2024 Classical Guitar Gift Guide

(updated 2024-11-13) What do you get for the guitarist on your list? Below you’ll find gift recommendations suitable for classical guitarists, as well as acoustic and electric guitarists.

If you’re looking for Christmas gifts for guitarists, here are a few options. Some even have discount codes!

To find recommendations on standard guitar gear, click here.

Full Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means I get a small referral fee if you purchase from these links. But this does not affect your price in any way.

Guitar Accessories

SoundFile Glass Nail File – This is a nano-glass fingernail file, with a handmade wood handle. They come in many different kinds of wood. This is a wonderful gift for any classical guitarist. Really special!

21st Century Flamenco Capo – A Retro-looking guitar capo that works perfectly on any Classical or Flamenco guitar.

D’Addario Humidikit – A new approach to keeping your guitars humidified and safe. [Disclaimer: Please read the instructions carefully as any misuse may cause damage to your instrument]

Soundbrenner Pulse the Metronome Watch – “Experience amazingly accurate haptic feedback in the form of strong, distinct vibrations that are easily felt against your skin.” [I personally have not used this, but I want one!]

Wittner Classic Metronome – This elegant wood-cased analog metronome makes a beautiful gift. These look timeless and at home in any practice space. The real deal.

Tama RhythmWatch Metronome – I’ve used this metronome for nearly 20 years. It’s overkill for most people, but I love it. It also can be plugged into the wall, so no need for batteries.

KLIQ UberTuner – Guitar Tuner. A Standard Clip-On guitar tuner to help keep you in tune during your practice.

Classical Guitar Capo – Capos are great fun. And this one is sleek and stylish. It fits in most cases and is wide enough for a classical guitar.

Folding Music Stand – Portable and Foldable. Adjustable for multi-surface use. Packs in seconds. Compact and easy to store. Lightweight and perfect for travel. It comes with a black waterproof carrying bag.

Manhasset Music Stand – These stands are sturdy and big. Trusted by most major schools and symphonies. Stable, easy to work with, and beautifully industrial (and fun colors are available!)

String Swing Wall-Mounted Guitar Holder Hang your guitar on the wall with this wall-mounted guitar hook. Keep your guitar safe, on display, and front of mind.

Muso-Mirror – See what you’re doing with the Muso-Mirror. It clips to your music stand. This way, you can position it to see what your right or left hand is doing. A great practice tool. See the full Muso-Mirror review here.
MusoMirror Special! If you use the coupon code:   GUITAR   at checkout, you’ll save 10% on the MusoMirror (a special offer for CGS readers!) Note: Prices are in UK pounds, but they do ship to the US.

Guitar Supports

Gitano Guitar Support – Click here for a full review. A favorite suction-cup-based support among the CGS team! It’s small and fits easily into your guitar case.

Sagework Guitar Support – This is my current favorite guitar support. It requires installing magnets inside your guitar. But well worth the hurdle. Click here for our full review. Use the discount code: CGS2023 and save 10% on your entire order.

ErgoPlay Guitar Support – Click here for our full review.

Books

The Musicians Way (Gerald Klickstein) – “A guide to practice, performance, and wellness. This book dives into practice habits, memorization, interpretation, motivation, and more.

The Practice Revolution (Philip Johnson) – written for teachers, but great practice ideas, games, and general philosophy of music practice

Zen Guitar (Philip Toshio Sudo) – The name says it all.

The Art of Practicing (Madeline Bruser) – On playing from the heart. A lovely book with a 10-step approach to daily practice.

The High-Performance Mind (Anna Wise) – On mastering the ability to control your brainwave frequencies for optimal performance. While not music-based, I find this kind of work helpful for focusing and performing.

The Inner Game of Music (Barry Green) – On getting past our silly minds and just making great music.

Daily Rituals (Mason Currey) – Short descriptions of the daily rituals and routines of 161  top artists, musicians, thinkers, and creatives. One of my all-time favorites. Not guitar-specific, but great for any fan of routine.

Practicing: A Musician’s Return to Music (Glenn Kurtz) – This is a lovely memoir, and also includes a succinct history of the guitar.

Peak – Secrets from the New Science of Expertise (Anders Ericsson) Discover how to accelerate your learning. This book is perhaps the best book available on the process of mastery. It has heavily influenced CGS and The Woodshed® Program.

“I bought Peak – Secrets from the New Science of Expertise and it is very inspiring. It has made me realise that I can improve if I practice correctly and work at it concistently. Nice to know that improvement is a given if I concentrate on the learning process and don’t expect miracles.”

Frances Palstra, CGS reader

Practical Theory Complete (Sandy Feldstein) – One of my favorite resources for learning theory. It’s a workbook and will help move your skills to a new level.

A Life on the Road (Julian Bream) – Julian Bream was a fun-loving guitar character. This memoir gives many humorous accounts of his life on the road. A very fun read for any fan of guitar, or the man.

Musical Interpretation: Its Laws and Principles, and Their Application in Teaching and Performing (Tobias Matthay) – This was written in 1913 for piano, but most concepts cross over to guitar. Matthay was an extraordinary teacher (if so-so writer), and this book is solid gold.  

By Heart (Paul Cienniwa): This is a wonderful little book on the process and art of memorizing music. While the author is a harpsichordist, all the methods and principles also apply to memorizing guitar music.

Practicing Music by Design: Historic Virtuosi on Peak Performance (Christopher Berg)
This book looks at how the latest science confirms the practice and habits of great players. It has solid tips and a dynamite bibliography. And Berg is a classical guitarist, so many of the examples hit close to home.

Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning (Peter C. Brown, et al.) Learn proven strategies to master skills faster.  This book is a treasure trove of useful tactics.  You get to hear about the studies and methods researchers used to pinpoint what works and hear why the work.  Make it Stick has greatly influenced many of the strategies in the CGS courses and program.  

 Guitar Courses

ClassicalGuitarShed.com Courses – Browse over 70 courses and pick one you like. Some focus on skills, others on specific pieces of repertoire. Most popular include Pachelbel’s Canon, Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring, and Malaguena. Popular skills-based courses include The Segovia Scales, How to Read Music, and Reading on the Higher Positions.

The Woodshed® Classical Guitar Program – This is a complete guitar program. It goes step by step from beginner to advanced. Suitable for all ages of adults, regardless of experience or current ability. Also includes personal support, community, and more.