Looking for a gift for someone who has an inner rockstar itching to get on stage? We have some tech-filled ideas that could just make the holidays.
Gifts come in all shapes and sizes for all sorts of interests, but if you know what sort of hobbies the person you’re buying for is into, things can get a little easier. And if they vibe with the idea of making music, we have some ideas.
From beginners instruments to pro-gear, there are a few choices if you’re shopping for the right gadget for a muso, whether they’re new to music and keen to try it out, or are already there playing their heart out.
Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster
Price: $409
Not exactly heavy on the tech side, someone keen to start something in music will want an instrument, and there’s a starting point in a Squier, Fender’s beginner series of guitars.
The Sonic Squier doesn’t have anything in common with Sega’s hero, but instead brings a slimmer style and lightweight body to the Fender Strat guitar, making it a suitable beginner guitar for anyone keen to learn.
Roland Go:Keys Music Creation Keyboard
Price: $449
Know someone who’d prefer to work their way around a piano rather than an electric guitar? It’s cool. We’ve got an idea there, too.
Roland’s Go:Keys keyboard could make a lot of sense, offering a way to connect a phone to the 61-key keyboard and play along to music, or even use it to start recording loops and making music.
Positive Grid Spark Go
Price: $219
Regardless of what instrument someone buys or plays, they’re going to likely need some amplification of sorts to get the sound out. That’s just part and parcel of how playing music works.
But while amps can vary in size and price, they’re typically not small or inexpensive. Positive Grid’s Spark Go changes both of those, making for a compact amp that also works as a Bluetooth speaker, too. It’s very much the definition of convergence in the world of music, and a cool gift idea for musicians.
Fender Play subscription
Price: from $15.49 per month
A music education service made for guitar, bass, and ukulele, Fender Play works on phone and tablet to teach the basics and then some.
You’ll need an instrument to get stuck in, but once you have one, there are videos to help you get accustomed to playing, plus songs you probably know that you’re just itching to learn to play.
And if you can’t find a prepaid card in your country, we have a handy guide to help you pay for a service that has no gift card. Currently, Fender Play offers prepaid cards in the US, but they might be more difficult to find if you don’t live in America.
Rode NT1 5th-gen
Price: $409
Getting stuck into an instrument is one thing musicians digs, but there are also typically vocals, and we have an idea for that, too.
Australia’s Rode launched the NT1 5th-gen this year, a new version of the company’s legendary NT1 mic that works for vocal recording and even instruments, too, and even comes with a virtually unclippable 32-bit output, plus the ability to plug directly into either a mixer using the XLR microphone standard or even a computer using USB-C.
It’s about as innovative as a microphone gets.
Sennheiser HD 25
Price: $349
One of our favourite pairs of headphones is perfectly suited for folks listening to their music as they play, or even just listening to music in general.
As balanced as it gets and even able to be repaired, the Sennheiser HD 25 may well be corded, but it offers one of the best sounds you can find on a pair of headphones. It’s perfectly suited to anyone who loves audio.
Fender Tone Master Pro
Price: $2749
If you’re buying something musical for someone who already is musical, you might want to consider a gadget that helps them push out more of their talent in a tech savvy way.
One of this year’s releases, the Fender Tone Master Pro is a pedal board of sorts made with guitarists in mind that can emulate and recreate the sound of amps and effects, and get different sounds out with ease. And hey, if the person you’re buying for is a bassist, Fender notes that bass amps are coming soon, too.
