Guitar for my daughter to learn

kbuchholtz

Hello all. My 8 year old daughter has been expressing a slight interest in learning to play guitar. I'm wondering if anyone has had any luck with kids learning at this age. She's like most 8 year olds, and her interests change with the wind. When I ask her she always says she'd like to learn. What has anyone found in terms of best way to go with gear? Acoustic? Electric? I'd think electric would be easier for her to learn on, but she sees a lot of her favorite artists playing acoustic on Disney channel and such. I play about too, so I think Ana cous tic is the way to to start. Toughen her up a bit. We have found someone for lessons already, just wondering what experience anyone has with gear suggestions.

Thanks a bunch.

Stickman12

I started my son on guitar lessons about a year and a half ago. He was 8 at the time. It wasnt his choice but I told him that video games, tablets, and stuff like that were not going to consume all his time. I gave him the option to pick extra curricular things to do or I would do it for him. He chose not to, so I put him in Little League and signed him up for guitar lessons. He ended up, and still, loves both activities. I started him off with an Ibanez acoustic and after a year and after very positive feedback from his teacher, I got him a Taylor 110. He has been very receptive to lessons and practicing. He practices from time to time on electric but has not shown interest yet to this point to explore the options that an electric guitar can give you. From my experience so far, if you have a good teacher that gives good lessons and give good feedback, kids seem to take it and run with it. I will say from time to time, my son needs a little motivation to get back into it, but at the same time I dont burn him out on it. He usually does 20 minutes of practice time mon-fri and so far things have been going very well.

xtremehardy388

I'd get an intermediate acoustic. If you get something too cheap, it'll sound like crap and the guitar won't ever stay in tune. That'll just kill interest. If you get something overly expensive and she loses interest, you might waste money. I think about a few of my friends---they got acoustic guitars, lost interest for years, and then got back into it. They were thankful they had an acoustic just laying around because of the interest.

Dog Loyal

xtremehardy388 wrote: »

I'd get an intermediate acoustic. If you get something too cheap, it'll sound like crap and the guitar won't ever stay in tune. That'll just kill interest. If you get something overly expensive and she loses interest, you might waste money. I think about a few of my friends---they got acoustic guitars, lost interest for years, and then got back into it. They were thankful they had an acoustic just laying around because of the interest.

I'll second this.

When my son was 9 I got him a Squier Mini Strat. As guitars go let's just call this one sub-mediocre. It does not stay in tune. When you tune it and pluck a string, the tuner goes all over place. He farted around with it some, but didn't really start to show interest until I got my first electric, a reissue of the '65 Fender Mustang. Now there was something he could sink his teeth into. Then I got a vintage Electra Les Paul and all of a sudden I couldn't sit down to practice without him coming in and asking me to fork my guitar over so he could play.

For Christmas this year we got him a Gretsch Electromatic 5120 and he is going nuts on that thing. He's is working out La Villa Strangiato (Rush) right now, and was showing me how to play Evenflow last night, and has Release down pat. He's 13. The best thing about this guitar (besides the Bigsby, I'm so envious) is that it's electric and acoustic. It's huge but also very lightweight because of the hollow body. It's probably not great for smaller hands, though.

If your daughter loves acoustic guitar and you're not afraid to invest a little money, get her a Taylor GS Mini. I love mine. It's small with a very manageable fretboard but has a big, gorgeous sound. You might be able to pick up a used one somewhere.

xtremehardy388

I loved my strat but it had so many problems staying in tune the first year I got it. My fiance' has a Yamaha 3/4 acoustic and loves it. I'm not saying buy top of the line but maybe let your daughter try some guitars. Let HER pick out the one and develop a relationship with it Let it be a bonding thing between you, her, and the geetar

mccreadyisgod

There is recently a wealth of 3/4 size acoustic guitars on the market right now, and a great number of them are really nice guitars. I actually just bought my daughter (6 years old) a left-handed Martin LX1 for Christmas this year. I would certainly recommend the Martin LX1 or LXM, they are quality guitars that are usually marketed as travel guitars for adults, rather than cheap toys for kids. They hover in the $300 range brand new, but I wouldn't bat an eye at buying one used, since they are so well made. I also think the Baby Taylor or Taylor GS Mini are fine guitars, but again, they are a bit more than your average "beginner guitar".

Like the comments above, I would stress the importance of getting a quality instrument. So many well-intentioned parents buy their kids a "starter" guitar for $50 to $150, and here's what you get: a guitar that won't stay in tune, has really bad action and plays poorly. The result of this is a kid who won't want to learn guitar, since they perceive it to be more difficult due to their poor instrument. It's like learning to drive on a car with a flat tire, no exhaust, and running on two cylinders. You don't need to buy something top-of-the-line, you just need to get something playable. If you don't play guitar, or know someone who plays guitar, then you need to find a quality music shop where a real guitar player can tell you if something plays well.

I also want to include my oft-repeated rant about buying used. If have $150 to spend on a guitar, you can get a killer guitar, if you buy it used and know what to look for. If you buy a $150 new guitar, it probably won't be a very good-playing instrument, and it will be basically worthless if you ever decide to sell it (say, so your kid can upgrade after playing for a few years, or if your kid decides to play soccer instead). However, if you get a used guitar for $150, you can get a pretty decent beginner guitar, and the resale value will be pretty close to the same you paid in the first place. A well-cared for used guitar is a perfectly fine instrument, and most real musicians will tell you that used guitars are always on our radar. Not only can you get a great deal, you also find a guitar that's had the kinks worked out before you get it. Again, it helps if you play guitar or know someone who does.

Lastly, I share in the common wisdom that it is better to start on acoustic, and add electric later if so desired. If the Martin and Taylor options are too much for you, even used, you can look at a Yamaha, Ibanez, or Luna. Just be sure they play well before buying. I'd stick to steel-string acoustics, and get it setup for light strings so it's easier on small fingers to play.

xtremehardy388

MIG has a lot of good points. However...
I have a few squiers (the strat I mentioned) and a tele that never goes out of tune. It's all about luck in that department. I'm totally into the used gear thing, though. Almost all of mine is used and it's lower end, too. I also have an epiphone LP-100 that is light enough for me (Used a Gibson Les Paul Mahognony when my old band opened for the Eisley Brothers and my back went out after two songs---keep in mind I was about 100lbs at the time---I'm up to 115 on a good day). Try the guitars, if you can, before you buy. After getting the guitar, spend the money to get it set up---get the frets dressed and the action set. It's a world of difference. My fiance's little brother got a strat pack and I had the guitar set up for him. He stopped playing because the lessons killed his creativity (that's another thread for another day though). My point is, just because it says squier or student based doesn't mean it's awful. I've played high-end guitars that I can't stand. Also, I'm all for sticking to steel strings, too. I've got smaller fingers and the nylon ones just frustrate me. There's a great starter acoustic pack, by Fender, that I love and swear by. The guitar is a tank and doesn't have problems staying in tune. However, 3/4 guitars may be the way to go, especially for size. Keep us posted!