My 3yo wants an acoustic guitar for Xmas

[kwakatak]

He's been plucking at and knocking around my guitars for half his life so now he wants one of his own. Nothing special, just a $40 First Act guitar. I won't push him to play it but if he takes an interest in it then in a couple of years I'll try and get him a nicer one.

 

...or should I push now? I've been saying that it'd be nice to have a Martin 00X1 or maybe even a GS mini? I dunno. Kinda pricey. Does Yamaha make something in 3/4 scale? My kid's only about 3' tall after all.

[Opa John]

Have you considered a uke? Check on Amazon. They'd be easier on those little fingers too.

[kwakatak]

Actually, I have. He and I have been singing Train's "Hey Soul Sister" waaaaay too much though.

[BLUtunes]

There was a thread on here just a short while ago about kid-sized guitars. From what I learned on that, it sounds like Yamaha does indeed make both 3/4 size and 1/2 size acoustic guitars. And the 1/2 size would be a better fit for a 3 yr. old.

 

And of course, you get the typical Yamaha quality and bang for the buck. Sounds like something worth checking into to me.

[kwakatak]

You mean this one?

 

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Yamaha-CGS102-12-Size-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=511069

 

Looks to be a lam top but in my house that's not a bad thing!

 

Still and all, he's only 3 and I still need to make sure he's serious. I'm gonna take him to my local shop and see how he behaves. If he's like a kid in a candy store (like me) then I'll take it as a good sign. If he's like a bull in a china shop OTOH - well, I'm breaking out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. This is the same kid who swings the light over the kitchen table and calls it a bell after all.

 

Sheesh, at his age I was playing a Zippy Zither though. I remember how nervous my family would get if I touched my cousin's guitars.

[erold]

If you take him to a store make sure it's about him and his guitar. Get him to feel it and play, what you think of his choice is secondary. Don't do what this fella did a couple of months back at my local store, he brought his kid in to get him a guitar (I assume since they were looking at cheapies and 3/4 sized gits), at first the kid was really exited pointing at guitars and whatnot, then his dad had to try them, sat down and started plucking away at every single string on every effin' fret. Don't even know if he could actually play 'cause he did none what I recall. The kid got more and more restless, sat down on a chair kicking is legs looking disillusioned while his dad payed him no attention and kept plucking away at different guitars. You could see the hate of guitars and music stores building up in the eyes of that kid, and I reckon that guy killed his sons love of the instrument that day, just wanted to slap him.

[kwakatak]

Wow. Harsh terms there erold. Yeah, I know I'd be tempted but that's not the point. I just want to see how he'd react to seeing a store full of guitars. He knows I love guitars but I want to see if he has an interest of his own or if he's just imitating me. I'm fully prepared to just pick up a set of strings and take him two doors down for a slice of pizza.

[erold]

Fair enough, only thing I wanted to say really was to make it a good experience for him, you can pluck those guitars any other time.

 

And him liking guitars because he wants to imitate you isn't necessarily a bad thing imho. I know that a have a couple interests, like cars and fishing, that I picked up from wanting to be like my dad, and I enjoy that to this day and it's one of the few things that me and my dad can sit down over a beer and have good chat about. He might initially like it 'cause he wants to be with you and like you, but make it rewarding for him and it'll grow into a genuine interest which could be great for your relationship for the rest of your life.

[Terry Allan Hall]

There was a thread on here just a short while ago about kid-sized guitars. From what I learned on that, it sounds like Yamaha does indeed make both 3/4 size and 1/2 size acoustic guitars. And the 1/2 size would be a better fit for a 3 yr. old. And of course, you get the typical Yamaha quality and bang for the buck. Sounds like something worth checking into to me.

 

The Fg-jr is an excellent choice for a rug-rat that young.

 

[GuitarVlog]

Aria G-UKE ATU-120-6. I think nylon strings will be easier on his fingers than the FG-JR. Tuning is ADGCEA but you could use higher-tension strings and just tune them down.

 

 

Here's one on fleaBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220699162345

[Danner]

Vintage Martin OM, circa 1928, it's clearly the only choice.

[Jimmy Chaos]

I don't know if you can get this brand over there. I got this from Asda (Part of the Wal-Mart family) For my step-son's 3rd Birthday.

 

 

He can't play it but he enjoys making noise with it. And it's always there if he wants to learn.

 

It has little guards over the tuning pegs so nothing sharp sticks out, and no bridge pins to lose either, it actually makes quite a nice sound too.

[kwakatak]

^ that's the one (First Act) he actually picked out. My first guitar was a Kay which is larger but is comparable in quality. Sure, it was adequate for me but hardly inspiring.

[Jimmy Chaos]

Decent enough, and if he decides to play, then get him something nicer. I started on a 3/4 classical and when I got my Taylor Big Baby in 2003 I felt like I really deserved it (having put in the effort to learn)

[boxorox]

How 'bout a baritone uke? Four strings would be easier for him to get music out of, and the tuning would transfer to guitar later. Or you could tune it to an open G, like a banjo, sans fith string. Anyway, it would be a real instrument capable of making real music. That's a step ahead of a "toy" guitar.

[Glenn F]

[kwakatak]

^ niiiiicccceeeeeee.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

....NOT. I don't let my kids watch that show. They're goofy enough.

 

If this idea had come up last year I'd have jumped on one of those Overstock.com Gretsch Americanas.

[sixgunner455]

Aria G-UKE ATU-120-6. I think nylon strings will be easier on his fingers than the FG-JR. Tuning is ADGCEA but you could use higher-tension strings and just tune them down. Here's one on fleaBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220699162345

 

Sounds like a Requinto.

[Hart]

My 3 year old wants a guitar too. (Daddy you can get a big one and I can get a little one, he says).

 

Anyway, I talked to my local music store about it. They've got a baritone uke for $40 I think I'm going to get him. Not too much invested and I can tune it open so he can strum along.

 

Even the half size guits seem too big for him and he doesn't have the finger dexterity to play chords yet so I want to get him something that's fun for him to fool around with and that I'm not going to worry about if he scratches or dings it. Cause, yeah if it's not fun for him then what's the point.

[kwakatak]

I went to the local store yesterday without my 3yo just to see what he had in stock. He did have those two Yamahas but they're clearly too big for my son. OTOH a ukelele might suit him fine. I don't think my wife would balk at a $40 uke.

 

In the meantime, they have a lesson program that I may sign him up for in a couple of years - or sooner if his listening skills improve. It sounds a lot like what I was enrolled in at about that age. Some of the songs are the same too!

http://www.empiremusiconline.com/little-strummers.html

 

BTW, we already tried getting him to participate in the youth choir (age 4 minimum) and while he did good and had fun the first time he didn't do so well on the second session and basically ran around screaming (like the 3yo he is.) He's still got to learn some social skllls and we're trying to find a way to discourage him from trying to emulate his older (autistic) brother's behaviors which are disruptive, destructive and sometimes injurious to himself and others.

[kwakatak]

I changed directions a little bit and ordered a cheap ukelele kit from Grizzly. Another fella at the Official Luthier's Forum built once for/with his daughter who can't be much older than my little guy and it looked like fun. FWIW he really likes being down in the basement with me while I've been working on templates and molds for my guitar build and I figure this would be a nice little project to bond over. All the hard work is done - you basically just have to glue on the fretboard, neck and bridge and then finish it however you want.

 

http://grizzly.com/products/H3125

 

I don't expect great things but then he is only 3. This isn't even his first ukelele; he and his brother destroyed his old one last year by doing half the work of a neck reset. This time I'm going to reinforce the neck joint with dowels.