Gifts for Musicians!

Ok, I confess, I am a studio freak. Do you know how many, ah, bad gifts I've gotten from people who thought they knew what I would like? I've got more guitar figurines, coffee cups with cutesy musical notes, music oriented calendars (still all turned to January), dopey musical knick knacks, tablets of flowery (and useless) manuscript paper--than I will ever use. Heh. You open it up and try to smile with a genuine face while you are thinking where-am-I-gonna-put this-so I don't trip on it... Significant others! Listen now, you can't buy a gift for a studio musician-freakoid at a "gift shop"! Or at anyplace at any Maul, oops I meant Mall! Smile. You are in the right place, right here!

Check zZounds Gift Guide

Gifts Under under $17

Gifts from $20-25

Gifts from $30-50

Gifts from $50-75

Gifts from $75-125

Gifts from $125-175

Its HOT n New this year, Apple Logic Studio Music Production Software (Macintosh)

Its a great deal ATHM40fs Headphones

Its time they learned to play the thing..
eMedia Guitar Method Lesson Instruction Software

The classiest most beautiful synth with electronic piano ever made in my opinion is the Yamaha S90ES 88-Key Weighted Action Synthesizer

Its a favorite among those who do hip hop Akai MPC4000 Plus 24-Bit, 96kHz Music Production Center

Its for Professional Studios Eventide Eclipse Harmonizer Studio Effects Processor

Considering Guitar Pedals--Get a Boss, made by Roland, who has been doing them forever

I feel ya, You want to see ALL the Electric Guitar starter packs

Tascam MFP01 4-Track Cassette Portastudio
If you're just getting into recording your own music, the MF-P01 is the perfect Portastudio for you. Using the MF-P01 couldn't be easierá just pop in a standard cassette tape, plug in your instrument, select the track you want and hit "Record." You have 4 tracks to work with, so recording your drum machine, guitar, vocals, and keyboard is no problem. Tweak: Good for anyone who want to get started making music under $100

Boss RC-50 Stereo Loop Station Pedal

Tweak: If you can master this pedal, you will blow your audience away. Its a phrase sampler, and you can connect mics and guitars for the ultimate electronic stage tricks.

Ion Audio IED01 5-Piece Electronic Drum Kit
The iDM01 features a great selection of 233 realistic, natural drum sounds, offered both in dry form and sampled with Ion's incomparable digital reverbs. Ion's exclusive 'Dynamic Articulation' feature enables a drum sound to change its tonal content as it's played harder for truly realistic performances. Tweak: E-drums are usually very expensive. These are cheap, yet cheerful

Yamaha C40 Classical Guitar Package
For almost a decade, the Yamaha C40 has established itself as Yamaha's lowest priced full-sized classical guitar. Beginners and young learners alike will appreciate the level of quality found in the C and CS Series classic guitars.
Tweak: The perfect low cost student classical guitar.

iPods and iPod Gear

Apple iPod Shuffle Portable Music Player Yep the one you've seen on TV

The SM57 is a cardiod (unidirectional) dynamic microphone with a contoured frequency response of 40 to 15,000 Hz, perfect for clean reproduction of vocals and instruments. Tweak: The all-around. do-everything studio microphone is known and used in high end and low end studios. Everyone needs one, even those with the mega buck mic habit. Under $100 Keep in mind that stores will not let you return a mic, software or headphones

Epiphone SG Special Electric Guitar
You've been waiting and now you don't have any more excuses. Epiphone's SG Special is the most affordable SG ever. Now everyone can own the classic styling and unbeatable performance. Features include 2 humbuckers, tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece, and Rosewood fingerboard.

Fostex X12 4-Track Cassette Multi-Track Recorder
The new Fostex X-12 represents the most cost-effective route into personal multi-tracking and offers musicians a handy "musical sketchpad" for instantly grabbing inspiration. Utilizing standard audio cassettes, the X-12 allows the intuitive independent recording of 4 audio tracks. Tweak: For the guitarist/songwriter that does NOT want to mess with computers or complicated machines.

AKG K66 Headphones We're always breaking them, so we need more

Numark DJ in a Box DJ Package
The Numark BattlePack DJ In A Box has everything a DJ needs to spin. That is, everything but records.

MAudio Audiophile 2496 A great soundcard for getting started with computer recording. MUCH better than the mass market cards

Behringer CT100 Cable Tester A useful tool. The more cables you have, the more you need one.

Middle Atlantic Wall Mount Patch Cable Hanger Tweak: LOL, it's the thought that counts and they will not believe you thought of this.

Off The Wall Hanger for Standard Instruments Tweak: Gives a new meaning to being "off the hook" Lol, ROFL, heh-heh-heh

Neutrik Patchbox 16-Point TRS Balanced Patchbay

Latin Percussion Dual Surface Multi-Guiro

Ultimate 21110B Boom Arm with Counterweight

Latin Percussion Afuche Cabasa

Latin Percussion Rock Ridge Rider Cowbell

Rhythm Tech Eggz Tweak: If you ever tried recording shakers, you know it's not easy. These have a better recorded sound than the big shakers you find everywhere, and they are very precise!

Latin Percussion Microphone Claw Tweak: Stop tripping over mic stands

Roche Thomas Fingerboard Oil For those slippery fingered Guitarists!

Gorilla Snot Musicians Gripping Resin

For drummers, pickers, not nose pickers tho..

Alesis 3630 Compressor An inexpensive but well-featured compressor/limiter, for adding the professional touch to recordings Tweak: I've used mine for years (7 actually) and it has never had a problem. Allows one to make hot radio-quality mixes.

Behringer XENYX 1204FX Mixer with Effects

A good little mixer for home recording with soundcards

Guitarists, keyboardists, and studio freaks will all like this one. It's a virtual guitar amplifier and they have many uses in the recording studio. This little tweak palette lets you dial up different amplifier cabinet simulations with distortion so authentic you'll watch their hair grow to 1975 era length. It's called the V-amp by Behringer and it's very cool. It makes a guitar sound strikingly like it was run through monster guitar amps like you have heard on untold many hit records.

The best gifts are those that get used. One thing that always has a place is a direct box. Somewhere in the sea of cables are two that don't get along impedance wise. The direct box helps instruments like guitars, basses, untamed keyboards output a balanced, clean signal. You can also use really long cables if a direct box is in the chain. Every studio needs at least one.

Zildjian Power Pro 5A Nylon Tip Drumsticks

Dunlop System 65 Guitar Maintenance Kit System 65 Guitar Maintenance Kit contains one each of every one of Dunlop's guitar care products, along with instructions, microfine fret polishing cloth, and two 100% cotton cloths. Perfect for gift giving! Tweak: has some of that Ultraglide 65 stuff

Cabot ER20 EAR HiFi Ear Plugs Musicians put guitars in cases, and processors in racks, but often they do not protect their most valuable piece of equipment, their ears. Get maximum protection against noise and volume levels without changing the tone and balance of the music. Highs and lows are still there, they're just a lot quieter. Tweak: If you like to hit the clubs, you need these!

The best gift for a musician with a home studio takes into account where that studio is in its development. The home studio owner has a list somewhere in their mind prioritizing the things they need. The successful gift will be one that actually meets one of these needs. For example, a studio that has only one mic and its a condenser would like to have a quality dynamic mic as a second mic. A guitarist who has a great steel-string might still want a nice nylon string guitar as well. How do you know what's on their list? You have to ask. Its a simple question. It goes like this: "Hey, what do you think you're going to get for your studio for next year?" Not too hard eh?

One really cool gift, when you can't think, that shows some thought (lol, is to get a big box and throw in lots of little all useful items. Like an egg shaker, guitar picks, a percussion instrument like a cowbell or cabasa, a half dozen adapters, maybe a nice cable or cable tester. Some Guitar strings. Then there are the common household items every studio needs. Like coffee, beer, coupons to the local massage parlor. Aha! Just kidding ya, sig-o!. I meant Pizza Parlor. Keeping one happy in their recording studio is a near guarantee they will stay out of trouble.

Studio fiends, I mean friends. Slip this link to your loved ones and maybe you might get something you can actually use. These items make great gifts for the recording studio, and for the musician you might know, or want to get to know.

Books make cool gifts but can be tricky if you don't know what you musician friend is into. You can go browse some titles I think are worthwhile in the TweakHeadz Bookstore. or just click those little numbers at the top of the page.

The perfect $20 gift for a guitarist is a digital tuner. Assuming they don't have one. This is the one I have.

Korg CA30 Chromatic Tuner

High accuracy and superb functionality have made Korg tuners the worldwide favorite. And now, the new CA-30 joins the best-selling CA Series of tuners. With even more features, like a pitch reference tone and quinta-flat tuning, the CA-30 packs basic functionality and convenient tuning functions into ultra-compact bodies.

Vox AD30VT Modeling Combo Guitar Amplifier (30 Watts, 1x10 in.)

Vox has loaded their new Valvetronix AD30VT amp with an amazing set of features that is unsurpassed in this price range. And once you hear it, it's pure, raw tone, versatility, and sheer volume make it absolutely impossible to ignore. The new AD30VT incorporates Vox's Valve Reactor circuitry, for true tube power amp sound and feel.

This guitar amp is amazing. I bought one for my school's recording lab and it has a surprising range of tone, thanks to the digital modeling presets.

While on the subject of guitarists and tone, I'd be remiss not to tell you of one of the great technological achievements of 2007, the Roland VG99 Virtual Guitar system. The system also requires a guitar with a GK3 pickup. The guitarist can use their existing guitar and mount one of these to it: Roland GK3 Divided Pickup for Guitar The VG99 is a guitar modeler, an amp modeler and simulator, effects rack and also a guitar to MIDI converter. This box will please the many a tech savvy adventurous guitarist.

FXpansion Guru Loop Splicing Software

Your beatbox dream come true. Advanced step sequencing, groove manipulation, sample editing, and beat slicing -- an inspirational, all-in-one workstation. Based on an enlightened approach to drum loop creation, Guru makes building that perfect beat faster and easier than ever.

Guru is a software drum machine. Its way more powerful than ANY hardware drum machine on the planet. You can make drum beats of great variety, including hip hop. It is the closest thing I have found to the illusive "software MPC". In fact, if you add an MPD16 controller with this software, close your eyes, its will be darn close.

But many hip hop people want the real thing, and that takes you to the MPC 1000, a combination drum and MIDI sequencer and digital sampler. You can do full hip hop beats on this box

Akai MPC1000 Music Production Center

large product image

Small but perfectly formed, the MPC1000 is a welcome addition to a now legendary product line which holds a unique position in the evolution of modern electronic music. Inheriting all the features which make the MPC so recognizable, the MPC1000 is not only a perfect compliment to its larger MPC siblings, but a powerful Music Production Center in its own right.

Numark iDJ iPod DJ Mixer

The iDJ is a 2-channel mixer that enables mobile DJs and iPod enthusiasts to seamlessly integrate their portable music libraries with other music and sound reinforcement systems—transforming the iPod from a personal music player into a source playback device. With its compact form factor, comprehensive feature set, and a blue on white aesthetic appeal that blends perfectly with the iPod, the iDJ makes the music more accessible and the party better than ever. Tweak: This is the "what?, she's DJ-ing on 2 iPods!" device.

Lanikai LU21 Standard Nato Ukulele (Rosewood) The LU-series ukuleles are the most popular and affordable ukulele models with that SWEET Lanikai sound! This is where it all begins - classic designs and beautiful wood with attention to detail. All this at a price that will make you smile... Ride the Wave with Lanikai! Tweak: The Uke is hot right now!

Fender Vintage Reissue '65 Twin Reverb Guitar Amplifier

Twin reverb guitar amplifier. Fender Reissue amplifiers include such features as solid steel welded chassis, plywood construction, all-tube circuitry, and carefully reproduced cosmetics. It's Baaaaack after 40 years! Why risk electro-shock soldering the old Fender Twin one more time?

When you need to play "Down by the River" down by the river. This is the Danelectro N10 HoneyTone. Under $40

Fostex MR16HD 16-Track Digital Recorder Unique to the MR16HD are 33 stellar EQ presets available to each input and 2 AUX sends for connecting to external gear. Add to this the convenience of WAV file recording, digital effects, mastering effects, analog guitar distortion and mic simulation and you've got just about the slickest, highest quality and downright easiest to use 16 track available on the market A great gift! Check out my page on these

Tascam 2488MKII 24-Track Recording Workstation

Twenty-five years after the first Portastudio comes the incredible 2488. It’s by far the most affordable 24-track recording and mixing workstation ever made for home studios — and the only model within 3X its price range that can truly run 24 tracks at 24-bits/ 44.1kHz.

Tweak: I've used it. Sounds nice for the money. 24 bit, 24 tracks. Gee, when I started a recorder that could do this cost about 15,000 bucks

One really neat item is the Ebtech Hum Eliminator. Every studio needs one, maybe two!

Do they play Guitar? Here's where all the guitar accessories are. Here's a thoughtful 50 cent gift. A pick pouch, which you can put in your wallet.

Next time you're out and an after hours jam session is brewing you will be the ONLY one who has a pick. How many times did I have to play guitar with a matchbook for a pick at parties? Don't ask. Its really embarrassing when they catch on fire.

Cables always make a good gift because they are always breaking down and we are always running out. A home or pro studio needs all shapes of connectors and all lengths of cables. Avoid the real cheap ones though. A nice cable will instantly be put to use, often replacing the cheap ones in the rig.

Martin Backpacker Guitar makes a great gift for a guitarist. These guitars are designed to be easy to travel with, go camping with. Keep the prized guitar at home and take this one along.

Take a look at the newer nylon stringed version:

If you've got the cash, few things please the studio freak like a real high quality microphone. If you see your resident studio geek freak singing into a little 4 inch plastic microphone that looks like it cam with some El Cheapo tape recorder then, yes, they need a decent mic. The good all- arounder, SM 57, which you might find on this page

would do handsomely. I particularly favor the Rode NT1a Condenser Mic if you can spring for a little more. It can make excellent recordings of just about everything, especially vocals.

All studios that have microphones need a popper stopper. These clamp on to a mic stand and have a fine nylon mesh screen that prevents plosives or "P-noise" from the vocalist from "popping" the mic. They are cheap and cheerful and look cool in use too. Click the pic for more info.

Wealthy? Looking for that one of a kind gift for someone that just stays home and listens to old "Switched on Bach" and Tomita recordings all day? Here's a hot synth that's already a collector's item, designed by Bob Moog himself (yes, THE Moog who made the original Moog Synthesizer.) This item is pure class. Analog all the way!

Speaking of expensive, but classy, check out the Yamaha Tyros2. This keyboard has come a long way from the autoplaying casios and yamahas of erstwhile generations! Take a look! Yamaha Tyros 2 61-Key Digital Workstation

Got a kid in the family that is always tapping on kitchen appliances and wish they would stop?

Do they spends all their time in their room making disgusting drum sounds with their mouth? Get a clue and get a jr. drum kit. PS. Too much noise for the homestead? Then they need one of these.

Roland HD1 V-Drums Lite All-In-One Electronic Drum Kit

For conventional drummers:

Vic Firth SIH1 Isolation Drummer's Headphones These specially designed headphones drastically reduce the level of external sound reaching the musician's ears, offering valuable protection from potential damage. The SIH1 reduces overall noise levels by 24 decibels and features high quality stereo headphones.

Do they have a LOT of guitars that are always propped up against walls falling down? Perhaps the Rockstand is in order.

RockStand by Warwick RS7 7-Guitar Folding Stand

The growing home studio and pro studio alike needs to have furniture specifically suited for gear. One standard, however, that applies to all studios is the 19 inch rack standard for studio gear. If you walk in their studio and see gear with rack ears sitting there loose and un-racked, you might ask "did you every think of putting all this stuff in a rack?" If they say "don't need no stinking rack" then pass. Some studio freaks actually prefer using cinderblocks and wood boards as shelves. Then go to your Local Home Depot and wrap up a few preferably unbroken cinderblocks. (smiles) But if they grunt in agreement, then Click the pic for a nice one at a nice price.

iPods are a great way to carry music with you. Make sure they always have their demos with them 'cause, well, you never know. Apple iPod Shuffle Portable Music Player. Don't forget the new iPod Touch Media Player

Diamonds are Forever! Oh C'mon now! Not for someone who lives and breathes studio air. Neumanns are forever! the TLM 103 is welcome in any recording studio, and if they already have one, they might want two.

Neumann TLM103 Anniversary Microphone with Shockmount and Case

The TLM 103 is the ideal large diaphragm microphone for all professional and semi-professional applications requiring the utmost in sound quality on a limited budget. By utilizing the tried and true transformerless circuit found in numerous Neumann microphones.

Nobody ever thinks of a stand for the amp, except folks that are always micing them or what to adjust the controls without getting on the floor. OnStage RS7000 Amp/Monitor Stand

If your friend likes using computers, wants to make music and you want a great, inexpensive total package to get started, get him or her Propellerheads Reason (a software package) and Edirol PCR500 49-Key USB/MIDI Keyboard Controller They will think you really did your homework as these items are well-respected.

Latest and greatest controller? The Akai MPK49 comes out in the next few weeks. In time for X-mas? Lets hope!

The Beatles Complete Scores Book A fitting tribute to possibly the greatest pop band ever - The Beatles. Tweak sez: Great for the boomer generation.

There's more gift possibilities on my Accessories page.

OK, here's the stuff you can buy under $20 in case you missed it the first time.

GIFTS

for the studio freak
by Tweak

GIFTS

for the studio freak by Tweak

for the studio freak
by Tweak