It’s that time of year again – you need a gift for the musician in your life, but you (who is maybe not a musician) feel a little lost looking at all the possibilities. You’re wishing there really was a Santa Claus that could know just what’s on every musician’s list.
Worry no longer – Santa Gear Gods is here with some absolutely foolproof gift ideas that will leave any musician’s jaw on the floor – and help them on their music-making journey.
PAUL REED SMITH SE CE 24 Standard in Metallic Satin finish – $499
PRS guitars are one of my all-time favorite designs – and the guitarists of the world agree. They’re highly sought-after guitars, not only for their exquisite looks (those BIRD inlays!!), but also their smooth playability and rock-solid tones.
Their SE line of imports brings that legacy to a lower price point – but here’s why their import guitars are the best bang for the buck – every single one gets inspected and set up at their US factory in Maryland. Unlike many import guitars that go straight from the factory to the dealer, it’s not a crapshoot.
And at just $499, the new-for-this-year SE CE 24 with its metallic satin finish (pictured here in Metallic Gold Satin, one of three such finishes) puts the coveted curves and tones easily within reach – birds and all.
FUSE AUDIO VERT Vertical Turntable – $199
Musicians are musicians for a reason – we love music.
These days, with vinyl outselling CDs for a few years running, it’s likely that we’re listening to that music we love on the most nostalgic medium – records.
But we paid how much for that limited-edition splatter vinyl – and we play it laying down on your turntable? Where no one can see how BEAUTIFUL it is?
Not any more.
The Fuse Audio VERT is the best way to display your records while you play them. How better to add a tasteful visual element to the listening experience than to put that bad boy at attention where everyone can see it while it spins?
The Vert plays your albums in a totally fresh new way – vertically. It takes the idea of the old flat-laying turntable and leaves it in the past where it belongs. The record is securely held in an upright position while it plays, either through the built-in speakers or your home sound system through the output in the back.
I’ve got mine spiffing up my living room for both the eyes and ears of my guests, and it really turns your music into a functional piece of eye candy. It’s a home run of a gift for any record enthusiast, or the perfect way to start them down the path.
Light up someone’s holiday with the Fuse Audio VERT for just $199.
ROCKSTEADY AUDIO Stadium 2.0 Wireless Speaker + Subwoofer Bundle – $599.99
And now that they’ve got the coolest record player on earth, they’re gonna need something to blast it through so they can really feel it – which is why they’re gonna need the Rocksteady Audio Stadium.
And a stadium is what their living room or the beach is going to feel like with this 5-speaker bundle (4 speakers and a subwoofer). And it’ll feel like freedom – because the whole rig is wireless.
That’s right – fill the space with fat, clean sound with not a cable in sight because they use Bluetooth. Feel the music wherever you are with the world’s first portable powered subwoofer and surround yourself with rich, hi-fidelity audio by connecting unlimited speakers up to 150 feet away.
Rock their world and their living room with the Rocksteady Audio Stadium 2.0 speaker bundle for just $599.99 (normally $799.99) and pump up the holiday jams!
Apogee JamX – Record Guitar with NO Hassle – $199
Recording music should be easy and fun. It’s 2024 – you shouldn’t have to have a degree in engineering to get sound from your guitar into your computer.
Enter the Apogee JamX interface.
It’s simple. It’s portable. It sounds great. It’s easy to use, and it’ll fit nicely in a stocking (hint hint).
It comes with enough stuff to start recording music immediately – the bundled software includes both Ableton Live Lite (recording software) and an extended trial of Neural DSP’s Archetype: Tim Henson for instant awesome guitar tones. It’s plug-and-play: compatible with Mac, Windows, and any iOS device. No external power is necessary, because it’s powered by the USB cable.
Crank It Up: Plug your headphones directly into the top with the 1/8” stereo headphone input or connect to powered speakers with an adapter.
Get the Apogee JamX interface here for just $199 so they can start jamming right away!
Neural DSP Amp Sim Plugins (50% off for Black Friday) + Nano Cortex – Guitar tones of the future!
Once they’ve got something to plug their guitar into, they need some tones to make it sound good!
In 2024, the tones of the gods have come to earth, and they now live inside the computer’s recording software – in the form of amp sim plugins. These digital recreations of the tube amp stacks and effects pedals of yore have gotten so good, my $3000+ tube amps have started to gather dust.
This is an amazing advancement because now you don’t have to be an audio engineer with $100,000 worth of gear and a pristine studio to get earth-shattering tones.
There are many of these such sounds in the pantheon of tone, but atop Olympus sits the Zeus of amp sims – Neural DSP. I use their plugins every day in my songwriting and recording, and I have never been happier with my guitar tone.
My person favorite for heavy music (although it also has a ton of versatility for any style) is their Archetype: Gojira X plugin. I’ve never played one before where I had to do zero tweaking to a preset – the default sound is so good I wanna put some garlic butter on and eat it with a side of mashed potatoes.
And Gojira X, along with all their plugins, is 50% off now for Black Friday!
But you’re thinking “What if they want to play outside of their bedroom studio? Are they gonna take their laptop onstage?” – and Neural DSP has that covered as well.
The Neural DSP Nano Cortex is a palm-sized powerhouse – a library of amp sim tones in a pedal, so you can take it to the gig in your guitar gig bag – and play the whole gig with nothing else. Infinite tones via the Neural Cortex Cloud, where you can download thousands of free amp captures and presets straight into the Nano on the way to the show.
It also functions as a USB-C powered computer interface and it can create captures of your favorite amp and plugin tones. Not bad for something so kawaii!
At just $549, the amps of the world are at your fingertips. Actually, your toe-tips? Either way, the universe of guitar in a box that Pandora would envy.
Sennheiser MD 421 Kompakt – A Legendary Multipurpose Mic in a New Compact Form Factor – $279
The MD 421 is a microphone that I just expect to be present in any studio of almost any size, and I am rarely shocked by its absence, even in recording environments that barely qualify as a studio (your buddy Randy’s unfinished basement). It’s ubiquitous.
This year, Sennheiser wanted to make it possible for you to not only fit more of them in your mic locker (in Randy’s case, an Army surplus ammo can), but also more of them on a sound source without taking up as much space – by introducing the MD 421 Kompakt.
It’s the same MD used around the globe since 1960, but now in a smaller form factor and a few new tricks up its sleeve:
- Legendary MD 421 performance, handles exceptionally high sound pressure levels in demanding environments
- Delivers incredibly clear sound reproduction, capturing pristine audio with remarkable fidelity and detail
- Compact, multipurpose size offers enhanced versatility for any recording and live sound environments
- Redesigned mounting clip is securely affixed to the microphone for easy, worry-free mounting with any application
- Rugged German engineering to withstand the rigors of touring and heavy studio use while ensuring consistent performance
- Effective feedback rejection helps maintain focus on the source audio for crystal-clear sound reproduction
- Features a rugged frame with stainless-steel basket, and gold-plated XLR connectors for durability and longevity
- Optional MZH Drum Clamp securely screws into the MD 421 Kompakt mounting clip to create a fail-safe mechanism for drum miking
- Innovative internal bass tube ensures accurate and extended low-end response, reinforcing rich and full-bodied sound without sacrificing clarity
- Wide frequency response range of 30 Hz–17 kHz, allowing for faithful reproduction of both the lows and highs
- Protective inner chassis enclosure reduces exposure to dust and humidity, preserving performance and longevity
Give the gift of one of the most versatile mics on the market (that also now fits handily in a stocking with room to spare) for just $279.
Composer Cloud – An Orchestra At Your Fingertips – $149/year
Recording orchestral instruments is… expensive, to say the least. Like – $100,000/day expensive. Yikes!
Luckily, the next-best thing can get you really close – for a fraction of a fraction of that.
I’ve used the EastWest Composer Cloud virtual instrument libraries for the past 8 years, and it never ceases to amaze me. A symphony on demand, incredibly high quality epic sounds across over 42,000 instruments. Sounds of the world, from Indian dhol and tambura to the beauty of Chinese erhu, cinematic percussion of the taiko drums of Japan and choirs from all over – they can explore instruments like these in their music, from the comfort of their home studio…
…all for just $149/year during their Black Friday sale. That’s over $90 off the usual price!
While you’re at it, they’re gonna need to learn how to use them – luckily I’ve got a whole course for that. You’re welcome!
Complete Rock and Metal Songwriting Course – $247 (normally $497)
Gear is great (check the name of the website your on to confirm my feelings on this) – but without knowledge, it’s just a finely engineered paperweight collection.
Give the gift of musical knowledge with the Complete Rock and Metal songwriting course this season, and give a gift the musician in your life will carry with them their whole life. The art of writing great songs is a priceless skill to have, and with this course, they could be on the road to putting all that gear to good use before Valentine’s Day.
The course contains over 15 hours covering every aspect of writing a song, start to finish. Guitar riffs, lyrics, vocal melodies and phrasing, drum parts, keyboards – everything you need to start writing your own bangers in no time.
Help your musician start down the path to mastering the most important part of being a musician – having music worth working for. Give them a leg up for 50% off the usual price with forever access to the course for only $247.
