Gifts for the Electric Guitarist Who Actually Practices
They have a tone they're chasing. They know the difference between tubes and solid state. They practice scales. These gifts belong in the signal chain.
TC Electronic Polytune 3 — Polyphonic Tuner Pedal
A polyphonic tuner pedal that reads all six strings simultaneously — letting a guitarist strum once and see which strings are out of tune instead of tuning string-by-string. TC Electronic's Polytune is the tuner that guitar communities recommend as the upgrade from clip-on tuners; it's accurate to 0.02 cents, mutes the signal during tuning, and the buffered bypass improves signal quality on pedal boards with multiple effects in the chain.
“The one reliable rule of gift-giving: anything that makes them look more serious at what they love will be received with disproportionate gratitude.”
Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive — Classic Asymmetrical Clipping
The overdrive pedal that has been on more professional boards than almost any other — an asymmetrical clipping circuit that produces warm, responsive drive that cleans up when you roll back the guitar's volume. Boss SD-1 is what guitar communities point to when asked for an overdrive pedal that sounds professional at a non-professional price; it's been in continuous production since 1981 because it works.
George L's .155 Cable Kit — 10-Foot, No-Solder
A no-solder guitar cable kit that lets a guitarist cut the cable to any length and terminate it without soldering — the signal chain quality upgrade from the cable that came with the guitar or the one purchased at the music store. George L's cables are the transparent, low-capacitance option that guitar communities recommend for tone-conscious players; the no-solder design means a guitarist can fix a failed connection themselves.
Dunlop Strap Locks — Heavy Duty, Dual-Design
Strap locks that replace standard strap buttons with a locking mechanism that prevents a strap from coming off during a gig — the safety device that every guitarist eventually installs after one near-drop. Dunlop strap locks are what guitar communities recommend for any player using a real strap on a real guitar; the dual-design version works with existing Dunlop straps and installs in minutes with a screwdriver.
Dunlop Tortex Standard Guitar Picks — 60-Pack Variety
A 60-pack assortment of Dunlop Tortex picks in multiple thicknesses — the pick variety pack for finding the right thickness and material combination for a player's technique. Dunlop Tortex is the pick material that electric guitarists recommend as the benchmark for attack and release feel; the variety pack ends the quest for a preferred thickness by providing all of them in sufficient quantity to test thoroughly.
Fork it. Make it yours. Share before their birthday.
Friends claim items. No duplicates. No awkward conversations.
