A packet or a few packets of strings are an outstanding gift for your troubadour. Strings have a tendency to wear our quickly, especially if played often. My new favorite strings are from Elixir. They last a very long time, maintaining their tone. Elixir Strings Acoustic Guitar Strings 6-String Custom Light NANOWEB Coating : Elixir Strings revolutionized guitar strings by finding a way to extend the life of wound strings without compromising the tone. Polyweb coated strings have a balanced tone and smooth response – they sound like strings that have been “played in”. Find out what weight of strings is preferred and you’ll be sure to make someone very happy.

A lot of singer/songwriters are also harp players. You know the Jeff Tweedy, Bob Dylan types. I’m one of those artist and like strings they wear out. The reeds either get over saturated (with me I soak them in beer before a set, not exactly good for the life but great for playin’) I’d recommend that if you were to buy some harps for your player go ahead and get them a pack of good ones. First, because having more keys is great, second it’s a better deal. I’d recommend Hohner Marine Band harps. This harp was there when harmonica blues was born. The result of over 100 years of tradition and German craftsmanship, the Hohner Marine Band is still the number one choice of top professionals and the most recognizable harmonica model all over the world, known for its full tone and wood comb. Play the Marine Band and be a part of history. The Case of Marine Bands consists of 5 Hohner Marine Band harmonicas in the most popular keys: G, A, C, D, and E. And to keep them safe while you travel, the harmonicas come in a free padded case with a plush black interior that can hold 7 harmonicas total. The case also has a hook-and-loop fastener as well as a zipper to keep your Hohner Marine Band Harmonicas securely in place.

A great stocking stuffer idea is a humidifier. All acoustic guitarists know that their instrument needs moist air to keep their guitar from cracking after getting brittle from the dry air. These green tubes click on the string and go inside the sound hole of the guitar. They are filled with sponges and like your kitchen sponge they get old.

Another sure bet winner is giving your artist a fat gift card. It’s amazing what small things a musician needs, cords, mic cables, picks and so on. Happy shopping.

Now that I’ve got the cheesy analogies out of the way – I usually change my strings right a day before a gig. I’m a hard strummer and I’ve grown attached to the warm tone delivered from the D’Addario Acoustic Strings Set, Phosphor Bronze, Bluegrass. They use genuine phosphor bronze alloy that keeps its flexibility an maintains its brilliance for many hours of hard play. There is nothing worse than popping a string in the middle of a set. After experiencing that once I concluded that the expense and time in restringing is a hell-of-a lot better.

Besides that, I can definitely tell when they are loosing their brightness, starting to dull up a bit. So its nice to put on new strings anyway for a new audience anyway.

Tip – Be sure to play the strings for at least an hour before going in front of an audience with strings that will easily go out of tune.