a bridge. This knowledge will make you a better player, as you’ll be able to troubleshoot and maintain your own gear. In my experience, typically a kit build can be done over a weekend, as all the hard work of constructing the body and neck has been done for you – it’s more about finishing and assembly.

Modify your current guitar

If a full build feels like too much, why not breathe new life into an old favorite? A strategic guitar mod is the easiest way to personalize your sound without buying a whole new instrument.

A simple change of pickups can transform a muddy sound into something bright and articulate. Swapping out cheap tuning machines for locking tuners can drastically improve tuning stability. These small, relatively easy changes can make your existing guitar feel like a completely new and more reliable instrument.

Pedal kits

Perhaps you're happy with your guitar, but your sound could use a little extra spice. Enter the DIY pedal kit! These are typically less of a time commitment than a full guitar build, but just as satisfying.

Building a pedal forces you to look inside the stomp. You learn how capacitors, resistors, and transistors interact to create that sweet overdrive, gnarly fuzz, or ethereal delay. This deeper understanding means you’ll know exactly why your favourite pedal sounds the way it does, and how to better tweak your settings.

Having been playing live for a good 20 years now, I've come across more than my fair share of pedalboards, and each setup has been as unique as the person playing them. One of the ultimate forms of guitar expression, building yourself a pedalboard is one of the most satisfying undertakings you can take as a guitarist, and just as no two guitarists are alike, no two pedalboards are the same.

Over the years, I've had some very nice compliments after playing a live show, but one that really stuck with me was when an audience member remarked on the way I played. He called me a 'technician', saying how precise I was with my playing, and when I thought about it, that word definitely aligned with my methodical personality.

It got me thinking that there must be lots of different pedalboard personalities out there, so I decided to put together four of what I think are the most common ones I've come across, and list some pedals to go with that particular pedal type. You'll find four big personalities here, and sixteen awesome pedals to go with each.

The Explorer

The type of player to spend three hours making their tone sound utterly unusable in a mix, The Explorer is all about hitherto unexplored sonic landscapes. Here you'll find a selection of pedals from less mainstream builders, which offer a very unique take on their respective sounds.

The Technician

The Technician is the type of guitarist most likely to know the voltage requirements and buffer type of every pedal on their board. They're all about precision in tone sculpting and here, you'll find pedals that help shape your sound in the most precise way possible.

The Newbie

We all have to start somewhere, and just because The Newbie's pedalboard is typically low cost, it doesn't make it any less effective. These four pedals will suit any beginner player, giving a surprisingly wide array of sounds.

The Purist

Probably the most likely to tell you digital modeling has 'no soul', The Purist looks for those pedals that shaped the course of guitar history. While buying original effects pedals could get pretty costly, these four pedals will get you legendary guitar tones for comparatively little cash.

As a guitarist I've had more than my fair share of disappointing gifts over the years. I appreciate that while well intentioned, many of the gifts I've received are as a result of people not really understanding what a guitarist really needs.

A few years ago however, I received something from a friend which completely blew me away. A guitarist himself, he'd put together a care package that consisted of essentials, none of which individually cost more than $10, but overall combined to make one of the most well-thought out and genuinely useful gifts I've ever received.

It made me realise that you don't need to spend loads on a new electric guitar or potentially waste your money buying a guitar pedal that's not to their tastes. By sticking to the simple things, you can put together an effective present that will tick all of the boxes for the guitarist in your life.

Below, you'll find all the same things my friend put into my care package for me, which will work for any guitarist no matter what their playing style or level.