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July 2007
Posts: 325
Location: Texas | Question to all you guitar experts :) A friend of mine is being hounded by her 6 year old boy that he wants a guitar. Acoustic or electric - it really doesn't matter. She doesn't want a cheap, hard to play one but she doesn't want to spend that much just in case he loses interest 4 days after Christmas.
Any suggestions for those small hands????? |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Two issues with a 6-year old (I've been there). One - they are 6 year old sized, and Two - their sustained interest will have a lot to do with how "cool" the guitar looks. Ain't no 6 year old in the world who's gonna be impressed with a guitar that looks like a martin or ovation. I would buy one of those 3/4 size travel Fender squire strats. And a little 5W amp (and headphones). The guitar is the right size, right looks and right price. And it's actually a quality, playable instrument. The other thing I would do is sign him up for piano lessons and insist that he study piano for two years. It was the best damn thing we ever did. They hated it and cried, but now 17 years later my son got his first real job and he spent his signing bonus on a .... PIANO.
Dave |
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September 2003
Posts: 815
Location: Colorado | Our 6 year old boy put us in the same boat. I started looking for more expensive stuff and then came around when I realized that this may be a passing fancy. We got him a First Act guitar for $25 at Kmart. So far, it's been the perfect solution for us.
So what if it feels like it's got cardboard back and sides (I'm exaggerating, maybe) and it doesn't stay in tune too well. But the action is OK for a 6 year old. The great thing is that he doesn't care!! And it keeps him from wanting to play the Adamas. After we get home this weekend I'll start teaching him a few basic things that he can work on and see if the enthusiasm continues.
Let us know what happens.
Todd (No, I'm not an expert) |
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June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Ditto on the attention span thing. My son has a hard time concentrating on guitar for more than about 5 min. He wants to be able to play NOW, not have to practice to do it. (kind of like the old man I guess) |
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October 2005
Posts: 4042
Location: Utah | IMO, six is too young to do any serious music or instrument training unless they are a unique prodigy. So go for the fun factor. I would get an electric for ease of playing and because you can plug it into a small cheap amp and get lots of cool sounds out of it. |
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Joined:
July 2007
Posts: 325
Location: Texas | A number of his family plays the guitar and he is mesmerized with guitars. He keep circling guitars in ads. He was completely deaf but had a cochlear implant this past year and now hears. His mother does not know where he learned to do this but he actually wrote a song with musical notes. No one taught him this....Beethoven, maybe? I think this kid just might be a prodigy. Heard nothing for 5 years and now is writing music and makes her take him to any place that has guitar playing.
Can't wait to hear what happens by the time he is 15. |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 665
Location: Tychy, Poland | Originally posted by vision:
A number of his family plays the guitar and he is mesmerized with guitars. He keep circling guitars in ads. He was completely deaf but had a cochlear implant this past year and now hears. His mother does not know where he learned to do this but he actually wrote a song with musical notes. No one taught him this....Beethoven, maybe? I think this kid just might be a prodigy. Heard nothing for 5 years and now is writing music and makes her take him to any place that has guitar playing.
Can't wait to hear what happens by the time he is 15. I'd look for a good 3/4 classical guitar, no way i'd give a kid electric for the beginning, because he'd start using shortcuts - not playing whole chords, not fingering but using pick etc.
i'd say, classical for first 6-12 months, then - to be seen. In Poland 3/4 classical guitar, good for beginner with solid top and back and comfortable neck costs around $300-$500, and i think it'd be a fair amount of money to invest in. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Go for the Fender 3/4 sized electric and amp. Think this through... It is pretty hard to break a solid-body guitar. The amp has headphones. [which may work well with the cochlear implant, or not]
And they look cool.
They are 100 bucks or so, and if the kid loses interest, you got a travel guitar. |
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Joined:
July 2007
Posts: 325
Location: Texas | Thanks guys, I will pass on the info. I know I can always get an answer here. Have a great Turkey Day!!!!!! |
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November 2007
Posts: 4
| There is a 3/4 size flying V made by Gibson that you can get at toys are us for around #100 with amp. It's not a bad little guitar. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I got my son a Hamer and now he's working in a bike store in Ft Collins Colorado. Go figure? |
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December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Baritone Uke - same as the first 4 guitar strings
A Tacoma Papoose with Silk-n-steel or Nylon strings.
If he is showing musical theory/composition aptitudes I'd go straight for a competant piano teacher.
I would bet that the staff that did the Cochlear Implants would have some related interests in following how well they work. They could network for a Musical Instructor/Medical Research person. |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Woody's suggestion of baritone uke is a good one. It's about a 3/4 size guitar with a nice narrow neck and only 4 strings to worry about. Good idea. |
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Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Here's One ...
1/2 size classical
I taught myself how to play when I was about 8 on a full sized Fender FD-something. I have always wished that I could have learned classical first, because I now have a lot of bad habits that are difficult to break. A well trained classical guitarist can play anything. |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 665
Location: Tychy, Poland | bvince has right!
Electric is ill advice for kid. He will learn a lot of bad habits he won't be able to shake off for whole life.
I had electric guitar first, and even though i've bought a classical 6 months later i've developed a lot of bad habits... like playing using only 4 fingers in right hand. |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Guitar for a 6 year old Not a bad trade really, depending on the model. |
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Guitar for a 6 year old