Acoustic Nation's Holiday Gift Guide

I’ll admit it. I’m always looking for another gadget that will enhance my guitar playing. From simple capos and tuners to more complex apps, pedals and accessories, there’s a boatload of cool stuff that we guitarists crave. And don’t even get me started on picks. They seem to disappear on a daily basis.

And of course, there's always another instrument to try. Whether its another guitar or something else with strings, like a ukulele or mandolin, putting your fingers on something new and different keeps things fresh and sonically interesting.

I bet you’re wondering what to get the acoustic musician in your life right about now. Or, of course, what to put on your own wish list. I reached out to our family of bloggers to see what they find to be the most useful. Here are our top picks for gifts for the acoustic musician in your life…or for yourself!

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Laura B. Whitmore is a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, writing for Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.

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“Arguably the most convenient, immersive Spark product to date”: I've been using Positive Grid's Spark Neo guitar amp headphones for weeks – and while it's not the full Spark experience, it's got me playing guitar a lot more regularly

“We were given 10 to 15 dates, but we ended up playing only four or five because of conflicting member schedules… I knew I needed a change”: My band has 35 members in five countries – and it’s actually made my musical life easier

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“That move from F to Ab is either a clever allusion… or it’s an accident!” He’s one of the most influential bassists of all time, but did Motown’s James Jamerson make a mistake on this 1969 hit record?

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“I have two sources of sound: the guitar pickups and the one in my hand. The less effects there are, the better I feel”: Thurston Moore hailed Nina Garcia as noise guitar’s secret weapon – and an unusual pickup is key to her otherworldly explorations

“I’ve brought that chef mentality to whatever I do. There’s not a lot of standing around and admiring my work. It’s, ‘Right, this needs to get done’”: Meet JWJ’s Rich Jones, the chef who turned luthier – and is serving up some mighty fine acoustics

“Metal suffers without dynamics. DADGAD can help without having to think about it. You can play chords that aren’t possible in standard tuning”: John Browne hasn’t played in standard tuning for 20 years. He explains why DADGAD is perfect for modern metal

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