With Christmas fast approaching, it can be a stressful time for shoppers. You might not know what to get or if the giftee will even like what you got them. That being said, if the person you’re shopping for either loves guitars, enjoys putting things together, or both, these 5 Christmas DIY projects might just make your shopping experience a whole lot easier!
1) DIY Guitar Pedals
DIY guitar pedal kits are a great way to get someone excited about customizing and building their very own guitar pedal. These kits come with all of the components required to build the pedal, you’ll just need a soldering iron and some solder. If you want to pick up a great beginner DIY guitar pedal kit, check out Guitar Pedal Kits which is run by us. Full instructions along with helpful support are available if you need it.
If the person you’re buying for loves tinkering, is curious about electronics or just loves experimenting with different sounds, a DIY guitar pedal kit will be sure to put a smile on their face. Although guitar pedals do deal with a fair bit of electronics, guitar pedal kits make it simple to put everything together with numbered components corresponding to the numbers on the printed circuit board.
2) DIY Guitars
If you’re someone or know someone who not only likes to experiment with electronics but also likes to perform some basic woodworking than DIY guitars might be a good choice. DIY guitars are quite customizable in terms of what types of wood you use, what style of guitar you want, and how you ultimately finish the guitar.
DIY guitar projects take more time than guitar pedal kits as it involves gluing, painting, fine-tuning, and personalizing. Although some DIYers may choose not to paint or personalize their DIY guitar, it tends to look unfinished. Therefore, it’s a good idea to have a barn, dedicated room or a garage available that you can put together and customize your new guitar kit.
Where to Buy: The Fret Wire | Solo Guitars
Price: $$
Skills Used: Woodworking, Electrical
Difficulty: Medium
3) DIY Guitar Amps
DIY guitar amps are the priciest of all DIY projects in this roundup. That being said, you can still get the parts to a guitar amp and put them together yourself at a cheaper cost than buying a similar amp outright. The price of DIY guitar amps also varies widely depending on the quality of the components and the wattage of the amp you purchase.
4) DIY Cigar Box Guitars
Cigar box guitars provide a unique sound, and for good reason – they’re made of a cigar box, only have 3 or 4 strings (depending on the style you buy), and are built to play with a slide. This makes them a great instrument to have in any blues setting.
If you or someone you know would have fun putting together a simple DIY project with the end result being an instrument that provides a unique sound and look – DIY cigar box guitar kits are the way to go.
Where to Buy: Amazon | C.B. Gitty | Blues Guitars France
Price: $
Skills Used: Basic DIY
Difficulty: Easy
5) DIY Pedalboards
These pedalboards come with all of the materials needed to put a pedalboard together, however, aren’t pre-drilled, nor do they come with instruction manuals. Therefore, if you want to put together your own pedalboard you’ll need a bit of experience in knowing how pedalboards work as well as a few essential tools needed for sanding, routing, and oiling.
Nonetheless, putting together a pedalboard isn’t overly complex and if you’re relatively new to it all, watch a few YouTube tutorials and do your research.
Where to Buy: West Coast Pedalboard
Price: $$
Skills Used: Woodworking, Electrical
Difficulty: Medium
Conclusion
Personally, I love DIY projects. They give you the sense of satisfaction that you put something together and customized yourself to make it truly yours. Furthermore, putting together a DIY project is a great learning experience and can be fun to do with friends or family. If you’re looking for a few out-of-the-box ideas this Christmas to get for the guitarist you know, consider getting them any of the 5 DIY project ideas above. If you’d rather stick to non-DIY gifts, check out this comprehensive list of the top 50+ greatest gifts for guitar players.
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