Every compass has a needle. This one has frets.

On this guitar coffee mug, the neck of a guitar lies across a retro compass rose and points the way, a small picture of how players tend to steer by sound. It suits your own practice corner, and it makes an easy present for the person who turns up at every party with a guitar.

The design: Guitar Compass, a compass rose with a fretboard needle

At the center of the Guitar Compass badge sits a round dial with a cream face. An eight-point star spreads over it, four long points and four shorter ones, each split into two flat tones drawn from black, mustard yellow, teal and salmon, with a few hairlines in between. Around the face run a ring of fine salmon-pink tick marks, a thin blue line, a salmon band and a mustard-yellow outer band.

Where a needle would be, a guitar neck rises from a salmon disc at the hub toward the upper right: dark fretboard, frets, strings and a salmon-pink headstock with small tuning pegs that pokes out past the rings. Only the neck and headstock are drawn; the hub sits where the body would begin.

Two words in chunky, slightly wavy cream capitals arch around the dial, one above and one below, like the lettering on an old tour patch. Short rays in teal, salmon and mustard burst from either flank of the dial. The whole thing is a flat, vintage-style illustration in warm muted tones, and its idea is simple: for some people, direction comes from whatever they are learning to play next.

Ceramic you can use every day, from rehearsal to rinse

• Sturdy ceramic in a glossy finish, with the warm badge colors set against the dark body
• No lead and no BPA in the material, which matters for a cup you fill every day
• Put it in the dishwasher with everything else after band practice
• Warm a forgotten coffee in the microwave between songs
• The badge is printed on both sides, so it shows whichever way the handle points

Who it's for

Guitarists at any level, from the first-chords beginner to the open-mic regular, plus guitar teachers, songwriters and the relative who restrings on the kitchen table. It suits a music room shelf, a lesson studio or the coffee station at home. Give it after a recital, when a term of lessons wraps up, for a bandmate's birthday or to mark a first paid gig.

Quick answers

What kind of guitar is it?

The drawing does not say. It shows a neck with frets and strings and a headstock with tuning pegs, with no body and no maker's mark, so players of any style can see their own instrument in it.

Does the compass have direction letters?

No. The dial has a star and tick marks but no N, E, S or W, which keeps it decorative. The only lettering is the pair of arched words framing the dial.

Is the background in the photos part of the mug?

No. The old map, the sheet music and the desk are photo settings. What arrives is the mug with the badge printed on its two sides.

Is it a good gift for someone who doesn't play?

Yes. The badge works for listeners too: anyone who plans trips around concerts or follows a favorite band from town to town will get the idea.

Shipping and returns

Free US shipping. US delivery usually 5–12 business days. Easy 30-day returns.

Size guide