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May 2008
Posts: 194
Location: Las Vegas, NV | I'm doing a bit of research for a friend of mine, whose 10-year old daugter REALLY wants to learn to play the guitar. They came over to the house yesterday, and I let her hold and strum my 1778LX and my strat-type electric. The O, with the mid-bowl, seemed too large for her to play comfortably, but the electric didn't seem to be a problem, at least for the right hand. I'm not sure how easily she'll be able to play the open chords, as I guess I wasn't paying enough attention. I have friends whose 9-year old son plays electric, and plays (well, I might add) on a standard Ibanez electric. But maybe this is the exception, not the rule...
I know we have a few folks on this board that teach, so I'm looking for some suggestions on what a normal-sized 10-year old (and her parents) should look at buying as her first guitar. I'd recommend a good, used guitar that can be properly set up, and light or extra-light strings. But, what would be a good guitar, fit-wise, and is something that she could play indefinitely, as she grows to adult? |
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October 2005
Posts: 4061
Location: Utah | One of my daughters started guitar at about age 11 or 12. She started with the 3/4 size Applause AA13. You can see one here . The smaller size is just the ticket for small hands.
The tone isn't super, after all it is 3/4 size and a plywood top. But it is a good guitar anyhow, and it is suitable for travel, the beach, and even a college dorm room if you're short on space. |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Composite Acousitic's "Cargo"
very rugged, short scale, small body, sounds incredible and when she "grows out of it" as her main player, it is still the best travel guitar I've seen and it's usefulness that way will last a life time.
there's just NOTHING better i've seen around THIS set of qualities.
near universally great reviews and you can ask other membes here who have played the |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | Ditto what FlySig said. They also make a 1/2 size and you can use it for a travel guitar. Even if you buy a nice guitar with a small body, she may not be able to comfortably reach a full size neck.
There are several Hello Kitty type electric guitars, too. |
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January 2006
Posts: 387
Location: Whitecourt, Ab | I don't teach children professionally, but I taught my son and daughter to chord along with songs around age 10 or 11. I bought them a 1/2 size and a 3/4 size classical, however they seemed to like to play the full size more and just kinda one string one note with their smaller guitars.
My daughter couldn't reach to make a G chord and to this day plays the bass E with her thumb |
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February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Buying a smaller guitar that can become a desirable travel guitar is a good plan. You won't find a guitar sized for a 9 year old that the 9 year old won't outgrow ( except one lady friend I know who is 57 years old and is small enough that she plays a Little Martin as her main guitar). |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | When I was that age, I had a Gibson ES-125T 3/4 scale. It was three years old and my neighbor bought it new along with a Gibson amp. He was an OTR trucker and only asked to get it back for a few days every month or two when he returned to town. I didn't return it until 12 years later when I was in college and he never asked for it back in the 12 years in between, not even for one day. It was an excellent scale guitar for a child to learn on. I should've bought it from him. |
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May 2008
Posts: 194
Location: Las Vegas, NV | Thanks for all of the advice. Please keep it coming... |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | i strongly recommend looking in to the Cargo:
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March 2002
Posts: 15670
Location: SoCal | Baby Taylor (or Big Baby). About $300 and a great value for the money. Only Taylor I'd ever recommend..... |
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September 2006
Posts: 347
Location: Reno, NV | I have an Applause AA13. The body size might be ok but the scale might still be a little long for 8 year old fingers. I'd probably recommend the AA12 which is smaller yet, but be warned, these aren't great sounding guitars by any means. Almost Ukelele like. Very "trebley" ...obviously |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 347
Location: Reno, NV | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Baby Taylor (or Big Baby). About $300 and a great value for the money. Only Taylor I'd ever recommend..... Or maybe one of these...
Martin LXM |
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May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | DITTO - Taylor BABY and BIG BABY.
These are amazing guitars for the money. |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Daisy Rock. Quality instruments specifically for girls. Want to talk excitement? If she likes the way it looks, she'll want to play it even more. Daisyinski is a fan, too. Maybe more importantly, this company seems focused on empowering girls to be guitarists with no excuses for being girls ... there's a strong underlying community there. www.daisyrock.com.
Not that Jeff's idea is a bad one ... great guitar. But I've been lucky enough to have watched two little girls grow up ... and style weighs heavy at this point.
P.S. For my boys, it was an Applause 1/2 scale SSB AE12. Still have it around. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15670
Location: SoCal | Toby Daisyinski? Hmmm. A name is born..... |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | You can stick ColorForms on the Cargo...
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June 2008
Posts: 31
Location: alabama | Ditto again on the Taylor Baby or Big Baby. I had a big baby for a while and it played as well as my 512ce, which obviously costs 7 or 8 times as much. The baby is a little small, but the big baby is a 15/16 guitar that is comfortable for smaller players, but is also a guitar that she could keep playing forever. |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | She's a ten year old girl, not a middle aged round guy. Sound quality mean zip, zero, nada at this stage. Have Mom or Dad hit the different websites with her and let her be the judge of what she likes. If she doesn't like it she won't play it. If she becomes a good player, whatever she gets now won't matter because she will need something better and bigger. Make sure it is fun, and don't worry about practical. SHe'll have plenty of that when she grows up and gets boring like us. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | If she is just starting... Get her a 3/4 size solid body electric.
The strings are easier to play. She can get a starter guitar that looks cool, comes with an amp and Lesson DVD for less than $200. $300 for Epiphone, $400 for Fender.
She can get something that looks cool, and she can reach the lower frets.
If she gets into it, she can get a spendier guitar later.
In a coupla years she will have grown into a full sized guitar. |
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November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Or you can just go all out and get 'em a nice parlor guitar, like my son ;)
He is partial to "da blue one!", though. |
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May 2008
Posts: 194
Location: Las Vegas, NV | Thank you all very much for the suggestions. I'm going to forward these onto my friend, and see where it goes. I'll post back here when they choose a guitar, just for closure... |
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May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | Last minute pile on ...
10 is sort of "old", so a 3/4 or so sized guitar would be fine. I'm working with a neighbor girl who's 7 and I'm teaching her on a concert sized ukulele. She loves it and it's just a perfect size. |
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Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 194
Location: Las Vegas, NV | By all means, pile on... |
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Guitars for children
