The Holidays. Ah, the most wonderful time of the year.

Or not.

As a female guitarist, I can’t tell you how many times someone has given me a gift that they thought was “cute” or “perfect for a girl who plays the guitar.” Unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on how you look at it – I’m not like most women. I will not use that pink music note coffee mug or wear those acoustic guitar-shaped earrings made of sparkling fuschia-colored rhinestones that someone thought were “perfect” for me. My preferences are of the darker, “riffier” persuasion, and usually make a lot more noise than my neighbors would like.

Lest I have you thinking that I’m an ungrateful receiver of people’s gift-giving affection, I will say this: that someone even thought about me during this busy time of the year is often enough. But if you really don’t want to force the guitar or bass player in your life to practice their best “You really shouldn’t have” face for Christmas morning, check out this list of awesome gifts for guitarists/bass players. You’ll notice we didn’t include any Seymour Duncan pickups on the list. That’s because pickup choice is a lot like a handbag or a pair of jeans: everyone is particular about the specific qualities that make them a “go to” or staple in their repertoire.

That being said, if you’ve overheard your special someone talking about a specific pickup set they’d like, or your spouse has left a print-out of one of the Seymour Duncan web pages with the words “I want this!” written all over it, please do yourself – and that special someone – a favor and get them a set of the best pickups around.

For everyone else, here is the official Seymour Duncan Holiday Gift Guide. Heed our advice and become the best friend/spouse/cousin/child/in-law ever.

Personalized Guitar Picks

It’s certainly no secret that us string-playing people have somewhat inflated egos. “Turn me up!” Turn him down!” You know how it goes. For that guitar player in your life who has yet to indulge in the absolutely coolest stroke of their ego, there are personalized guitar picks. All you need to find out are the type/gauge that they use, then head over to a company like Dunlop, Seven Kings, Steve Clayton, InTuneGP or a multitude of others, submit the design you want, the type of picks you want to order, and tell them how many picks you need(some companies have a minimum number you can order). In about a week or so, you will have a gift that every guitarist dreams of having: personalized picks to throw to their adoring fans after a searing hot solo at your local dive bar.  Price: Starting at $25

Photo courtesy of InTuneGP

Pickup Necklaces

If you’ve been to the NAMM Show over the last few years you might have seen our Seymour Duncan pickup necklaces. These are a fun stocking-stuffer, and you can also use them as keyrings if you’re not into the whole wearables thing. They’re available in two versions – Gems and Metal. There are lots of other gift ideas at our store too, including men’s and women’s shirts, guitar straps and accessories.

Metal and Gem pickup necklaces.

Monster Grips

You’ve got the picks, but now you have to hold on to them. I recently switched to a different type of pick that only comes in a celluloid material instead of the delrin I’m used to, but the shape so drastically changed my playing for the better that I’m hooked on this new pick shape. Problem: I tend to drop my picks if they are not delrin-based. Enter Monster Grips: tiny little silicon “stickers” that you put on your guitar picks and allow you to keep a grip on your favorite pick. You can buy them directly from the website or at participating dealers near you.  Price: $8.99 for a package of 16 grips

Photo courtesy of Monster Grips Inc.

The String Stretcha

The what? A string stretcher? Yes! Anyone who has ever changed guitar strings and had to tune and re-tune after stretching and re-stretching strings will appreciate this tool. It turns a 20-45 minute job into a quick 5 minute one AND stabilizes your string’s ability to stay in tune. What is not to love about that? They won’t do another string change without it. You can order the String Stretcha directly from their website or purchase it from authorized dealers.  Price: $14.50

Photo courtesy of String Stretcha Inc.

Custom Made (and Designed!) Guitar/Bass Strap

Yes, some of your guitar heroes have a cheapo strap that they bought when they first started playing. However, most of them have custom made straps that not only look great, the feel great. As someone who has stood in a 3-hour rehearsal with a very heavy Les Paul slung around me, I can tell you that the right strap will make all the difference in preventable back and shoulder pain. There are many small, independent leather shops that work on straps for some of the biggest names in the industry. You can often find out who makes a particular player’s guitar straps by doing a quick google search. I had an incredible experience with Duncan Clark at Longhorn Leathers LLC. He took my delusions of guitar stardom and my need for comfort and turned it into a gorgeous custom guitar strap that is the envy of all my guitar-playing friends.  Price: $150 and up

Photo Courtesy of Longhorn Leathers LLC

Lessons

Yes, we all think we’re rock Gods, but if Randy Rhoads could take lessons periodically while he was on tour with Ozzy, it should be obvious that no one is above the idea that there is always more to learn when it comes to guitar/bass. You can go the in-person route, or you can choose something like a one-year membership at one of the two leading guitar lesson sites: JamPlay or Guitar Tricks. And you want to know something really cool? Some of your favorite guitarists also offer lessons via Skype! Imagine getting a lesson from your guitar hero? There are no words to describe the experience.  Prices: In person/Skype lessons may vary in price depending on the instructor, JamPlay has monthly memberships available for $19.99 a month, annual memberships for $139; Guitar Tricks has memberships starting as low as $10.75 per month.

Blackstar Fly 3 Compact Mini Amp

Your resident rock star is going to need an amplifier to play those hot new licks out of, so why not get them something that can also double as a set of speakers? Blackstar’s new Fly 3 is a mini amp that can be used as exactly that, a 3 watt guitar amplifier.  It’s patented ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) allows you to customize your sound, and it also features tape delay effects. Where it becomes versatile is its ability to be expanded by adding the Fly 103 mini cabinet to it. Now you have a 6 watt machine that sounds a lot bigger than the amount of space it takes up. You can plug your guitar, smartphone, iPod, iPad or almost any other portable audio device into the Fly 3 and use it as a portable stereo system too, which makes it almost like the bowling ball that Homer bought Marge for her birthday in the famous Simpson’s episode, only a lot cooler.  Price: MSRP $69.99

Photo Courtesy of Blackstar Amplification

Marshall Compact Refrigerator

Even guitar and bass players need coolin’. At the very least their drinks do. What would look cooler than a simulated Marshall stack as a refrigerator in a jam space? Not much. The Marshall Fridge is a 4 Cu.Ft unit that also comes with a .4 Cu. Ft freezer compartment so you have more than enough ice for those cold drinks you’ll be pouring during the holidays. And yes, the knobs do go to 11.  Price: $399

Some Bonus Advice

If you need stocking stuffers, or you need a last minute gift that doesn’t require much thought (we’ll forgive you, but only because the hustle and bustle of the holidays are brutal for so many of us), you can always fill your loved one’s stocking with their favorite guitar strings, or guitar care products like polish, fretboard conditioner, and microfibre towels. Check out Prof. Green’s guitar care line, as well as the Big Bends company for some phenomenal products that will keep guitars and basses looking and playing their best.

Photo courtesy of Big Bends

Photo by Martina Fasano

Whatever you decide, remember that musicians are people like everyone else. We are often misunderstood and with a little bit of thought, your willingness to connect with us and our most favorite thing in the world (guitars and basses) will move you on to our “nice” list. If you insist on the sparkly fuschia pink acoustic guitar earrings, however, there is no telling what list you’ll end up on.