What Makes a Good Gift

Ideas for guitarist and everyone else too

As we get closer to the holiday season, I have been thinking a lot about what I will buy or make for my family and close friends. Not gonna lie, it has been a bit stressful every year, mostly because I was focusing on the gift itself from the first moment. This year I tried to look at it with a more prepared and conscious mindset. Funny enough, I ended up developing a pretty solid outlook on how I think gifts work. This may sound silly, but I still wanted to share it with you because it has been on my mind every day last week. I think these ideas work for all kinds of gifting situations for everyone, but to keep it relevant to this newsletter, let’s talk about the best gifts for guitarists.

What Makes a Good Gift

I am probably not listing everything here, but these are the main points I decided to focus on.

1. A good gift solves a tiny problem.
People often think gifts must be big or life changing. We want to find the perfect gift for our loved ones that they can use every single day, something that greatly impact their life. But the best gifts usually fix something small, like making practice easier, adding comfort, or helping them solve a tiny issue.

2. A good gift is thoughtful, not expensive.
A gift that says “I noticed what you enjoy” or “I see you” or “I listened when you talked to me” feels more personal than anything flashy. This could be a piece of sheet music that fits their taste or skill level, a tool that helps with their hobby, or even a small ritual item like a candle with a scent they like for their practice space. I would be stoked to get peppermint or lemon oil because I like to have my aroma diffuser on when I practice.

3. A good gift lasts.
Something they can use again and again, like a practice journal, an exercise booklet, a music course, a great chair, a pretty strap, a tuner or a page turner, stays in their life long after the holidays. You can also think about software they refuse to buy for themselves, such as ForScore, which is fantastic for storing sheet music and creating setlists. (I’ve been a user for like 3 years, big fan)

4. A good gift removes friction.
Musicians love things that reduce annoyance, like a guitar stand they can keep near their practice space or a tray they can attach to their music stand so everything is ready to use during practice. Making life smoother is always a great gift.

I also noticed in my own life that I prefer to give or receive two kinds of gifts:

1. things I can eat

2. things I can use

Things for Use

I mentioned a few ones above, but I think we should avoid very specific gifts if we are not sure what they already have or what they like. If something is too specific or niche, they probably know their preference better. Buying a random set of strings based on what a store manager recommends can end up awkward. I wouldn’t buy a pick or even a new guitar (if I was fucking rich) to someone either.

Things Not for Use

The problem with funny items is that they may be a great joke in the moment, but after the holidays they often take up space and eventually feel like clutter. Wall art is an exception because it does not take up storage space and it can be very cool. If you know their taste, go for it.

Verdict

Before deciding what to buy: Listen to them and understand their struggles. If they complain about any item, tool or personal problem, ask more questions to understand better. Same goes for things they are excited about. If they mention a new piece they are learning and enjoying, you can look for similar pieces or more works by the same composer or arranger. For example, I keep seeing Capy play video game music on the piano, so I am going through his game list to find more arrangements from the games he likes. You can ask a musician ANY TIME to play something for you, which is a great opportunity to observe them naturally and look for potential gifts.

But a gift does not have to change their world. If you can help solve one small problem, like storage, organizing practice items or finding motivation to sit down more often, they will feel heard. Funny gifts can work too if that fits your relationship, but I have learned that the greatest joy comes from things we pick up often. They remind us of the connection we have with the person who gave them to us.

Ideas

I want to list and link a few items I think make great gifts for guitarists. This list is not sponsored, however I am endorsed by D’Addario since 2023, but I’ve been a loyal customer of their products for about 15 years. I do, however, earn a small bit from the Thomann links I included, but I genuinely like these items so much!

• Guitarlift
  This is maybe the best purchase I have ever made as a guitarist. I have two so I do not have to move it between the different guitars I use throughout the day. It makes a great gift for anyone struggling with posture, back, shoulder, neck or lower body pain.

• D’Addario headstock tuner with USB C charger
  I used the older battery powered version for about 10 years. I always liked the sleek look, and from the front you barely notice it. It was annoying to buy new batteries all the time, and of course the batteries always died at the worst moment. This new USB C version is the first one I have seen that also looks nice and sleek.

• D’Addario care kit
  I’ll be honest, I thought this was silly at first. Then my friend at D’Addario convinced me to try at least the microfiber cloth and the lemon oil, and oh wow. I was always struggling to clean my fretboard and this makes it so easy. I would never have bought it for myself, but since I got it as a gift, I finally see what I was missing out on.

• D’Addario pedalboard T shirt
  If you are not sure what your friend needs, you can always get a T shirt. I’ll get one of these for myself soon because it looks really cool lol. It has nothing to do with practice, but it still counts as something we can use.

• D’Addario mic stand accessory system
  I have been using this for about two years on one of my music stands. The best part is that you can have all your stuff ready to use. No unpacking and no searching for nail files or picks because everything is right there. You also do not need the whole system. You can just get the tray.

• My art posters
  I have two guitar posters in my shop. One is a traditional painting and the other is digital. If your loved ones like abstract and colorful art, consider one of my high quality posters.

• Humidity meter
  If they do not have one already, this is a no brainer. Guitars need a specific humidity range, and it is important to keep an eye on it. This one’s quite fancy and I like the look a lot, I have one that’s almost the same, but any cheap ones will do the job.

• For fingerpicking players: micro mesh sheets
  These cloth like sheets are my favorite for smoothing my nails. They last long and can be tucked under the nails easily. I recommend a pack with different grits, for example 1500, 4000, 8000 and 12000. If they have never tried them, they will love them. If they have tried them, they will be stoked.

• Online courses
  Guitar courses are often tied to a certain level, like grade 1 or grade 2, which makes it hard to know if they are a good fit. I think the best courses are the ones that teach a specific topic from scratch, such as improvisation, a certain piece, looping and similar skills. Here are a few popular courses:

  • Learn, Practice, Play by Paul Davids

  • No Nail Guitar in 10 Days by Brandon Acker

  • Fundamentals Through Spanish Romance by Beatrix Kovács

• Books
  Books are great for engaging with music even when they are not playing. They can also inspire new ideas and motivation. A few suggestions:

  • The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green with W. Timothy Gallwey

  • Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within by Kenny Werner

  • The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

  • Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician’s Guide to the Neuroscience of Practice by Molly Gebrian

    Anything related to psychology, learning or general productivity can also be very helpful.

10. String bundle
    Strings are personal, so I would never gift just one set. Here is an idea. Take a picture of their guitar, go to a music store or ask on Reddit what five to ten strings people recommend for that model and get one of each. It is like giving a beer or cheese tasting set. They can try things they normally would not pick up, and they might find something new they love.

I hope you enjoyed this little collection and that it gives you some ideas for this year’s gifting if that is a tradition in your family. Not everyone does gifts and that is fine too. And if you are a guitarist, feel free to send this newsletter to your family as a wishlist.

If you found some value in reading this…

Other than educational materials, I offer lots of ofther stuff as well:

1. My album is still available on vinyl

2. You can find lots of lovely music on my YouTube channel and on my Spotify

3. Have a look at my shop and see if you find something you like (artworks, T-shirts and more)

Thank you for reading today! Have a wonderful week! 😊

Hugs, Betti