Gifts for guitar players: 17 things I actually use
By String & Amp Team
Photo: Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
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I believe there’s no better service you can give to your guitar, than having a professional set it up and maintain it – that’s the whole reason I started String & Amp in the first place.
That said, there’s also maintenance you can provide to your own gear and below is a curated list of gear that I’ve bought over the years that I wanted to share.
Everything here is something I’ve bought and continue to use. I figured if it earned a consistent use in the maintenance of my guitars, it belonged on this list. I also included gear that has been invaluable to me as a gigging musician.
I left prices out but indicated cost using $ signs. They jump around a lot so do check the listing before you buy. Product details checked October 2026.
Not sure what a setup costs? See our guitar setup and repair cost guide or compare shop prices in the Guitar Repair Price Index.
Gifts for Guitar Maintenance
# | Gift | Good for |
|---|---|---|
Gifts for Guitar Maintenance | ||
1 | Any player who has not discovered the joy of ergonomic picks! | |
2 | Acoustic players who value longevity of their strings | |
3 | Acoustic players who don’t want to damage pin heads when changing strings | |
4 | Anyone who’s battled with a peg winder and felt there must be an easier way | |
5 | A player whose frets look dull or feel scratchy on bends | |
6 | The player who restrings with a folded towel under the neck | |
7 | Someone working out of a junk drawer of mismatched drivers | |
8 | A player who wants to check neck relief properly | |
9 | Someone who’d rather measure string height than eyeball it | |
10 | An experienced home tech ready to cut or lower nut slots | |
11 | Any human whose fingers sweat when they play | |
Gear that just rocks! | ||
12 | OK not exactly a maintenance tool but there’s a reason the NS-2 is legendary | |
13 | If you’ve a tube amp and don’t want the tone/saturation at volume levels that won’t blow the windows | |
14 | Gigging players tired of tripping over cables | |
15 | Anyone whose combo amp sits on the floor | |
16 | Anyone who wants wireless freedom while gigging / playing | |
17 | Anyone who plugs a cable from a guitar into anything else. | |
1. Bog Street ALL AXE-CESS Ergonomic Guitar Picks Variety Pack
What: A variety pack of ergonomic picks, so they can try a few shapes and grips and keep the one that feels right. ($)
Why I love this: I used the same Dunlop picks for YEARS. Then I tried these and honestly never have gone back – slot just right between thumb and forefinger.
Worth knowing: Pick feel is personal. Some players stick with one shape for decades and won’t switch but these might make someone make the leap to ergonomic picks.
Made by Bog Street
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
2. Elixir Acoustic Guitar Strings, 80/20 Bronze POLYWEB
What: Coated acoustic strings in 80/20 bronze. These are the ones we keep restocking. ($)
Why I love this: I play a lot of outdoor gigs, and when I do my fingers sweat (if I’m being honest they always do). Anyway the coating on these keeps them fresher for longer – best I’ve found.
Worth knowing: Strings have “gauges” and a different gauge can change how the guitar plays and may mean a setup adjustment. If you’re buying for someone else, an empty string packet in their case tells you what to get. Electric and bass players need different strings.
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
3. MusicNomad GRIP Puller Bridge Pin Puller (MN219)
What: A dedicated tool for pulling acoustic bridge pins. It’s tiny, and it beats prying stubborn pins out with pliers, which can mark the bridge. ($)
Why I love this: I’ve scratched bridges and broken pin heads pulling out bridge pins. This makes it easy, has a nice rubber coating so it won’t leave a mark.
Worth knowing: For acoustic guitars only.
Made by MusicNomad
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
4. CANTEEN Electric String Winder for Guitar & Ukulele
What: A powered peg winder. Six strings means a lot of cranking, and this does the cranking for you. ($)
Why I love this: Hand winding using a peg winder is all well and good but for something you’ll do hundreds of times on your guitar, this is worth it. Charges over USB-C.
Worth knowing: A hand winder does the same job for less money and never needs charging. This one is about speed and convenience.
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
5. MusicNomad FRINE Fret Polishing Kit (MN124)
What: The kit has a 30 ml bottle of fret polish, three fretboard guards for small, medium and jumbo frets, and a microfiber cloth. The guard sits over each fret so the polish touches metal and not the wood around it. ($)
Why I love this: Makes polishing frets a breeze. I actually use a Dremel tool with a polishing head and use these with the polish and guards to make it a quick but thorough job.
Worth knowing: Polish makes frets clean and smooth. It won’t fix worn, grooved or uneven frets. That’s a fret dress, which independent shops typically list at $175 (see our repair cost guide).
Made by MusicNomad
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
6. MusicNomad Cradle Cube Neck Rest (MN206)
What: A gel neck rest with five heights and angles. The guitar stays put while they work on the frets or tuners, and turned upside down the cube holds small tools. ($)
Why I love this: I used to use a towel and it was a pain. This can be propped up multiple ways and combine this with a simple felt mat (I like to use desk mats that have some grip on the bottom) and working on your guitar is a joy.
Worth knowing: It holds the neck only. They’ll still want a soft surface under the body.
Made by MusicNomad
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
7. MusicNomad 26 pc Guitar Tech Screwdriver & Wrench Set (MN229)
What: 26 screwdrivers and wrenches sized for guitar work, all in one case. It’s the same set MusicNomad puts in its bigger KISS setup bundle, sold on its own. ($)
Why I love this: Honestly a must-have for anyone doing basic maintenance. Has everything you need in a small neat package.
Worth knowing: It’s for screws and nuts. Truss rod wrenches are a separate MusicNomad set, so check what their guitar’s truss rod takes.
Made by MusicNomad
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
8. Notched Straight Edge Guitar Neck Setup Tool
What: In a StewMac video, Dan Erlewine names a straightedge as one of three specialty tools for a professional setup. The notches clear the frets, so the edge sits on the fretboard itself and shows how straight the neck really is. ($$)
Why I love this: I used to try and “eyeball” to see what the neck looked like. This makes it so easy and you want to invest in a straight edge that’s actually straight and with some weight to it which this has.
Worth knowing: It shows the problem. Fixing it still means a truss rod adjustment, so if you’re not comfortable doing that definitely take it to a shop but this will at least tell you if something is up.
Made by SkyScraper Guitars
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
9. FretGuru METRIC+ String Action Gauge
What: A small gauge for reading string height. Erlewine lists an action gauge right next to the straightedge in that same setup video. ($)
Why I love this: The two things that will mess up the sound of your guitar – the neck being out of shape, and the string action being off. This is such a simple way to check string height and every manufacturer publishes their ideal heights.
Worth knowing: This is the metric version.
Made by FretGuru
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
10. MusicNomad MN667 Nut Slotting File Set
What: Files for cutting the string slots in a nut. Slots that are too high make the first few frets hard to play, and these are how a tech lowers them. ($)
Why I love this: If you’re up for putting a new nut on your guitar (I’ve toyed around with bone vs synthetic and I swear by a compensated nut for electric), then this file set is essential.
Worth knowing: This is the most advanced gift here. File a slot too deep and the string buzzes, and the usual fix is a new nut. Only buy it for someone who already does their own setups.
Made by MusicNomad
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
11. MusicNomad Nomad Guitar Cleaning Tool Set
What: Two tools in one pack: the original Nomad Tool and the smaller Nomad Slim. The big one has a microfiber pad that wipes the top and the underside of the strings in one pass, and a soft brush on the other end for dust around the bridge, pickups and tuners. The Slim gets into the tight spots, like between pickups or under a floating bridge. ($)
Why I love this: Nothing ages the fretboard and strings more than the grease and sweat that build up when gigging. These slot right in under the strings and help clean all that up post playing. Such a simple way to keep the guitar sounding great.
Worth knowing: It’s a dry cleaner for dust and grime, no liquid needed. MusicNomad’s advice is to get the dust off before you polish, so you don’t grind it into the finish.
Made by MusicNomad
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
12. Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor Pedal
What: It cuts hum and hiss from coils and other sources of interference ($$)
Why I love this: I love single coils. I hate hum. The Boss NS-2 has one job and it does it extremely well.
Worth knowing: It hides noise. It won’t fix a bad cable or a crackling jack, and that kind of electronics work typically runs $40 at independent shops (repair cost guide). If a pedal itself is acting up, our guitar pedal repair guide covers what usually breaks.
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
13. JHS Little Black Amp Box
What: It acts as an added master volume or signal reducer, letting you crank your amp’s preamp gain for natural saturation while lowering the overall volume hitting the power section – gets added in the effects loop. ($$)
Why I love this: Amongst other amps (too many), I love my Fender Hot Rod. This little beauty allows you to juice the amp to warm up those tubes, without blowing the windows out of your home. Works very well (plus I just love JHS!)
Worth knowing: It turns down what goes into the amp. It isn’t a power attenuator, so it won’t tame a loud amp’s output section.
Made by JHS Pedals
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
14. Xvive A58 Wireless Guitar System 5.8GHz
What: A plug-in wireless system on 5.8GHz: one unit in the guitar, one in the amp or pedalboard, no cable in between. ($$)
Why I love this: Sometimes I love the simplicity of cables but other times it’s nice to be cable-free and this works very well without breaking the bank. I’ve used it for both practice and live gigs without issues or interference / dropouts.
Worth knowing: It’s one of the bigger gifts here, and it’s only worth it for someone who moves around on stage or plays somewhere a cable gets in the way.
Made by Xvive
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
15. Gator Frameworks Adjustable Guitar Amp Stand
What: It lifts a combo amp off the floor and tilts it back toward the player, so they hear what the audience hears instead of what their ankles hear. ($$)
Why I love this: You could buy a cheaper stand but don’t. Gator stands are well made, won’t topple and will hold your amp steady.
Worth knowing: Check the amp’s size and weight against the listing first.
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
16. Shure GLXD16+ Digital Wireless Guitar Pedal System
What: A wireless system built into a pedal. The receiver lives on the pedalboard with a tuner built in, and the bodypack transmitter runs on a rechargeable battery Shure rates at up to 12 hours. It scans the 2.4 and 5.8GHz bands and picks a clean channel by itself. ($$$)
Why I love this: OK this is the second wireless solution I have on the list. This is pricey (relatively speaking) but it’s professional-grade. Rock solid, finds best signal on its own, will last multiple gigs on a single charge, has a built-in tuner in the pedal. It’s not cheap but it’s worth every penny for a player who just wants to be wireless and not worry about it.
Worth knowing: This particular version is for US wireless bands – other regions need a different variation.
Check it on Amazon (sponsored link)
17. Rattlesnake Cables
What: Instrument cables from Rattlesnake Cable Company, assembled by hand in Missoula, Montana. Guitar cables, pedalboard patch cables, speaker and mic cables… and they’ll build one to the length you need. ($$)
Why I love this: OK so not an affiliate link where I make anything off of it BUT these are just the best cables I’ve ever used. Extremely well made, they’ll make them custom lengths for you, wonderful selection, and all hand made in Montana. Once you feel these in your hand vs. a cheaper cable, it’s just hard to go back – I just love ’em.
Worth knowing: Do you like outstanding cables and supporting a small, family run business? 🙂
Check it on Rattlesnake’s Website
Questions people ask about gifts for guitarists
What do you get a guitar player who has everything?
Give them something they use up, like picks, fret polish, or strings in the brand and gauge they already play. Or skip the gear and pay for a professional setup at a local repair shop which typically ran $88 – $100 at independent shops in September 2026.
What’s a good small gift for a guitarist?
I find that sometimes the small, helpful tools that make caring for a guitar are gifts that are really valued – an electronic peg winder, a bridge pin puller, a fret polishing kit, neck cleaning brushes etc. Most of my list is small tools that I know are high quality and work well. They might be small but amount to a good bit of convenience value for guitar players
How much does a guitar setup cost?
In September 2026, independent shops that posted prices online charged on average $88 for an electric guitar setup. Acoustic setups were typically $85 and bass setups $90. I would budget up to $100 for most setup scenarios given the market variation. Fret work and electronics repairs will cost extra.
Is a guitar tool kit a good gift for a beginner?
Only if they’ve shown interest in working on the guitar. For most beginners, a professional setup is the better first gift: the guitar plays easier right away, and they learn what a well set-up guitar feels like before they try it themselves.
Find a repair shop
Sometimes a gift turns up a bigger job: frets that need more than polish, or an amp that crackles when you turn it up. String & Amp lists more than 4,100 guitar and amp repair shops, including 3,923 that work on guitars.
More guides: all String & Amp guides. Popular cities: Nashville, Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles.