Guitar Care Gifts

Guitar Care Gifts Gifts for the guitar they already own and love

The best gift for a guitar owner is one that makes the guitar they already play feel better: cleaner strings, a conditioned fretboard, shiny frets. Everything here is something a guitarist uses again and again, costs under $30, and works as a thoughtful guitar care gift on its own or combined into a guitar cleaning gift set.

From $7 Used every time they play Light and easy to ship Works on any guitar
Build a care set in 4 steps All guitar gift ideas
Fretboard oil bottle on a guitar fretboard, a guitar care gift
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Build a gift set

A guitar care set in 4 steps

1

Clean the strings

The string cleaner ($7) slips under the strings and cleans strings and fretboard in one pass. Reusable: wash it with soap and water.

2

Condition the fretboard

Fretboard oil ($9), lemon and cedar scented, for rosewood, ebony and other unfinished fretboards. A few drops every few months.

3

Polish the frets

The fret erasers set ($26): five grits from 180 to 2000 for smooth, bright frets. Add the string spreader ($9) to lift strings out of the way.

4

Look after the finish

For an oil-finished guitar, the sheen and conditioner ($17) gives a satin, fingerprint-resistant surface. Polishing pads ($26) buff a finish back to a shine.

One thing to check first: the fretboard

Fretboard oil is for dark, unfinished fretboards (rosewood, ebony, pau ferro). If their guitar has a pale maple fretboard with a glossy finish, it does not need oil: choose the string cleaner and fret erasers instead. Not sure? The string cleaner suits every guitar, and the fret erasers every electric.

Ready-made ideas

Three care gifts, three budgets

$16

The stocking stuffer: string cleaner and fretboard oil. The two things every guitarist should own.

$42

The full clean: string cleaner, fretboard oil and the fret erasers set. Strings, fretboard and frets, all covered.

$51

The complete set: everything in the full clean, plus the string spreader for string changes.

For a keen player or a guitar tech

Our full guitar cleaning kit range and the guitar setup kit tools go further, for someone who sets up their own guitars.

FAQ

Questions about guitar care gifts

What is a good gift for someone who already owns a guitar?

Something that keeps the guitar they love playing well: a string cleaner, fretboard oil and a fret erasers set cover the three things an electric guitar needs most. Together they cost $42.

Is fretboard oil safe for every guitar?

It is made for unfinished fretboards: rosewood, ebony, pau ferro and other dark hardwoods. A maple fretboard with a lacquered or sealed finish does not need oil, just a wipe with a slightly damp cloth. If you are not sure which they have, a string cleaner works on every guitar.

How often should a fretboard be oiled?

Every 3 to 6 months with normal use at home, and every 1 to 3 months in a dry climate, a heated room or with heavy playing. One 50 ml (1.7 oz) bottle lasts a long time: only a few drops go on each time.

What does a fret erasers set do?

It polishes the metal frets. The set has five sanding blocks from 180 to 2000 grit that remove oxidation and scratches from the fret wire, leaving a smooth, bright surface that makes string bends feel easier.

More gifts for guitar players

See all our guitar gift ideas, the guitar gifts under $50, or, for someone who likes making things, our gifts for guitar builders.