12 Great Gifts for Young Musicians

Searching for the perfect gift for that little musician in your life? Check out Sweetwater’s guide to gear and gifts for young and fledgling music makers. Whether your teen has some musical training or none at all, gifts in this list are guaranteed to fuel inspiration, feed creative appetites, and instill in your child what we hope is a lifetime of music appreciation and enjoyment.

Epiphone Power Players SGAudio-Technica AT2020USB+PK Streaming/Podcasting PackBOSS Katana 50 MkII Guitar Combo AmpKorg Nu:tekt NTS-1 Monophonic DIY Synth KitAudio-Technica ATH-M50x HeadphonesIbanez miKro GRGM21M Electric GuitarKala U-Bass ScoutSquier Mini Jazzmaster HH Electric GuitarKala Ukadelic Soprano UkuleleRoland V-Drums TD-07DMK Electronic Drum SetAkai Professional MPK Mini Play3Shure MV88+ Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone

Epiphone Power Players SG

While every guitarist remembers their first guitar, it’s not always a fond memory! The Epiphone Power Players SG‘s classic visuals, slimmed-down size, iconic SG tone, and full-size quality are sure to leave a positive lasting impression on any young musician long after they surpass the beginner level. For children or students with smaller hands, this SG’s 3/4+ size is just right: small enough to learn on but big enough to remain relevant once they grow into full-size instruments. A pair of Epiphone 650R and 700T humbuckers effortlessly tackles just about every genre out there, but let’s be real here: one look at this SG’s iconic red finish and dual horns tells you that this is a guitar built to rock! Last, the Power Players SG comes with a strap, picks, an instrument cable, and a gig bag to ensure your young musician has everything they need to conquer the first phase of their six-string education.

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Audio-Technica AT2020USB+PK Streaming/Podcasting Pack

The podcasting revolution is well underway, and more and more young people are jumping into the fray. The Audio-Technica AT2020USB+PK is an ideal starter for any entry-level podcaster. With the AT2020USB+PK, no audio interface is needed, so it’s extra convenient to use. This package comes with an AT2020USB+ microphone, one of the more sought-after USB condenser mics on the market. Your budding podcaster will also love the ATH-M20x headphones for monitoring, recording, and mixing their podcasts. These awesome ‘phones feature 40mm neodymium-magnet drivers that deliver the accurate frequency response and solid bass podcasters need when listening to and mixing their podcasts. There’s even a studio boom arm with a mic clip, a Euro-thread adapter, and a carrying pouch for the mic. The sky is the limit in the world of podcasting, and the AT2020USB+PK lets your teen reach new heights in this exciting field.

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BOSS Katana 50 MkII Guitar Combo Amp

With a 12″ speaker and 50 watts of output, the BOSS Katana 50 MkII provides plenty of power and headroom for the budding guitarist in your basement. And since your teen is the creative type, the MkII features five distinct amp models (with variations) that let them dive into vintage and modern sounds as they hone their own style. Multichannel footswitch support provides hands-free remote access, and 60 classic BOSS effects are included in the built-in BOSS Tone Studio editor. There’s even an Acoustic mode on the MkII that lets your teen plug in their acoustic guitar when they feel inspired. Get this awesome amp into your teen’s hands, and you may not hear much from them for a while!

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Korg Nu:tekt NTS-1 Monophonic DIY Synth Kit

For that young person who likes to tinker, the Korg Nu:tekt NTS-1 Monophonic DIY Synth Kit is a great way to ignite their inner engineer. This easy-to-assemble kit includes everything they will need to put together a very portable, very usable, and very fun minisynth. The NTS-1 is modeled around a monophonic synth and a multi-effects engine, complete with audio input, sync I/O, and MIDI input for integrating with their other audio components. The synth engine in the NTS-1 features one digital oscillator, one multimode filter, one envelope generator, and three LFOs — plenty of sound and effects exploration for your creative teen!

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Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Headphones

Understanding how to interpret sounds is fundamental to any young person’s music and audio education. Audio-Technica’s flagship ATH-M50x headphones produce a flat, enjoyable soundstage courtesy of their closed-back design and supersized 45mm full-range drivers. Not only do they sound great, but their comfortable headband and modern white aesthetic mean your little music maker will love wearing these headphones at home and in public. Conveniences include a space-saving collapsible design, swivel earcups for one-off DJing and tracking applications, and a detachable (and, more importantly, replaceable) cable — because, after all, kids will be kids.

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Ibanez miKro GRGM21M Electric Guitar

Any young, emerging guitarist will be thrilled to get the Ibanez miKro GRGM21M electric guitar as a gift. This undersized 6-string electric shredder is not only ultra-affordable but also ultra-easy to learn on with a 22.2-inch-scale maple neck that is ideal for players with smaller arms and hands. The smooth maple fingerboard also comes with medium-size frets that make chording and lead playing easy on the fingers. Its smaller size does not mean tiny in tone, however, as this beauty comes with two rocking Ibanez humbuckers for classic rock and metal tone. Its basswood body is lightweight and cut to a classic RG body style that looks great onstage or in the bedroom.

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Kala U-Bass Scout

If your aspiring musician is looking to jump into the world of low-end thump but their hands are too small for a traditional bass, then the Kala U-Bass Scout is a perfect way to learn the ropes of the four-string! This little ukulele/bass hybrid is tuned the same as a standard bass guitar with a scale length that clocks in around two-thirds of a full-scale instrument — in plain English, this means that the U-Bass Scout’s frets are far closer together and the strings are much easier to press. Plus, the U-Bass Scout’s mahogany body, piezo pickup, and active equalizer make for a formidable plugged-in setup with inspiring tones that resemble the warm, rich thud of a traditional upright bass. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see a Sweetwater bassist packing a U-Bass for smaller gigs, so you can be sure this little instrument is a lifelong investment that will continue to inspire your young musician throughout their musical journey!

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Squier Mini Jazzmaster HH Electric Guitar

Give the Squier Mini Jazzmaster HH to any young guitarist in your life and gift them both killer tone and style. The Mini Jazzmaster is a stage-killing 3/4-size axe cut to the classic offset body style that made the original Jazzmaster a legend in the world of ’90s indie rock. Your young rocker will be able to tap into all that attitude and sonic glory, thanks to a pair of Squier standard humbucking pickups. They will also get lost in a sea of sonic exploration with the three-way toggle switch that lets them switch between or blend the bridge and neck pickups! That beloved younger player will also love the 22.75-inch scale length that makes learning leads and barre chords far easier. And the slim C-profile maple neck is absolute butter in the hands!

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Kala Ukadelic Soprano Ukulele

The wonders of the uke continue to expand the world over among young players falling in love with its simplicity and beautiful tone. The Kala Ukadelic soprano ukulele is a great starter uke for that special someone. This ultra-lightweight uke is made from resonant poplar with a pine neck and a laurel fingerboard for easy playability. The eye-catching color of this uke will keep your young player smiling — and their audience, too!

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Roland V-Drums TD-07DMK Electronic Drum Set

Get that young drummer rocking with the Roland V-Drums TD-07DMK electronic drum set. These awesome electronic drums are an absolute blast to learn on, featuring tunable dual-layer mesh heads that are quiet and sensitive with a “real-drumhead” feel that your young player will love. They can even put on headphones and really blast away while those around them go about their business without losing their minds! The TD-07DMK also features 25 factory kits with 140 individual sounds and 25 user slots to configure custom kits — you may not hear from your blossoming drummer for a long time! This awesome kit even has MIDI capabilities.

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Akai Professional MPK Mini Play3

Picking out gear for a young musician interested in traditional instrument-based music is reasonably straightforward, but what do you buy if they’re captivated by the sounds of modern pop, hip-hop, or electronic music? Well, an all-encompassing portable musical workstation such as the Akai Professional MPK Mini Play3 is an excellent choice for learning the ins and outs of music production with 25 velocity-sensitive keys and eight MPC pads to punch out its 100 built-in drum and instrument sounds. While it contains a built-in speaker, a headphone output is also available for silent late-night song and beat building. Finally, when your young musician is ready to dive into the full complexity of digital music production, the included MPC Beats DAW software offers an incredible library of instruments, samples, plug-ins, and more for endless sonic possibilities.

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Shure MV88+ Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone

A young person’s dream right out of the box, the Shure MV88+ digital stereo condenser microphone puts everything a budding videographer could need right in their hands. This kit includes a quality condenser microphone, a mobile-phone clamp, a mini tripod stand, a shoe-mount mic clip, and USB-C & Lightning cables! Setup is key when it comes to capturing a great shot, and the MV88+ is designed for easy setups and fast tear-downs. A cool harness and a mini tripod stand keep the mic and camera together for capturing sound on the spot. And, with USB-C and Lightning cable connectivity, your young content creator can connect to virtually any current device used in the ever-growing high-tech world!

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We hope you’ve discovered some great Sweetwater gifts for young and beginning players. If you have questions about any of these items or need help choosing the perfect gift for your child or student, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700.

Sweetwater Gift CardsA Sweetwater e-Gift is the fastest way to get the giving going. You choose the dollar amount, and the music maker in your life — or maybe even you — gets exactly what they want. The perfect gift is just a few clicks away!
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