Ho ho ho!  Budgetguitarist.com needs some dough!  Also, I want to help you.  If people are looking for gift ideas for you (or if you get an Amazon gift card yourself), I’ve got 10 great items here.  These are Amazon Affiliate links, which means that if someone buys using one of these links, I get a small commission.  It helps pay for the site and the YouTube channel.

  1. StewMac Fret End File.  Hate those sharp fret ends?  This is THE best tool in the world for fixing them, and it’s super easy to do.  Yes, it’s a tad pricey for a small file, but this is what the pros use.
  2. String Action Ruler.  This one is NOT from StewMac – it’s a budget alternative, and it’s the one I use.  It’s great and it’s inexpensive.
  3. Fender T-shirt.  For God’s sake, do NOT buy yourself a “You can never have enough guitars” t-shirt.  Let it be known that you’d really like a nice Fender t-shirt and up your guitarist fashion game from “just like all the other dads” to “I’m a guitar player with good taste.”
  4. How To Make Your Guitar Play Great (Book).  This is THE best book if you want to learn everything you need to know about working on your own guitar.  It also comes with a cool DVD.  You can play those on your BluRay player.
  5. 18 foot Blue Fender Guitar Cable.  It’s easy to lose track of which black cable on the floor is which, so get a BLUE cable for your guitar.  This is a great cable and it’ll last.
  6. Ernie Ball 3 Pack of Strings.  These are 9-42, but they also make other gauges.  Great strings and you’ll end up needing them, and then you’ll already have them!
  7. StewMac Fret Rocker.  Yes, it’s pricey.  Yes, there are cheaper versions, but you’ll never wear this out.  It’ll last forever, and it’s what the pros use.
  8. Dunlop Straploks.  They’re great, they work, they’re not much money, and they’re better than guitar socks.
  9. Soldering Station.  There are more expensive versions, but they all get the job done.  Up your soldering game for not much money!
  10. MG Chemicals Shielding Paint.  Cheaper than the StewMac stuff.  You paint your guitar cavities and it cuts down on buzz.  Better than that stupid metal tape that’s ugly and a pain in the ass.

For some tools, StewMac is worth the money.  For others, not so much.  Just my opinion, of course.