Win! The 2018 Songwriting Christmas Gift List

It’s beginning to look a lot like (a songwriter’s) Christmas

Be in with a chance of winning all of the products featured in our gift guide with this seasonal competition

Whether you’re on the lookout for last minute gift ideas for the songwriter in your family, or simply looking to treat yourself, we’ve rounded up what we think are some fantastic items for this festive season. From the relatively lavish options of an Ovation acoustic guitar and an entire suite of IK Multimedia music production software to the more stocking-friendly accessories and books, this guide aims to ‘wrap up’ a neat collection of products that should appeal to a wide range of different music makers.

To be in with a chance of winning this amazing collection of songwriting gear, simply complete the form at the bottom of this page…

OVATION CELEBRITY ELITE ACOUSTIC GUITAR: £443.00
If Santa played the guitar, we’re pretty sure he’d choose this high-gloss, ruby red acoustic from Ovation. The Celebrity Elite is equipped with a solid spruce top with laser-cut epaulettes, a satin-finish neck, and an Ovangkol fretboard and bridge. The mid-depth body is made from a Lyrachord fibreglass composite and the electrics consist of an Ovation Slimline pickup and OP-4BT preamp system with three-band EQ, volume/gain control, onboard tuner and low-battery light. The model has been recommended for singer-songwriters – especially those who might class themselves as an instrument-oriented artist – but the pre-amp is designed to create a rich acoustic sound that means the guitar also suits a band situation.

Ovation Celebrity Elite CE44-RR

IK MULTIMEDIA TOTAL STUDIO 2 MAX: £1,059.99
When it comes to production, we know that songwriters need a versatile set of tools that can handle virtually any situation, so what better than “the world’s most complete studio collection of software instruments and FX”. That’s what IK Multimedia claims, with their Total Studio 2 Max offering 94 products in one single suite for Mac/PC, to equip you with everything they need to be inspired and to take their music making to a new level.

IK Multimedia Total Studio 2 Max

TOONTRACK EZKEYS STUDIO GRAND: £114.00
The Studio Grand sound library features a carefully sampled Steinway & Sons B-211 grand piano. With its balanced timbre and versatile range of use, this specific instrument is commonly referred to as the “perfect piano” and often the premier choice for professional studio work. All this combined with the creative framework of EZkeys will give you not only the sound of one of the world’s finest pianos – it even comes with tools to help you create and write great music.

Toontrack EZkeys Studio Grand

D’ADDARIO CRADLE CAPO: £74.00
Made in collaboration with innovative musical instrument creator Ned Steinberger, D’Addario’s Cradle Capo boasts a stainless steel self-centring design that ensures even tension across the fretboard. Its adjustable micrometer is meant to help you dial in the perfect pressure, while allowing the freedom for quick transitions and the ability to stay on the guitar, even when not in use.

D’Addario Cradle Capo

IMAGINE JOHN YOKO: £35.00
Imagine John Yoko tells the story of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s life, work and relationship during this intensely creative period, featuring 80% exclusive, hitherto-unpublished archive photos and footage sequences of all the key players in situ, together with lyric sheets, Yoko’s art installations, and exclusive new insights and personal testimonies from Yoko and over 40 of the musicians, engineers, staff, celebrities, artists and photographers who were there.

Imagine John Yoko published by Thames & Hudson

33 1/3 SERIES BOOKS: £9.99-£11.99 EACH
33 1/3 is a series of short books about popular music, focusing on individual albums by artists ranging from James Brown to Celine Dion and from J Dilla to Neutral Milk Hotel. Each album covered in the series occupies such a specific place in music history, so each book-length treatment is different. We’re giving away four books: Lou Reed’s Transformer by Ezra Furman, David Bowie’s Low by Hugo Wilcken, Siouxsie And The Banshees’ Peepshow by Samantha Bennett and Björk’s Homogenic by Emily Mackay.

33 1/3: short books about albums, published by Bloomsbury

GHS AMERICANA SERIES GUITAR STRINGS: £11.99
This GHS range of cryogenic phosphor bronze guitar strings is designed for players who prefer the Americana sound, but is perfectly suitable for any style of acoustic guitar. The preferred gauging is based on feedback from the GHS Artist Family, and the cryogenic treatment has been added to extend the life and enhance the tone of the strings.

GHS Americana Series acoustic guitar strings

HOW I WROTE BOOK BY SONGWRITING: £12.00
Within the pages of How I Wrote you’ll find the real stories behind 40 chart-topping hits and cherished classics, in the words of the writers themselves. From the likes of The Kinks, The Doors and Rod Stewart in the 60s, to Beyoncé, Aloe Blacc and The Lumineers in the 21st century – through five decades of pop, rock, R&B and indie tracks in-between – this book puts the art and craft of the song at the centre of the stage.

How I Wrote by Songwriting Magazine

VOCALZONE THROAT PASTILLES: £3.99-£4.10 PER BOX
Some call it a pastille, others call it a throat sweet, a voice lozenge, a vocal tablet or even a pill. Whatever you call it, Vocalzone’s throat pastilles were created over 100 years ago for the first superstar of the recording age, the Great Enrico Caruso. They help soothe sore throats that accompany a common cold, but are also designed for professional or amateur performers who need relief from irritated throats caused by excessive singing, speaking or smoking. We’re giving away two boxes: Original and Honey & Lemon flavours.

Vocalzone Throat Pastilles – Original and Honey & Lemon

The prize

One lucky winner will receive all the items listed in our Christmas gift guide above.

How to enter

The competition is now closed.

Terms & conditions

• The prizes are as stated, are not transferable to another individual and no cash or other alternatives will be offered.
• Entrants must be aged 18 or over. Proof of identity and age may be required.
• All entries must be made directly by the person entering the competition. Entries made online using methods generated by a script, macro or the use of automated devices will be void.
• Some items have been unboxed and reviewed by Songwriting and as such won’t be as new.
• In the event of a prize being unavailable, the publisher reserves the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value.
• The closing date for entries is Friday 28 December 2018.
• The winner will be notified by email by 31 December 2018 and will need to reply with their full postal address where the prize should be sent.
• Reasonable efforts will be made to contact the winner. If the winner cannot be contacted or is unable to comply with these terms and conditions, the publisher reserves the right to offer the prize to the next eligible entrant drawn at random.
• By entering, your email address will be subscribed to the Songwriting newsletter. Your address will not be passed on to any third parties and you can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any point.