Childs Guitar Recommendation

Sandycheeks

Sandycheeks

Sandycheeks

Associate
Joined
30 Oct 2013
Posts
1,799
Having played guitar for 20 odd years (at home) my 9 year old daughter has started to take an interest and I would like to buy her a decent acoustic guitar.

I have only ever seen the cheap ones for kids and by cheap I don't mean monetary wise I mean cheaply made.

Has any of you been down this path and found a pretty decent childs guitar that isn't made from 1/8th ply and can hold it's tuning.

Thanks in advance !
 
Why not ask the guitar teacher attached to your school (presuming there is one as it's cheaper for lessons). My lad is 6 and has:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002ED29T6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's a great guitar for the price so you aren't breaking the bank and tbh I play it a lot too. It took me 2 days of tuning 3 times per day to get it to hold the tuning spot on. He also has a ministrat too which is nice and holds it tuning. Get them Rocksmith (ideally for the PC) and you are sorted!
 
Last edited:
It's a shame a mod has moved this here because you'll get less responses I wouldn't have seen the thread here tbh even though I've played guitar for over 25 years and just gone through the same thing with my lad - I just don't come to this part of the forum.

Seriously though that classical is nice and you won't regret the price if she doesn't stick with it. Hopefully other people will have some ideas too as it's great to get kids into music. Don't forget she'll most likely need a foot stand too at that age eg http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000KMGVS8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
I don't want to spend more than £60 but will stretch a bit.
I know that kind of contradicts my earlier request for a decent guitar but there has to be one.
I don't want classical because she doesn't really listen to classical music and will find her inspiration from pop music mainly.
 
Xordium said:
It's a shame a mod has moved this here because you'll get less responses I wouldn't have seen the thread here tbh even though I've played guitar for over 25 years and just gone through the same thing with my lad - I just don't come to this part of the forum.

Seriously though that classical is nice and you won't regret the price if she doesn't stick with it. Hopefully other people will have some ideas too as it's great to get kids into music. Don't forget she'll most likely need a foot stand too at that age eg http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000KMGVS8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Click to expand...


I'll see your footrest and raise you this
I even thought...maybe I could find a platform shoe in a local charity shop and get her to wear that whilst she learns !
 
Sandycheeks said:
I don't want to spend more than £60 but will stretch a bit.
I know that kind of contradicts my earlier request for a decent guitar but there has to be one.
I don't want classical because she doesn't really listen to classical music and will find her inspiration from pop music mainly.
Click to expand...

Cheap and well built guitar doesn't really go together, i mean even if you go Far East built, as opposed to USA built, £60 acoustic will be crap. But then I don't know how you define a good quality or bad quality guitar.

£60 secondhand electric...that could be okay. Electric guitars are much easier to make.

Look at secondhand Yamaha, you should be able to find something for £60.
 
I have a Crafter SJC 390EQ (£350) jumbo that's about 17 years old now and sounds good. A mate has a Taylor (£1100) which does sound nicer but not £750 nicer.
I also have a EP Les Paul Custom that is like new (10 years old) and a squire strat that I bought second hand for £40 about 10 years ago which is pretty awesome...I leave it everywhere, next to radiators, next to the back door in the kitchen etc.. and I know if I go and pick it up it will be in tune.

I don't want to get her a leccy guitar, I prefer acoustic and think it's far better to learn on...you have to actually make the correct chord shapes to make a decent sound.
 
Raymond Lin said:
£60 acoustic will be crap.
Click to expand...

It's for a 9 year old with no previous experience. That £40 quid one I linked it good, consistently reviews as good and is recommended by guitar teachers. We aren't talking about what we would like to play we are talking about what is good for a kid to mess around with and see whether they will give it the time and effort to actually invest the money in for a decent one down the line. You'll want to pay for lessons too and even through a school that aint cheap - we pay 90 quid per term. It all adds up. And really you need lessons kids are different to us and unless you are an expert guitar player with teaching experience you are not going to be teaching them the right way and it's good to accept that from the off.

Ukele is a good shout btw ask as many schools already use these. Ask the school though I know my lads school has guitars for the kids to borrow.
 
Xordium said:
It's for a 9 year old with no previous experience. That £40 quid one I linked it good, consistently reviews as good and is recommended by guitar teachers. We aren't talking about what we would like to play we are talking about what is good for a kid to mess around with and see whether they will give it the time and effort to actually invest the money in for a decent one down the line. You'll want to pay for lessons too and even through a school that aint cheap - we pay 90 quid per term. It all adds up. And really you need lessons kids are different to us and unless you are an expert guitar player with teaching experience you are not going to be teaching them the right way and it's good to accept that from the off.

Ukele is a good shout btw ask as many schools already use these. Ask the school though I know my lads school has guitars for the kids to borrow.
Click to expand...

Hence I said it depends on his perception of what is good or bad in terms of quality.

I did qualify my statement, but feel free to that out though.

I would look into secondhand, there must be lots of people getting rid of £200 acoustic guitars cheap that they don't use.
 
I might be wrong but I think classical guitars are difficult to learn on especially for small fingers due to the wider neck profile.
I wish Sound Control was still open in Salford...excellent shop that was !
 
Xordium said:
Ukele is a good shout btw ask as many schools already use these. Ask the school though I know my lads school has guitars for the kids to borrow.
Click to expand...


Yes, but they tend to use gCEA.

The baritone uses DGBE, same 1-4 on a guitar, which I thought could lend some extra familiarities between the two.

That and the size of a baritone uke is a nice size for a child, well it is smaller than a full size guitar. Decent prices, good bang for buck.

Saying that, what size would she like? My youngest is 9 and would not accept anything other than a full size guitar for this christmas, I thought it would swamp him but actually all the guitars he has tried recently... even tho large compared to him, actually suit him!


(will be putting some light strings on there tho')
 
Sandycheeks said:
I might be wrong but I think classical guitars are difficult to learn on especially for small fingers due to the wider neck profile.
Click to expand...

Not really my lad is 6 and he's just fine with a 3/4 one. It really depends what she wants to do and what you want her to do. If you can stick with classical lessons though you will come out a better player but if you don't stick with it you'll not come out a player fullstop.

I get all my stuff from Guitar Guitar in Birmingham but they don't have any branches near you so I can't recommend anything that way I am sorry. Have a word with your school's music teacher they may even be able to get you a discount - always worth being cheeky and asking!

Threepwood has made a good point on the string gauge. The last thing you want is sore or even worse cut fingers putting her off. Kids tend to not handle pain too well on such things.
 
:)

It's also quite mad how one instrument can suit one person and not the other.

My youngest, his uke I went to the shop and played (and tuned I might add) every soprano ukulele in the shop.

The best one, to my ear was an £99 solid spruce top/split maple laminate back and sides. It was actually a bit mucky and had some unwanted glue on it, so he knocked it down to £80...which helped buy the case for it.

Anyway, I digress... it suits him perfectly, but! when my daughter picks it up she sounds okay, but it does not suit her.

What suits her is my first concert uke, so that is that she has now... I have a much better concert ukulele now anyway, mwahaha.


TLDR: Allowing her as much imput as possible, while also trying different types of guitars could go a long way towards getting it just right!
 
Take her to a music store and see what suits. You can't buy instruments online - it's too personal to the player.

Also, don't ignore the classical playing, it's a key part of musicianship and I found it pretty pivotal in my understanding of how music and music theory actually work together. It's about a mix, it should be fun but you also need discipline if you want to get to the next levels of fun.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom