Christmas Gifts for the Guitar Player
Selecting a gift for the guitarist on your Christmas list might seem a bit daunting if you know little or nothing about the instrument. The great thing is, there are plenty of things out there to select from and you can choose just how much you want to spend as well.
Electric Guitars
If you’re budget is close to unlimited you can always go with the tried and true classics like the Gibson Les Paul Standard or the American made Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster. If you want a quality electric that doesn’t strain the wallet as much, you can opt for an Epiphone Les Paul and on the Fender side of things you can go down a notch to the Mexican made Strats or Teles or down once again to Fender’s Squier series that can serve as a good beginner guitar or a backup for the more serious musician.
Martin Guitars, based in Nazareth, PA, make some of the highest quality acoustic guitars coveted by both professional and aspiring musicians. Also on the higher end of things, Gibson produces their legendary bird series guitars that have been used by some of the best guitarists in just about every genre of music. Taylor is also coming on strong as a producer of exceptional acoustics. On the less expensive end of the scale Washburn, Yamaha, Ibanez and Alvarez are some of the manufactures who produce quality guitars at a user friendly price point.
Amplifiers
Guitar amps come in a staggering variety of wattages and sizes. Marshall and Fender are two of the most popular brands but it’s probably best to find out directly from your guitar player the type he or she prefers. If you can’t or don’t want to ask directly a Guitar Center representative would be glad to give you a solid recommendation.
Strings
You can’t go wrong with either Martin or D’Addario strings for acoustic or electric guitars. What you don’t want to buy are the extremely cheap bargain brands because they tend to fall apart after very little use. Strings come in varying gauges but, if you can’t find out which your guitar player prefers just pick one and go with it as most guitarists like to experiment in that department.
Accessories
A guitar player can’t have too many straps and, if your guitar player has been really good this year, you can get one personalized. As with straps, guitarists are always in need of new picks. You can choose a particular thickness or get a variety pack. Guitar stringers are also always getting lost and are invaluable to the guitar player who restrings his instrument often. There are also a wide variety of effects pedals and boxes on the market and just about any player of the electric guitar would enjoy seeing one in his or her stocking.
