Teenagers who make music mostly do it in their bedroom, with a phone nearby and a video in mind. The gifts that land are the ones that get them making music in minutes and work with what they already use. Every pick comes from our rankings, with tonight's Thomann price.
For the guitarist
Positive Grid Spark GO, $111
A pocket smart amp that's also a Bluetooth speaker and an audio interface, controlled from a phone app. Works with electric, acoustic and bass. #14 of 97 modelling guitar combos.
Vox Mini Go 3, $196
A battery modeling amp with 11 amp models, a vocoder, a separate microphone input and 33 drum grooves: a whole bedroom band in one box. #20 of 97 modelling guitar combos.
Ibanez GRG121DX, $262
A fast-necked electric with two humbuckers, 24 jumbo frets and shark-tooth inlays, made for rock and metal. #18 of 631 ST style guitars.
For the beatmaker
AKAI MPK Mini IV, $111
A 25-key USB MIDI controller with eight MPC pads, pitch and mod wheels and a color display: the classic first controller for making beats on a laptop. #14 of 34 master keyboards (up to 25 keys).
Korg Volca Drum, $146
A pocket drum synthesizer with six parts and a step sequencer, no computer needed. #12 of 57 drum machines.
For the future DJ
Hercules DJ Control Inpulse 200 MK3, $115
A two-deck DJ controller with jog wheels, pads, stem control for pulling out vocals and a built-in audio interface. #16 of 42 DJ controllers.
Questions
What is a good gift for a teenager who likes music?
Something they can use right away with their phone or laptop, like the Spark GO amp ($111) for a guitarist or the AKAI MPK Mini IV for a beatmaker.
What should a teen get to start DJing?
A two-deck controller like the Hercules Inpulse 200 MK3 and a pair of closed headphones. Our beginner DJ setup has the details.
How we picked. Every product comes from an AudioFu ranking, scored on demand, price, specs and brand; specs from Thomann's product data. Prices are converted from euros at the European Central Bank rate and updated every night, as are the ranks.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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