Holiday Gift Guide 2026

You don't have to play to give the perfect gift.

Tell us who you're shopping for and we'll show you what they'd love and explain why, in plain English. Every pick comes from the TME staff.

Talk to someone who plays

01 · Just starting out

Their first real instrument.

A good first instrument is easier to play, stays in tune, and makes practice feel like progress instead of a fight. Every one of these is a guitar we'd hand a beginner without a second thought.

Round it out: a D'Addario Humidipak keeps a new acoustic safe through a New England winter, and a Taylor capo opens up hundreds of songs.

02 · Lifetime instruments

The one they'll keep forever.

If you want to swing for the fences, start here. Handbuilt electrics, acoustics and mandolins, new and vintage: the kind of instrument that becomes part of their story and gets handed down.

  • I-35LC Aged Blonde

    Collings

    I-35LC Aged Blonde

    Collings' take on the classic semi-hollow, with a slimmer '60s neck and Ron Ellis humbuckers. Rich, powerful and endlessly playable.

    $9,190.00View
  • ES-330TD, Cherry (1965)

    Gibson

    ES-330TD, Cherry (1965)

    An early 1965 Gibson thinline hollowbody from a pivotal year at the factory. Light, lively and full of character.

    $5,950.00View
  • OM2HA Adirondack, Traditional

    Collings

    OM2HA Adirondack, Traditional

    A Traditional series Collings OM with an Adirondack spruce top, from the shop that is Collings' largest dealer in the world.

    $9,335.00View
  • H-14 Deluxe (2007)

    Froggy Bottom

    H-14 Deluxe (2007)

    Originally sold here, and nearly two decades of playing have opened up its voice. A touch wider and deeper than an OM, with power to spare under a flatpick.

    $7,450.00View
  • 000-18 (1956)

    Martin

    000-18 (1956)

    A 1956 Martin with a story: one owner from 1960 on, and decades of playing in its voice. The kind of guitar that gets handed down.

    $7,000.00View
  • Tony Rice Pro, Brazilian (2019)

    Santa Cruz

    Tony Rice Pro, Brazilian (2019)

    Built to Tony Rice's own specs with Brazilian rosewood and a German spruce top. Rich, warm and surprisingly easy to play.

    $12,500.00View
  • MF5 Varnish, Honey Amber (2014)

    Collings

    MF5 Varnish, Honey Amber (2014)

    A varnish-finished Collings F5 with birdseye maple and Italian spruce. Powerful and sweet, at home in bluegrass or classical.

    $10,750.00View
  • Artist Series F5 2-Bar

    Northfield

    Artist Series F5 2-Bar

    The top of Northfield's line, developed with Mike Marshall. Loar-inspired bracing for bluegrass punch and a soaring high end.

    $7,500.00View
  • F5 #263 (1981)

    Givens

    F5 #263 (1981)

    A rare Bob Givens F5 with a raw, throaty chop and a fast, narrow V neck. Old school before there was a school.

    $9,450.00View
  • MT2-O Honey Amber

    Collings

    MT2-O Honey Amber

    An A-style Collings inspired by 1910s Gibsons, with a slightly wider neck and a big, open voice. Made for folk, Celtic and roots players.

    $6,100.00View

03 · Records at home

For the bedroom studio.

Recording at home comes down to two things: a clean way into the computer and a great sound going in. These are the pieces that make the biggest difference.

04 · Lives for pedals

There's always room for one more.

Pedal users never say no to another. We picked builders they may not own yet, from one-person shops to names they'll recognize, across every kind of sound.

  • Cali76 Stacked Compressor

    Origin Effects

    Cali76 Stacked Compressor

    The compressor pros put on their board and never take off. Two studio-grade compressors in one box.

    $439.00View
  • Retrovibe MK.4

    Jam Pedals

    Retrovibe MK.4

    Hand-built in Greece. The deep, swirling vibe sound players chase for years.

    $469.00View
  • WET Fuzz

    Heather Brown

    WET Fuzz

    A small-builder fuzz with real personality. Odds are good they don't have one yet.

    $239.00View
  • Florist Modulation

    Benson Amps

    Florist Modulation

    From one of our favorite amp builders: rich movement and shimmer without turning their tone to mush.

    $259.00View
  • Royal Blue Overdrive

    Mad Professor

    Royal Blue Overdrive

    An overdrive that feels like a great amp turned up. A safe bet, even if they already own a few.

    $179.00View
  • Duo 17 Pedalboard & Case

    Temple Audio

    Duo 17 Pedalboard & Case

    If their pedals live in a tangle on the floor, this is the gift. Light, clean, and ready to gig.

    $195.00View
  • Cioks DC7 Power Supply

    Cioks

    Cioks DC7 Power Supply

    Clean, quiet power for a whole board of pedals. Seven isolated outputs in a slim unit that mounts right under a Temple board.

    $289.00View
  • Jam Pedals Wahcko Wah MK.2

    Jam Pedals

    Jam Pedals Wahcko Wah MK.2

    A hand-built wah with a vintage-style custom inductor and a six-position sweep switch, so it fits their rig and their ears.

    $399.00View
  • NUX Dual Loop Stereo

    NUX

    NUX Dual Loop Stereo

    Two independent loop tracks plus built-in drum patterns. For the songwriter who wants to build whole arrangements alone.

    $279.00View
Shop every pedal in stock

05 · On the road

For the one who takes it everywhere.

Every gig, every flight, every rehearsal across town. A good case protects the instrument they love, and they'll think of you every time they zip it up.

06 · Stocking stuffers

Small things, all under $100.

Useful, easy to wrap, and the things every player runs out of, loses, or never thinks to buy.

07 · TME regulars

For the one who calls us their guitar shop.

They already know us. Give them something to wear on the way in: shirts, hoodies and hats from the shop, plus a mug for the morning practice session.

08 · Still not sure?

Talk to a person who plays.

Tell us a little about who you're shopping for and what they play. We'll point you to something they'll actually use, and get it out the door in time.

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