Acoustic guitar for child?

[mibble]

Hi. Asking buying advice for a learning acoustic guitar for my 11 year old.

I can spend up to $200usd.

I've searched online for the best of lists, but I am hoping someone here knows of something better.

I'm thinking that the 3/4 size kind would be best.

Thank you for any help offered.

[Freeman Keller]

A couple of fundimental questions - do you want nylon or steel strings? Do you see you child playing this as he/she gets older? I'll explain both questions

 

There are a lot of 3/4 sized classical guitars - this is a long tradition for young players who want to learn and play classical music. Obviously you can play other kinds of music on these instruments, but the 3/4 size is well established (kind of like 3/4 violins and other smaller instruments). Two names that jump out here are Yamaha and Cordoba. Look for shorter scale lengths (22 or so inches) and slightly narrower necks (1-3/4 at the nut). Nylon strings are somewhat easier to fret which could be a big advantage. You should have lots of options in your price range.

 

If you want steel strings you will be looking at what are usually called "parlor guitars" - smaller bodies and shorter scale lengths. Be warned that the term "parlor" is not well defined - some people (and manufactures) use it for small bodies in general. Again, look for a scale length of 24 inches or less. Art and Lutherie, Ibanez, Recording King all make some nice parlor sized instruments, The Baby Taylor is a great guitar but might be slightly above your price range.

 

The second part of my question is that some people (including me) like to play small guitars even tho we are big people. I have a very nice parlor guitar that I play all the time - if you (or your child) will be playing for a long time consider one of the more up market guitars. The one that comes to mind is the Taylor Mini - again, it might be slightly out of your price range but it is a guitar that will grow with your child. I have a friend with two children, both have Minis and I'll be honest, when I visit them I love to pick up those little guitars and pick away.

 

Lots of good choices out there. My last comment is whatever you buy, have it professionally set up (buy from a local store will help) - there is nothing worse than a beginning player fighting a badly set up guitar. Otherwise, encourage your child to play - music is one of the great gifts.

[MrHarryReems]

Ha! I read this as Acoustic guitar *or* child. I'd take the guitar every time!

 

Seriously, though.. I started playing when I was 12. and I was using a full sized acoustic. My honest suggestion would be a Yamaha FG800. You can buy them new for that, and they are solid instruments. I'd have no problem climbing up on stage with one. It's always the acoustic I point to for my beginning students.

[DeepEnd]

Gotta agree with MrHarryReems. Sheryl Crow is 5'3" and she plays a big Gibson comfortably. IMHO there's no need to look at 3/4 guitars. If you're looking for something with nylon strings, a standard classical will be fine. If you're thinking of something with steel strings, a "folk" or 000 size guitar like the Yamaha FS800 would be a good choice. Cort is another good brand, as is Art & Lutherie. They don't get much credit but Ibanez also makes a very nice guitar in your price range. I do recommend that you avoid anything with built-in electronics. They add cost and aren't necessary for a beginner.

[Idunno]

Yamaha FG JR1 3/4 Size Acoustic Guitar Review | Kid Guitarist

 

I'm reading his post as an appeal to buy a small guitar that will be easily affordable as a loss if the kid's interest dies, and yet possibly pawnable to an interested neighbor so they can suffer the same result. The idea of a full sized guitar is subordinate to some fact finding in the meantime.

[mibble]

A couple of fundimental questions - do you want nylon or steel strings? Do you see you child playing this as he/she gets older? I'll explain both questions

 

Thanks to everyone here for the replies.

Getting a steel string.

I can only hope so, but will get a better one if he continues.

 

 

 

 

[catscurlyear]

this Stagg 3/4 size steel string is ok it cost about me about £80 , 12 years ago or so ,i bought it for my daughter, it is easy to press the strings down and play and sounds ok for a small guitar, other colours would be available i imagine. i don`t know if they still make them to the same standard but if they did i would recommend one for a child .she actually sold it on ebay recently, needless to say she didn`t stick at it.but there are plenty guitars hanging round my place for her anyway should she get the urge again.

 

 

 

[mibble]

I started playing when I was 12. and I was using a full sized acoustic.

I also started playing a full size acoustic as a child, but do remember the large body and fret board being somewhat of a hindrance, as well as the high action.

I stopped playing much later in life, as playing synthesizers became my thing more. Now I just want to teach my kid to play, but will try to make it easier for him. Making the action lower helps a lot too.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check that one out too.

 

 

[mibble]

If you're thinking of something with steel strings' date=' a "folk" or 000 size guitar like the Yamaha FS800 would be a good choice. Cort is another good brand, as is Art & Lutherie. They don't get much credit but Ibanez also makes a very nice guitar in your price range.[/quote']

Thanks. I'll look in to those.

 

 

[mibble]

I'm thinking about getting this one atm. It's the Luna Safari Series Muse Mahogany 3/4-Size

[Idunno]

Armadillo Enterprises, Inc.

 

Looks like a decent guitar at a buck and a half. Their site (Luna) says they can't ship internationally at the moment due to the CITES ruling on rosewood restrictions. They're in Tampa at the above link.

[Freeman Keller]

This is my grand daughter playing her mom's true parlor sized guitar - basically what would fit the Martin size 0 definition. It has a 24.5 inch scale and does have light gauge steel strings - the shorter scale reduces both the tension and the reach between frets

 

 

It just so happens that I also have one of those guitars and find it a delight to play

[DeepEnd]

Cort AF510 $120+case+tax: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Cort/Standard-Series-AF510-Folk-Acoustic-Guitar.gc. As for high action, budget $50 or so for a "setup" and a set of light gauge strings, and any halfway decent guitar can be made playable.

 

[Delmont]

I'm thinking about getting this one atm. It's the Luna Safari Series Muse Mahogany 3/4-Size

 

The few Lunas I've run into haven't been stellar. It might be a winner, but I'd pay attention to some of the brands mentioned above.

 

But here's a completely different answer: Forget about size. Back-burner brands Just find an affordable guitar your eleven-year-old actually likes. A used guitar is fine. It just has to appeal to your kid.

 

My experience: When I was a teen, my parents knew I wanted a guitar. But instead of taking me shopping, they went out and bought a cheap Goya classical guitar. For them, it made sense: They liked the price, they liked classical music, and they liked the guy who painted "The Third of May 1808."

 

But it was uncomfortable to play, it had zero twang, volume, or sustain, the neck was too fat and flat, the nylon strings kept rolling out from under my fingers, the neck warped within a few months, and maybe worst of all, it didn't look like or sound like what I thought a guitar should look and sound like.

 

A few years later, I bought something I liked, a steel-string folk guitar (a used Guild D-25, to be exact). The Goya did get me rolling, in a frustrated kind of way, and I've been playing for almost fifty years now - without ever trying to master the classical sounds my parents wanted to hear. Just the folky, bluesy caterwauling they hated - which is all I ever wanted a guitar for in the first place!

[Delmont]

. . . As for high action' date=' budget $50 or so for a "setup" and a set of light gauge strings, and any halfway decent guitar can be made playable.[/quote']

 

'Zackly!

[DeepEnd]

. . . But here's a completely different answer: Forget about size. Back-burner brands Just find an affordable guitar your eleven-year-old actually likes. A used guitar is fine. It just has to appeal to your kid. . . .

With that in mind, maybe also consider a Jasmine S-34C. It has a completely non-functional cutaway that looks cool and it's even cheaper than the Cort at about $95: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Jasmine/S-34C-Cutaway-Acoustic-Guitar.gc.

 

[strayGoat]

At age 11, I really don't think the size of the instrument is an issue.

 

I very often recommend that beginners start with a nylon string guitar. I take a lot of heat for that suggestion, and there's some merit to the arguments against - chiefly, that making things easy on yourself at the outset will make playing on steel strings seem like an inordinate challenge later on. True to an extent. However, the overwhelming majority of people who take up guitar end up quitting, and the overwhelming majority of people who quit do so because beginning to learn guitar can be very painful on the fingertips. And of course this is even more common in the lower price ranges, where beginners very logically start, because relative lack of attention to the guitar's setup will make it more difficult to play. For these reasons, I think there's a far greater chance of sticking with it if one starts with nylon strings, which will still be a challenge for a beginner but infinitely less so than steel strings. Just my $0.02

 

I tend to be biased in favor of Yamaha instruments, which I think are very well made at every price point. The Yamaha CG122 runs about $220 and has a solid top (you can choose spruce or cedar), which in general is an important element. However, since this is going to be a guitar primarily for learning, this feature may not be as vital to you. It's important to bear in mind that guitars at this price level tend not to come with a case. Yamaha does offer slightly less expensive models with plywood tops, which would leave you some spending room for a gig bag.

 

 

[Tony Burns]

yamaha makes classicals in many sizes - a 1/2 or 3/4 scale ( i believe is about a hundred bucks )

[mibble]

 

But here's a completely different answer: Forget about size. Back-burner brands Just find an affordable guitar your eleven-year-old actually likes.

Yep. I'll be taking him to the local SamAsh music center before buying. Yet Sam Ash doesn't have the one I'm interested in. Though there are return options for anything I buy online, I believe.

 

[mibble]

At age 11' date=' I really don't think the size of the instrument is an issue. [/quote'] It was for me when I started even younger. The full body size was simply too big for me, and mostly slowed my learning it, until I got an electric later on. Guess it depends on the size of the child, and me and my kid were and are shorter and thinner than average, so that might influence it as well.

 

 

[DeepEnd]

Yep. I'll be taking him to the local SamAsh music center before buying. Yet Sam Ash doesn't have the one I'm interested in. Though there are return options for anything I buy online' date=' I believe.[/quote']

Yes, you can ship a guitar back to Sam Ash for a refund as long as it's in new condition. I checked the Sam Ash web site and some possibilities suggest themselves, all around $150:

Ibanez PC15 Concert: http://www.samash.com/steel-string-acoustic-guitars/ibanez-pc15-grand-concert-acoustic-guitar-ipc15

We have a ''concert size'' guitar that I bought on eBay for our daughter when she expressed an interest and it's not that big. I think something like it would work fine.

Ibanez PC12MH Concert (essentially same as above except with a mahogany top instead of spruce): http://www.samash.com/steel-string-acoustic-guitars/pc12mh-mahogany-grand-concert-acoustic-electric-guitar-ipc12mhop-p

Ibanez PN1 Parlor: http://www.samash.com/steel-string-acoustic-guitars/pn1-performance-series-parlor-acoustic-guitar-ipn1ntxxx-p

Ibanez PN15 Parlor: http://www.samash.com/steel-string-acoustic-guitars/ibanez-pn15-acoustic-guitar-ipn15bsxx

Eko NXT Parlor (Eko was a big deal back in the 60's and 70's but we're not talking about the same company, just the name): http://www.samash.com/steel-string-acoustic-guitars/nxt-parlor-acoustic-guitar-enxtparlor-p

There's also the Gretsch ''Jim Dandy'' for another $20 or so but I'm not that impressed with it: http://www.samash.com/steel-string-acoustic-guitars/gretsch-g9500-jim-dandy-flat-top-acoustic-guitar-g4000503x.

You can look at 3/4 size and ''travel'' guitars but I'm not convinced they're the right choice.

[Freeman Keller]

Just remember that it typically costs about $35 to ship a guitar UPS or FedEX ground back to Sam Ash, plus being a bit of a hassle. They might be advertising "free shipping" to you (but of course its buried in the price) but the return is on your dime.

 

Also make sure that you are totally happy with the playability. I do a small amount of guitar repairs and get asked to do a lot of set ups on new guitars that were bought on line. When someone buys a guitar from the little mom and pop music store that I do work for the setup is included, if it walks in the door it often costs 60 or so dollars.

[Freeman Keller]

Smaller guitars usually sound somewhat different from their larger kin - brighter, less bass, sometimes kind of "boxy" sounding depending on construction. That might be an advantage but its worthwhile to play the guitar you are interested in just to make sure.

[Grant Harding]

I definitely recommend a steel string with lighter strings over a classical. Much more versatile.

[Mikeo]

Just get him a Les Paul Custom and a Marshall Plexi and be done with it.

 

 

Actually if you could up that budget, the Taylor GS Mini's are like 23-1/2 scale

 

They sould good and have a very nice neck.

 

Then if your kid stops playing, you take it back and have a nice travel/ couch player.

 

I seen em for about 4 bills used, but keep and eye out. The travel case that come in are very handy for toting to and from lessons.

 

 

 

I have 2 GS Mini's, neither are for sale.

 

Classical guitars usually have a 2" fretboard width and are imo more difficult to play.

 

 

From reverb.

https://reverb.com/p/taylor-gs-mini

. My 11-yr old granddaughter should have one: it fits her perfectly as well.

 

 

There's also the Big Baby Taylor. They have a 25 -1/2 in scale. 200- 250 in the used market