The best gift for a guitarist under $100 is the one that upgrades the guitar they already record with: a pickup that fixes the tone they keep EQ-ing around, a gig bag that gets the instrument to the session in one piece, a tuner that lives on the desk. Everything below is in stock today and ships free to the continental US, chosen for players who spend more time tracking than posing.

Seymour Duncan pickups · B-Stock guitar deals if the budget stretches

Pickups: the upgrade that changes the guitar

A pickup swap is the highest-impact thing you can do to a guitar for under $100, and Seymour Duncan's classic models are all in that range here. Pick by what they play: humbucker guitars take the SH series, Strats take the SSL and rail pickups, Teles take the STL, basses take the SPB. Every one below is new, boxed, and in stock.

Why: the SH-1n '59 is the neck humbucker for players who want warm, clear cleans and classic rock crunch; it pairs with nearly any bridge pickup. Fits: humbucker neck position.

Why: the SH-2n Jazz is the neck half of the most famous pickup pairing in rock; smooth, articulate, never muddy. Also in white. Fits: humbucker neck position.

Why: the TB-4 JB Trembucker is the JB, the best-selling bridge humbucker ever made, spaced for tremolo-equipped guitars. Fits: humbucker bridge position, trem spacing.

Why: the SH-5 Custom is the tighter, more aggressive bridge alternative to the JB for hard rock and metal. Fits: humbucker bridge position.

Why: the SH-6n Distortion in white, for players who want the high-output Distortion voice in the neck, or a matched set with a Distortion bridge. Fits: humbucker neck position.

Why: the SHR-1b Hot Rails drops a full humbucker's output into a Strat bridge slot with no routing. The classic "make my Strat do metal" gift. Fits: single-coil size, Strat bridge.

Why: the SL59-1b Little '59 is the opposite idea: a PAF-style humbucker tone in a Strat-size bridge pickup, for blues and classic rock. Fits: single-coil size, Strat bridge.

Why: the SSL-1 is the vintage Strat single coil, staggered poles, the sound everyone means when they say "Strat." Under $80. Fits: Strat, any position.

Why: the STL-2T Hot Lead is a hotter Tele bridge pickup with a tapped coil, so a push-pull can bring back the vintage sound. Fits: Telecaster bridge.

Why: the SPB-3 Quarter Pound is the P-Bass pickup for players who want more of everything; the go-to for rock and punk bassists. Fits: Precision Bass.

Why: the SPB-4 is Steve Harris's signature P-Bass pickup, the Iron Maiden tone in a box. Fits: Precision Bass.

Gig bags: the gift they will use every week

Why: ESP's Deluxe gig bag fits most ESP and LTD electrics and most other standard-shape guitars, with real padding rather than a nylon sleeve. Fits: standard-shape electric guitars.

Why: the same bag sized for bass guitars. ESP also makes the EX, AX, V and RS shape version for pointed-body guitars. Fits: standard-shape bass guitars.

Small things that get used daily

Why: a clip-on tuner that charges from room light, so it is never dead when the set starts. Twenty-five dollars, and the most-used item on this page. Also in pink. Fits: any guitar, bass, ukulele or violin headstock.

Why: an AKG instrument cable that will outlast the three cheap ones it replaces. Fits: any 1/4-inch instrument to amp or interface.

How to choose a pickup as a gift

• Look at their bridge. A tremolo (Floyd Rose or vintage trem) on a humbucker guitar means Trembucker spacing (TB-4). A fixed bridge means standard spacing (SH-4, SH-5, SH-6).
• Count the coils. Skinny single-coil slots take SSL, SHR (rails) or SL59 pickups. Wide humbucker slots take SH or TB models.
• Match the style. Cleaner and classic: '59, Jazz, SSL-1. Harder and hotter: JB, Custom, Distortion, Hot Rails, Quarter Pound.
• Color matters to them. Black and white covers are both stocked for the most popular models, so match the guitar.

FAQ

Can a pickup be installed at home?

Yes with a soldering iron and half an hour, and Seymour Duncan publishes wiring diagrams for every model. Most shops will install one for a small bench fee if the recipient would rather not.

Which Seymour Duncan pickup is the safest gift?

For a humbucker guitar, the JB (TB-4 for trem guitars) or the '59 neck; for a Strat, the Hot Rails if they play heavy music or the SSL-1 if they play clean; for a P-Bass, the Quarter Pound.

Do you gift wrap or ship to a different address?

Every order can ship to any address in the continental US for free, with no minimum. Add the recipient's address at checkout.

Do these earn Gear Bucks?

Yes. Every purchase earns Gear Bucks rewards on the account that places the order, so the giver keeps the points.

What if I want to spend more than $100?

The next step up is a B-Stock guitar: a brand-new instrument with one small cosmetic blemish at 20% off, from about $280. See the B-Stock deals page.

Shop gifts under $100

All of the items above are in stock at the time of writing. All Seymour Duncan pickups, and if the budget grows, B-Stock guitar deals.