Since I started playing the guitar in 2003, I’ve received quite a few gifts for guitarists on special occasions.
I’m going to share the best gifts I’ve received (and some I’d like to receive) in this post.
From a few dollars to thousands, there’s a gift choice in this post for every budget and every skill level of guitarist.
Under $25
- Dunlop brass slide
- Protec Guitar Strap
- Acoustic Guitar Peg Remover
- 25 Pack of D’Addario Guitar Picks
- String Swing Guitar Hanger and Wall Mount
- National Finger Pick Pack
- Light Elixir Acoustic Guitar Strings
- Snark Instrument Tuner
- Guitarx X3 capo
- Schubb Short Cut Capo (Covers 3 strings)
- The Hal Leonard Guitar Method, Complete Edition
- ChromaCast Acoustic Guitar 6-Pocket Padded Gig Bag with Guitar Strap and Pick Sampler
Under $100
- Pickaso Guitar Bow
Under $200
Under $500
$500+
Gifts Under $25 for Guitarists
If you’re on a tight budget for gifts, I totally understand.
I have nine nieces and nephews so every Christmas I stretch those dollars to make each one count.
The good news is that there are plenty of budget friendly gifts you can get for a guitarist that (s)he will love.
Check out my list below.
Dunlop Brass Slide
The Dunlop brass slide is one of the few highly-rated slides on Amazon.
I personally own this slide and I enjoy using it even though I’m no slide guitar master.
The guitar slide opens up a whole new world for the guitarist.
And for <$6, you can bring that world to the guitarist in your life.
Protec Guitar Strap
A guitar strap is an absolute necessity for anyone that performs with their instrument.
And even if the guitarist you’re buying for doesn’t do any performing, it’s still really nice to have the option to stand when playing the guitar.
Of course, to stand up you need a strap for your guitar and the Protec guitar strap strap works well.
It fits both electric and acoustic guitars and is a nice, no-frills option that gets the job done.
Instrument Peg Remover
The acoustic guitar peg remover is a necessity for guitar owners.
This tool enables you to remove the pegs or pins holding down the strings from the bridge of your guitar so that you can replace your strings.
For years I used needle-nose pliers to remove the pins from the bridge.
Using pliers can put unnecessary strain on your guitar and can damage the pins.
Sure enough, my pins are scuffed up from using pliers.
Now changing strings is a breeze ever since I purchased this inexpensive and easy to use tool.
I can’t believe it took me years to buy this one.
25 Pack of D’Addario Guitar Picks
A friend of mine once told me that his favorite gift he ever received was a giant jar of guitar picks.
Why?
Because they’re small and relatively inexpensive, guitarists are always losing picks.
That’s why picks make a great gift for the guitarist because you can be sure they could use more picks.
This 25 pack of D’Addario guitar picks is one of the highest rated pick packs on Amazon and comes with your choice of thickness or variety pack of thicknesses.
If you aren’t sure what pick thickness the guitarist you’re purchasing for prefers, just get the variety pack.
String Swing Guitar Hanger and Wall Mount
The String Swing Guitar Hanger and Wall Mount is an awesome tool.
I have 4 wall mounts in my living room where I keep various instruments that I play frequently.
These mounts are great because they keep your instrument readily available for play.
They’re also great for keeping your instrument out of reach for children or pets.
My brother keeps his guitar wall mounted and says his mounts are the only reason his young children haven’t accidentally broken them.
They are also great for showcasing your instruments.
My wife loves the way my wall-mounted instruments add to our decor.
At less than $15, these make a great gift for any guitarist.
National Finger Pick Pack
The National Finger Pick Pack is a great gift for the guitarist looking to improve his finger-picking skills.
These finger picks allow your picking to ring out louder than simply using your fingers.
Many finger picking expert guitarists use finger picks like these.
Light Elixir Guitar Strings
Elixir makes some of the best guitar strings around.
And although there will always be some debate and personal preference as to which strings are best, Elixirs are my absolute favorite.
I recommend Extra Light Acoustic Elixirs for most acoustic guitar players (unless you’re playing slide guitar in which case you should opt for Elixir’s heavier gauge strings).
And if you’re playing electric, Elixir makes electric strings as well.
Snark Instrument Tuner
I recently purchased the Snark Instrument Tuner and absolutely love it.
The thousands of positive Amazon reviews speak for themselves, but I absolutely love having one tuner work with all my instruments.
I recommend purchasing the most advanced model available.
The price difference between models is negligible (<$4) and the most advance models have the highest accuracy and work with a plethora of instruments.
Guitarx X3 Capo
Capos are an absolute necessity for the acoustic guitarist.
You can use them to change keys and the tonal range of whatever you’re playing.
I use a capo almost every time I play the acoustic guitar so it’s worth investing in one that works well.
The Guitarx X3 capo is one of the most highly rated capos on Amazon and seems to be a step up from the Kyser capos most guitarists I know use.
Schubb Short Cut Capo
Most guitarists have capos but not many have short cut capos.
Short cut capos clamp fewer than all six strings and can be used to imitate alternate tunings without re-tuning your guitar.
They have all sorts of interesting benefits and uses that you can explore in greater detail in my post about capos here.
The Schubb Short Cut Capo is a great gift for any guitarist and something an intermediate or advanced guitarist may not already own.
The Hal Leonard Guitar Method, Complete Edition
The Hal Leonard Guitar Method, Complete Edition is one of the most highly-rated educational books for guitarists on Amazon.
You can tell from its table of contents (viewable on Amazon without purchase) that it provides a comprehensive and methodical approach to learning the guitar that has worked for guitarists for decades.
This is an excellent gift for a beginner to intermediate guitarist.
If you’re shopping for someone more advanced or someone focusing on a particular genre, check out my guide on 10 amazing guitar books to find the perfect gift for this guitarist.
Acoustic Guitar Gig Bag with Guitar Strap and Pick Sampler
The ChromaCast Acoustic Guitar 6-Pocket Padded Gig Bag with Guitar Strap and Pick Sampler is an amazing deal.
You get a great gig bag that fits most acoustic guitars, a strap, and a pick sampler all for just under $25.00.
This gig bag is a lot more heavy duty than most gig bags I’ve used that hardly provide any protection for the instrument.
And although I don’t recommend transporting your instrument very far in anything but a hard case, it’s fun to have a gig bag to use to take your guitar on smaller outings.
If you’re looking for a great gift for a beginner guitarist who only has a guitar, this package is for you.
Gifts Under $100 for Guitarists
If you’re looking for an awesome and unique gift for a guitarist, you should check out the Pickaso bow for the guitar.
You read that correctly!
There’s a bow for the guitar that allows you to get a similar sound to a bowed instrument like a violin!
Check it out in the video above!
Chairs for Guitarists
Gator Frameworks GFW-GTR-SEAT
Gator Frameworks makes some pretty simple yet innovative and useful stands and other gear that make your life easier.
And if you’re looking for a solid chair to play the guitar in, this is definitely one to consider!
I unpack this a lot more in my guitar chairs article, so check it out!
Gifts Under $200 for Guitarists
If you have a slightly larger budget, the gifts below range between $60 and $200 and are totally awesome.
Acoustic Guitar Hard Shell Case
I recommend every guitarist purchase a hard shell case even if you don’t think you’ll ever transport your instrument.
Why?
Odds are you will want to move your instrument at some point even if it’s just for a short car ride.
And when you do, you should really use a hard shell case.
Guitars are fine-tuned instruments that don’t do well being knocked around and the best way to transport them is a hard shell case.
This one on Amazon has excellent reviews and is very reasonably priced.
Gretsch Guitar Ukulele
I’ve mentioned in my post about guitar-like instruments that guitar hybrids make excellent gift ideas for intermediate and advanced guitarists.
Why?
Guitar-like instruments have the same number of strings and the same (or similar) tuning as the guitar enabling guitarists to play them just like a guitar while getting the sound or tonal range of another instrument like the banjo, ukulele, or mandolin.
The Gretsch guitar ukulele is one of these guitar hybrids that is really fun to play.
It has the same number of strings as a guitar and the same tuning as a guitar but tuned up a 4th (as if you were playing the guitar with a capo on the 5th fret).
This is the perfect gift for a guitarist who seemingly has everything (but probably doesn’t have a guitar hybrid).
The 6 String Banjo Guitar
The 6 String Banjo Guitar is another fun guitar hybrid that has the number of strings and tuning of a guitar but the sound of a banjo.
The 6 string banjo guitar has become more and more mainstream as pop country artists like Taylor Swift and others have started incorporating the 6 string banjo guitar into their music and live performances.
Though banjo purists might give you grief about this instrument, it’s a really fun one to play.
If you have a guitarist in your life that likes country, bluegrass, or folk style playing, (s)he’ll love this instrument!
Gifts Under $500 for Guitarists
If you really want to make a guitarist’s day, buying a gift from this category is the way to go.
The following gifts ranging from $350 to just under $500 are high-quality instruments that any guitarist would be happy to have.
Little Martin LX
Most guitarists know that Martin and Taylor brand guitars are renown for making high-quality instruments.
Because of their high-quality, they’re usually also pricey.
But you can break into the Martin guitar family with the Little Martin LX for under $350!
This three-quarter sized instrument is perfect for people with small hands, younger guitarists, or for those who want a high-quality travel-size guitar.
The Little Martin LX has a great sound and is a wonderful way to get into the Martin guitar family without breaking the bank.
Gretsch Resonator Guitar
The Gretsch Resonator Guitar is a great instrument for guitarists interested in the slide guitar style.
Resonators are designed to be played with a slide and and to amplify the guitar sound powerfully.
If you know a guitarist interested in slide and blues styles, this resonator guitar is a perfect entry-level instrument for them.
Gifts Over $500 for Guitarists
Gifts in this category range from $500 to thousands and would make a very generous gift for any guitarist in your life (including you ;).
Mando Guitar
The Mando Guitar is a really cool guitar hybrid that not many know about.
It has 6 (or 12) strings tuned like a guitar but up one octave giving it the tonal range of a mandolin.
This instrument also has a pickup so you can plug in and play live!
It’s priced right around $500 and would make an amazing gift for any guitarist, particularly one who is interested in folk, bluegrass, or country music (genres which prominently feature the mandolin).
Martin GPCX1AE
The Martin GPCX1AE is a high-quality electric/acoustic cutaway Martin at a lower price than most premium Martins.
It’s hard to go wrong with Martins or Taylors and this guitar is no exception.
If you want to make a guitarist’s day, get him this guitar.
Taylor K14CE
If you want to play the same instrument as globally recognized musicians and you’re ready to spend about the same amount you would on an inexpensive car, the Taylor K14ce is for you.
This is the sort of instrument that many guitarists dream of having.
And even if this will always be out of your price range, I highly recommend playing one at your local guitar shop if you have the opportunity.
