Our roundup includes everything from small Christmas stocking fillers, like guitar accessories, to bigger surprises that'll look right at home under the tree. There's snow time to waste, so check out our top guitarist Christmas gifts below...
Christmas guitar gifts for those who rock!
Guitar headphone amps
You might love hearing the guitarist in your life jamming away in the room next door. But if the same riff on repeat is driving you (and your neighbours) a bit crazy, then a headphone amp would make a great gift. They can just plug it into their guitar, connect a pair of headphones and rock out in silence.
Here are some of our favourite guitar headphone amps right now:
- Boss Katana Go: With 10 amp types and 60+ effects, plus the ability to download sounds made by other users, there’s no shortage of tones they can play with. It also doubles as a mini audio interface, so they can record riffs straight to their phone or PC.
- IK Multimedia TONEX Plug: Provides access to a whopping 30,000+ amp and pedal models, with a companion app that makes dialling in tones a doddle. Up to five hours of playtime means it’ll last through the longest jam sessions too.
- Positive Grid Spark NEO Core: How about a pair of premium Bluetooth headphones with all the fancy amp stuff built in? That’s exactly what these are. With 33 amps and 43 effects onboard, they’re super versatile and can even generate custom tones using AI through the mobile app.
Mini guitar pedals
Mini guitar pedals from the likes of Tone City and Landlord FX will always go down a treat. They're small enough to slip into a stocking, and they'll have no trouble finding room for one on their pedalboard. But most importantly, they sound killer.
Plenty of these pocket-sized stompboxes come in at under £50 too, so you don't have to splash out to make their day with a cool new effect (or two).
Guitar care products
It might be tough getting the guitarist in your life to tidy their room or help you clean the house. But we know they’ll always try their best to keep their pride and joy spotless.
We stock an amazing range of guitar care products that'll help them get their axe looking showroom-worthy, from polishing sprays to fingerboard cleaners. And we've also got plenty of maintenance tools if they want to get their guitar playing like new again.
We recommend the Andertons Guitar Tech & Maintenance Essentials Bundle, as it comes with everything they need to keep their guitar in a fit state to riff, strum and shred:
- Jim Dunlop body & fingerboard care kit: They can shine up their guitar with these handy sprays and cloth.
- 11-piece guitar care toolkit: Includes a string cutter, measuring gauges, fret files and other handy tools.
- Cork work mat & neck cradle: No more awkward balancing acts! These make working on a guitar safer and easier on any surface.
- Trigger capo: A must-have for quick, accurate adjustments and hassle-free restringing.
Want to know how to give a guitar some proper TLC? Check out this article...
Desktop guitar amps
That special guitarist won't always have the house to themselves to crank up their prized valve amp. But with a dinky desktop amp, they can enjoy great tone at a comfortable volume in any room.
Here are a few of our faves for every budget:
- EastCoast Bounce: This pint-sized powerhouse models eight legendary amps and features four built-in effects that are bags of fun. It also supports Bluetooth audio playback, so it doubles as a nifty little speaker for jamming along to backing tracks or kicking back with a playlist.
- Positive Grid Spark GO: It’s the smallest of the bunch (about the size of a smartphone), but it packs a serious punch. Thanks to its clever acoustic design, the Spark GO has no trouble filling a room with inspiring sound. There are loads of tones on tap too, with over 50,000 available via the Spark companion app.
- Blackstar Beam Mini: This battery-powered beast has been a best-seller for good reason. It's the world's first guitar amp to natively load Neural Amp Model (NAM) profiles. In other words, it can access over 200,000 amplifier sounds, including captures of some of the most sought-after amps on the planet.
Valeton GP Series pedals
We've covered headphone amps, guitar pedals and even touched on some smart gear that supports loading NAM files. But what if you could combine all three into one compact package? That's exactly what the Valeton GP-5 and GP-50 do.
These compact stompboxes are incredible bits of kit for the money, with the GP-5 essentially squeezing an entire guitar rig into a mini pedal. It features HD modelling tech that emulates some of the world's most iconic electric guitar amps, alongside over 100 built-in effects. In short: there's plenty to get stuck into!
Using the Valeton Suite mobile app, they can create custom tones in seconds without getting lost in menus. There's USB connectivity for recording straight to a PC too. If you reckon they'll want a little more control, especially for gigs, then the GP-50 is the better choice thanks to its dual footswitches, expanded connectivity and larger display.
Electric guitar strings
Guitarists can never have too many guitar strings, so they're a no-brainer when it comes to gift ideas. The only thing you'll need to get right is the string gauge. That's because every guitar is set up for a specific gauge (or string thickness), and switching to a different one can affect how their instrument feels to play.
Most electric guitars come fitted with 9-42 or 10-46 strings as standard, so they're usually a pretty safe bet. Or if you want to be absolutely sure, try sneaking a peek in their gig bag when they're not looking...
Guitar straps
There's no chance they'll be disappointed with a quality guitar strap as a Christmas gift. Especially if they've been rocking the same one for donkey's years and it's hanging on by a thread.
Premium guitar straps made from leather are timeless, hard-wearing and look even better with age. Neoprene straps are super comfy and durable, making them a great choice if they play a particularly heavy instrument like a Les Paul. And for the ultimate luxury, look out for guitar straps with memory foam padding.
Pluginz keychains
Most guitarists spend half their life thinking about guitars anyway. So, why not give them a way to carry a little bit of that obsession wherever they go? Pluginz keychains are made from real guitar plugs, turning an everyday essential into something that's actually pretty cool.
They're affordable, stocking-filler friendly and come in a variety of styles, including designs inspired by popular guitar and amp brands. With one of these, they'll never have to rummage around at the bottom of their gig bag wondering where they left their keys.
Guitar cables
A great cable should last a lifetime, not just until the next gig. The good news is that many of our top cable brands make reliable guitar leads built to go the distance, with clean, crystal-clear sound to boot. Just like strings, a guitarist can never have too many cables and a spare will always come in handy.
Mogami are pretty much the Ferrari of guitar leads. And if they know their tone, they'll know these are the real deal. "The Cable of the Pros" is the company's motto, after all. They're also the exact cables our video team trusts for Andertons TV recordings. Orange guitar leads are a solid shout too, especially if they're after something roadworthy with a bit of style.
Guitar picks
Chances are their trusty guitar picks are looking pretty worn by now. That's why a fresh pack of plectrums is the perfect way to keep them strumming well into the new year.
If you're not 100% sure what their favourite brand or shape is, go for something like the Dunlop Shred Variety Player Pack. It includes 12 different styles and thicknesses, so they're bound to discover a few new favourites.
Gift vouchers £10 - £500
We’ve rounded up plenty of Christmas gift ideas for guitarists. But if you’re still not 100% sure what to get them this Crimbo, you can't go wrong with an Andertons E-Gift Voucher. Choose any value from £10 to £500, and they'll be free to pick out exactly what they want or put it towards their next big gear purchase.
Our vouchers are sent digitally and can be printed, so you'll still have something nice to present to them on Christmas Day. Plus, they're redeemable both online and in-store.
Looking for more gift ideas? Check out our top picks right here...