Are you looking for an original gift idea for a guitarist or bassist?
Find the perfect gift for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, or any other occasion and surprise your partner, friend, bandmate, or acquaintance with the best guitar/bass accessories. Guitarists and bassists are very peculiar about their equipment. Each element of their setup was chosen for specific reasons. But that does not mean it is impossible to find suitable guitar gifts. We have brought you our top 5 gift tips for guitar and bass players.
If you need a small, inexpensive gift, with limited time on your side, you should not get it wrong, when it concerns standard guitar or bass equipment. When playing guitar and bass there are many wearing parts or things to try out. These include, for example: tuners, guitar strings or bass strings, simple straps, standard picks, or capo.
But other brilliant ideas are the merchandise products, such as Tshirts, a plectrum chain or keychains of the favorite brand. We present 3 gift ideas for less than €20:
This useful guitar accessory is a great gift for guitarists. A capo is used to create an upward transposition of the tone - without applying other fingerings. The instrument sounds higher due to the shortening of the strings. This allows you to match the tone, for example, to the pitch of the singing voice.
The Capo is simply clamped to the fretboard along the frets of the guitar. Afterwards, the guitar can be played normally. Not only beginners will have fun with this, also every professional has a capo in his basic guitar equipment.
► Our tip Steyner Capo
Musicians love jewelry. Above all, they are full of passion for music. This chain has the shape of a guitar pick. Available in silver or rose gold. On the back is engraved a musician's wisdom. "When words fail music speaks". This beautiful necklace makes musicians hearts beat faster. It is therefore excellently suited as a gift for guitarists or bassists.
Many guitarists and bassists are fans of large instrument manufacturers, such as Fender, Gibson, Marshall.... A t-shirt is always useful, and musicians are proud to carry their favorite brand close to them.
Real guitar lovers are creative, individual personalities. They love the "special something" - far away from the mainstream. They are most happy about gifts that can really be used, shown or experienced. And of course, that can be associated with their guitar, bass, or favorite brand. So, if you are looking for a gift for a real guitar freak, you will definitely hit the mark with an unusual gift idea.
A guitar or bass strap is part of a musician's basic equipment. The strap acts as a practical helper, when holding the instrument. But it can also make a visual statement. If the recipient attaches great importance to high-quality guitars, perhaps even has his guitars made to order, he will certainly be hugely pleased with a strap that does justice to the instrument, both in quality and appearance. Since a strap with an extraordinary design makes the guitar or bass really shine again. Tip: A personal engraving is guaranteed to make the musician's heart to beat even faster. Impress your guitarist or bassist with a handmade premium guitar/bass strap.
► Our guitar strap tip: Discover unique guitar straps with engraving
► Our bass strap tip: Discover unique bass straps with engraving
A small selection of special plectra, for example made of wood, horn or stone pleases every musician. As a rule, every guitarist or bassist has certain preferences when it comes to plectra. However, these are usually "standard picks made of plastic" that are in constant use. Therefore, a plectrum made of a special material is a nice gift idea. There are already ready-made sets for different guitar models (electric guitars, acoustic guitars, basses). So, you only need to know which instrument the gift-recipient plays.
► Our tip: Timber Tones Picks
Basically, the guitar strap is attached to the "strap pins" (or strap button, guitar button and end pin) that are affixed for this purpose. However, the number of these fixings can vary. There are guitars with two strap pins, some with only one, as well as instruments that do not have a pin at all. A strap pin is a screw with a wider attachment. The hole of the guitar strap is slipped over this attachment. These (attachments) are of different shapes, materials, and colors. The most common colors are alloys in gold, silver and black. In the following pictures we explain the different ways of attaching a strap to an instrument.
Most electric guitars, electric basses, as well as acoustic guitars are nowadays equipped with two "strap pins". Attaching a guitar strap to these guitars is pretty simple. Just pull the strap holes at the ends of the guitar strap over the "strap pins". That is it! In the following picture you can see how to attach a guitar strap to an electric guitar.
As an alternative to the strap pin assembly, there is the "classic guitar strap". This strap is placed around the neck and hooked into the sound hole of the guitar. Note that this mount is not very secure. You would always need to hold the guitar with one hand. When using a classic guitar strap, please remember to always secure your instrument with at least one hand. When using these guitar straps, the instrument can tip forward and in the worst-case crash. In addition, if you have a valuable instrument (e.g., with valuable inlays around the sound hole), you should always check that the strap hook is not damaged in any way that could possibly cause scratches to the instrument. In the following picture you can see the attachment of a guitar strap to a classical guitar.
Not sure which guitar strap is best for you and your needs? What is important when choosing a strap? We will show you.
When playing the guitar, the issue - the right guitar strap - is often "taken lightly". Unfortunately, little attention is paid to this essential "support for the guitar". One buys a new guitar from the store and quickly grabs a cheap strap on the way out, or perhaps looks around on the Internet for simple models.
Absolute priority should be given to wearing comfort, especially when playing while standing up for long periods of time. The comfort of the strap is particularly important because it will be on your shoulder for many hours, depending on your demands. Only if you feel really comfortable while wearing the guitar, can you be able to concentrate 100% on your playing.
The guitar strap should not prevent you from playing by cutting into your neck, slipping around annoyingly or by exerting painful tension on your shoulder.
With or without upholstery (padding)?
With a strap that is too thin, cutting is inevitable. So, you will probably quickly lose the fun of playing. Buying a guitar strap that can only be used for 2-3 songs due to poor comfort would simply be too bad. Therefore, pay special attention to a soft and not too thin contact surface. We recommend a belt thickness of at least 2 mm. The material should be incredibly soft and above all not "sharp-edged". If it may be a little "more", a sewn-in padding will be a great choice. Thanks to the padding, the thickness of the strap is usually well over 2 mm and ensures comfortable wearing.
▶ Our tip: Cotton, leather and neoprene offer soft edges on non-padded straps. Guitar straps made of polyester, nylon, seat belts are in most cases thin and rather sharp-edged.
Do I need a breathable strap?
This decision depends on the area of use of the strap and your personal requirements. Depending on where you play music, sweating while playing the guitar is unavoidable.
▶ Our tip: Guitar straps made of natural fibers like cotton or leather have good breathability. They are especially suitable for gigs wherein you can get sweaty. Non-breathable synthetic fibers such as, vegan leather and polyester are less suitable for stage gigs as they encourage more sweating.
How smooth the strap should be, depends on your preferred playing style.
▶ Our tip: Cotton, suede leather and neoprene offer a good grip. Polyester, nylon, and smooth leather are suitable if the guitar explicitly supposed to slide.
There are guitar straps from €10, as well as straps that also cost over €200. Likewise, there are great differences in terms of wearing properties and quality. Here you can find cheap industrially produced straps, as well as high-quality handmade leather straps, or other individual boutique variants, far from the mainstream.
Thus, the price of the guitar strap depends on your personal demand. If you only use a strap once in a while, a cheap strap will probably be enough for you. If you play a lot and for a long time, it will be best you invested a little more on this.
A good guitar strap should carry the weight of the guitar without any problems. The strap should not be too thin, and the material should not stretch when pulled hard. Especially with heavy guitars and the high tension that arises when playing, the strap should be robust, tear-resistant and above all well made. Since even poorly processed seams could open up under certain circumstances and cause the guitar to crash.
▶ Check attachment: You should also pay much attention to the fastening/attachment. Pay particular attention to the end piece with the hole, which is put over the strap pin. Depending on what material it is made of, it can lend out under heavy use and automatically lever the strap out of the strap pin. Therefore, this tab should not be too thin. We recommend at least 2.5 mm. It is best if the tab barely goes over the belt pin the first time.
Since nothing is worse than having your guitar fall off, especially if it is of an awfully expensive specimen, we recommend in principle the attachment by means of a > Straplock System including Security Locks. This > Strap lock can also somewhat curb the borrowing of an end piece that is too thin.
▶ Our tip: Pay attention to firm seams and the thickness of the end pieces. We recommend at least 2.5 mm thickness. For maximum safety, we recommend the combination of a solid end piece and the Straplocks belt lock. With this, you will be bombproof on the road.
How long should the strap be?
There are two factors that determine the right length of your guitar strap. Your physique and your playing style. The guitar should always hang high enough so that you have enough freedom of movement and can grip without problems. Most straps are adjustable in length, which provides some wiggle room.
▶ Our tip: Before buying, we recommend measuring the approximate distance the strap needs to travel from one strap button to the other over your shoulder. This works best with the help of a tape measure.
Picture: Comfortable real leather guitar strap "Vintage Toffee Deluxe", 65 mm wide with 4 mm padding.
How wide should the strap be?
The optimal width depends on the weight of the guitar, personal feeling, and the wearing duration. The weight of a guitar can be between 2-6 kg, depending on the model. After playing for a long time, the back could feel the impact. The standard strap widths for guitars range between 5 and 8 cm. Anything less than 5 cm is usually too uncomfortable. Basically, the wider the strap’s contact surface, the better the weight of the guitar is distributed on the shoulder.
▶ Back problems?: If you already have problems with tension and back pain, we recommend a well-padded and at least 6-8 cm wide strap. Regardless of the weight of your guitar. To counteract the one-sided strain while playing, we recommend some movement while playing. You can, for example, walk a few meters or stand differently in between.
▶ Our tip:
There are hardly any limits to the material. Below we will explain to you the advantages and disadvantages of the different materials in relation to a guitar strap. The common materials are:
Leather is still one of the most popular materials for guitar straps, as the variety is extremely large. Starting from different colors, styles, shapes, to elaborately embossed and super soft padded straps. The way of tanning, vegetable or by means of chrome salts, is also increasingly becoming an issue today.
Real leather straps look more sophisticated than synthetic straps and are also more durable. They hug the body very well. Padded straps in particular provide an extremely high level of comfort. As a natural product, genuine leather has the great advantage of being breathable. This means that you sweat significantly less when wearing it.
However, the ethical factor as well as the price, which is significantly higher compared to synthetic fibers could speak against genuine leather.
Advantages of leather:
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Disadvantages of leather:
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For vegans who do not want to sacrifice the leather look and good comfort, a vegan leather strap (synthetic leather) can be a great alternative. Faux/synthetic leather, like genuine leather, offers a huge variety. From colors, textures, and styles to embossing and padding, everything is possible. Faux leather is mostly insensitive and resistant to stain, which makes it especially easy to care for.
The longevity depends on the quality of the artificial leather. Therefore, vegan belts may not be visually appealing after 1-2 years. The leather bursts open and starts to crumble. Since faux leather is not breathable due to the closed surface, heavy sweating and "sticking" occurs.
If you opt for artificial / faux leather products, you should also be aware that all plastics are petroleum based and that there can be environmental impact in the manufacturing and also disposal of the products. Also, vegan leather may contain plasticizers and solvents that can cause allergies on the skin. Last but not least, depending on the quality of the artificial leather, the guitar strap may smell like "chemicals".
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Disadvantages of synthetic leather:
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Advantages of synthetic fibers:
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Disadvantages of synthetic fibers:
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▶ Our tip: Do you like the simple, elegant look of safety straps or the shiny surface of nylon / polyester straps? But you do not want to do without slip resistance and high comfort? Then you might like these double stitched guitar straps made of > nylon or > car seatbelt These guitar straps were connected on the back with a thick cotton band. Therefore, they are non-slip, do not cut into the neck and are super comfortable.
Neoprene straps usually have additional padding on the inside. Therefore, they possess a good level of comfort. Also, the contact surface is not too smooth to ensure a good grip on the shoulder. The material is resistant to stains and easy to clean. However, there are strong restrictions in terms of appearance. Almost only black variants are common and refinements, such as embossing, are not possible.
Advantages of neoprene:
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Disadvantages of neoprene:
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Guitar straps made of this natural product have some advantages: The surface texture is mostly roughened and dull. Unintentional slipping is prevented by this property. Thanks to the soft feel of cotton or hemp strap, the strap can be worn comfortably on the shoulder. Since the edges are particularly soft, depending on the thickness, there is usually no cutting into the neck. The material is exceptionally durable and skin friendly. Since cotton and hemp are natural products, they have good breathability. This prevents excessive sweating.
Advantages of cotton / hemp: |
Desventajas del algodón / cáñamo: • dries slowly |
When a design comes into play, the second layer is usually used on the guitar strap. Unless the base strap has already been printed. All of the above-mentioned materials can serve as the support surface, with their advantages and disadvantages. Leather, synthetic leather, nylon, polyester, cotton. A patterned fabric or a colored woven ribbon is then sewn onto this base. If the carrier belt is soft and thick, the sewn jacquard woven tape could also cut in. This depends on the softness of the woven tape.
▶ Our tip: Always make sure that the sewn-on fabric or woven tape does not have any sharp edges either. Either the woven tape should be super soft or directly folded in, so that no cutting can occur.
This depends entirely on your personal taste. For many guitarists, the appearance plays a big role. Either the strap must match the outfit, or the guitar, or reflect the personal style. Whether the guitar strap is made of leather, nylon, or cotton, in all areas there are a variety of designs that serve different styles. Such as vintage, retro, rockabilly, leather look, classic, modern, floral, paisley, simple and elegant, monochrome, swank, or animal style. From skull and crossbones, and stripe patterns, to floral and hippie patterns, to attached studs or glitter.
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> Vintage Guitar Straps |
> Paisley Guitar Strap |
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> Retro Guitar Straps |
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