‘Tis the season for good things arriving in small packages. Especially this year, as some of the hottest gifts for musicians are being offered in more compact form, from amps to speakers to acoustic guitars to soundbars.
Consider this curated array of Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa gift ideas of both the miniature and regular sized variety for the performer in your life, many of which are available at affordable prices. Even if you think they have everything already, any of these quality items would surely be an upgrade from whatever they might be currently using–from historically valued brand names to boot.
And don’t forget to buy a bottle of our selection of rock star spirits for the table this holiday season. Dig in on these great products and don’t forget to tell them that we sent you.
Positive Grid Spark MINI Portable Smart Guitar Amp and Bluetooth Speaker
Price: $229
For a reasonable price, Positive Grid’s Spark MINI offers the roar of an Orange stack in the size of a cube compact enough to fit on your desktop, coffee table or nightstand (yes, you can shred in bed!). And once you sync up the amp to its app, you gain access to over 10,000 different guitar tones along with other additional features to help you become a better player. And with the addition of Bluetooth speaker capabilities, the Positive Grid is as multifaceted as it is affordable.
Buy Positive Grid’s Spark MINI here.
Polk Reserve 200AE
Price: $1299
Hard to believe it has been a half-century since Matthew Polk and his engineers established one of the best speakers to ever hit the stereo market. In honor of their 50-year quest for superior fidelity at a reasonable cost comes the Reserve R200AE 50th Anniversary Edition. These speakers are installed with state-of-the-art woofer and tweeter technology and housed inside a cabinet that has been cross-braced and optimized through laser Doppler vibrometry for premium clarity. This collector’s model is strictly limited to 1,000 units worldwide, signed by Mr. Polk himself and numbered on a laser-etched backplate.
Buy the Polk Reserve 200AE here.
Paul Reed Smith S2 Standard 24
Price: $1449
A solid mahogany body with a satin nitro finish and 58/15 “S” pickups, Paul Reed Smith’s S2 Standard 24 plays with a resonance and warmth that feels like you’ve been riffing on it your whole life from the moment you pick it up and plug in. This ax is like a new pair of faded jeans, cozy from the moment you put it on and built to last without any fancy flash, yet versatile enough in its technology to allow for advanced trickery.
Buy Paul Reed Smith S2 Standard 24 here.
Santo Spirits
Price: $189.97 for the trio
Sammy Hagar has been in the spirits world for nearly 25 years, helping create some of the tastiest tequila on Earth. Santo is the legendary Montrose/Van Halen/Chickenfoot frontman’s latest brand of tequila, working in collaboration with Emmy-winning TV chef Guy Fieri and master distiller Juan Eduardo Nunez. Together, they’ve created a delicious trio of new liquors including an old-world style tequila blanco, a reposado aged in oak and Mezquila, the world’s first-ever blend of Blue Weber and Espadin agave that elicits an herbal smokiness with a mellow bite.
Buy the Santo Spirit trio here.
Baldacci Bighorn ECO
Price: $1499
Made from all-American tonewoods, Baldacci’s Bighorn ECO is a natural beauty that feels like you are playing a guitar made from the regal remains of an elegant old ranch. Built with a maple bolt-on neck for extra stability, the ECO also features clear quality pickups, a cool mountain inlay on the 12th fret, hollow dot fret markers and a PureTone output jack, all of which will help you play like gold.
Buy the Baldacci Bighorn ECO here.
Festival Pass
Price: Varies
Gift your special someone (or yourself) a year of Unforgettable Live Event Experiences. Over 80,000 live events to choose from including all top festivals, concerts, comedy, sporting events and more including room nights at over 600,000 hotels globally. Use Code: SPIN for an extra 10% off your gift purchase.
Definitive Technology
Studio 3D Mini
Price: $699.
Television speakers aren’t always the best for optimal sound quality, but you might not have enough room for a boxy auxiliary speaker to modify your sonics. That’s where a good soundbar comes in, and Definitive Technology delivers with the Studio 3D Mini. Featuring an ultra-thin design for minimal space invasion, this device packs a considerable punch as it features Dolby Atmos surround sound, giving viewers a full cinematic experience whether you are watching an Avengers movie or reruns of Family Ties on Pluto TV.
Buy Definitive Technology’s Studio 3D Mini here and save $200 for a limited time.
Paul Reed Smith SE P20E
Price: $499
When it comes to acoustic guitars, size does matter. This is what makes Paul Reed Smith’s latest parlor guitar such a revelation in both comfort and performance. The SE P20E might be the largest, but it projects a resonance on par with its full-bodied counterparts. Made with pure mahogany and available in three satin finishes with ebony fretboards and bridges, bone nuts and saddles, and trademark inlays, this little fella packs quite a punch and looks good doing it.
Buy the Paul Reed Smith SE P20E here.
