Guitar Lovers

5 Tips for Selecting Guitars as Gifts

The main things in choosing guitar gifts are experience level, style of music preferred, and what gear and learning material they already own. Try to find as much out about these as possible. Or better yet, get the lucky gift recipient to drop a few subtle hints on what they want. If you
you really don’t have a good handle on any of this, no worries, here are some tips for different situations:

1. Preferences- Learn as much as you can about the guitar player’s stage of development, gear they own, and
musical styles they prefer, and tailor the gift accordingly. Consulting a Guitar Buff will help you with this, as will checking with a family member or friend close to the lucky recipient.

2. Gift Certificate- Don’t have a clue on what to get? No problem! When in doubt, give a gift certificate
for guitar gear, online lessons, or music. Price range: however generous you feel!

3. Guitar Package- For a beginner who does not have a guitar , packages are available starting at about $100
that include a guitar and all the accessories needed to get going “out of the box” (including an amp if it’s an electric guitar.)

4. Online lessons or instructional products- Every guitarist wants to learn new skills and move to the next
level. These include “Learn to Play” lessons, interactive lessons to learn songs, and in-depth lessons on particular
techniques. These are usually in the $20-40 range.

5. Books and videos – For a reasonably priced gift, books are a great choice and can easily be
tailored to the recipient. Some categories: history of a style of guitar music (rock , blues, jazz); biography of favorite
guitar players; instruction books; guitar song (tab) books for a favorite band or style of music. Price range $15-30.

It is possible to select the right guitar gift. The key is to spend a little effort to find out about the recipient’s skill
level, gear they have, and musical preferences. If you don’t know much about guitar playing, or otherwise aren’t able to
pick a specific gift, a gift certificate for guitar gear, lessons, or other products should do the trick.