Decent guitar for beginners?

[Sheila in OK]

I am wanting to get ds10 a guitar for Christmas. He started lessons in September with a borrowed kids' guitar but I think he is ready for an upgrade. I don't have a lot of money to spend and I am completely overwhelmed with all the options. We stopped at a local guitar store to let him try a few out, and of course he fell in love with a $499 guitar. :tongue_smilie: Do we really have to spend that much?

 

Also should I get the half-size or full-size for him? The full-size guitars feel uncomfortable to him but I hate to get the smaller one only to have him outgrow it quickly.

[Jan in SC]

Acoustic or electric?

[Sheila in OK]

Sorry--looking for acoustic!

[jplain]

If you're looking for acoustic, the Yamaha FG700S is $200 and gets great reviews: link. I just bought one for DH for Christmas, and he's really happy with it.

I was leaning toward the $319 Seagull S6 Entourage/Slim or $400 S6 Original, but he insisted the Yamaha sounded just as nice to him.

[Halftime Hope]

I was conerned not to spend a lot of money before I knew whether this would "stick" or not, as there were many things ds had tried and promptly discarded. He's still going strong five years later, and I think one of the reasons for his early success was that we bought him a decent guitar that was a joy to play, rather than a chore.

 

No, you don't have to buy him a 500 dollar guitar. :D Ibanez and Alvarez are two decent quality brands that play nicely and won't be a total loss in the resale market. I was looking in our records the other day; we paid $270 for ds' non-electric acoustic (no on-board tuner, EQ or pickup) Alvarez. Many of the kids in his circle pick his up and play it when he takes it places, so apparently it's got some appeal to it; IOW, it plays nicely.

 

We also looked at Baby Taylors which are beautiful but small; your ds might outgrow that pretty soon if he isn't from a petite family. Ds probably would have outgrown it within two years.

 

hth

 

P.S. In your shoes, I would tell ds that you want to spend what is necessary to get a good guitar, but have some money to pitch in with *his* earned money when he decided he needs an electric within a few years. :lol:

[KellyGirl]

My husband and I both play (and he's teaching our ds11). What was it about the guitar in the store that your son really liked? Was it the color, an inlay (design) on the fret board, the shape of the guitar? My dh says if you can give us a link to the guitar your ds likes, we can try to find a cheaper option that he would like. (My husband LOVES shopping for new gear, and he can't spend his own money, he'll gladly help you spend yours).

 

I have a Baby Taylor that I got for camping trips, but it is the most likely to get pulled out guitar at our house because of the convenience. But, as was already stated he will "outgrow" it.

 

Takamine is a brand that I LOVE, and you can certainly get into one for under $500 - here's an example.

[Sheila in OK]

I wish I could remember what kind it was. :tongue_smilie: That would be helpful, huh? He did play a baby Taylor once--he *loved* it but I had the same thought, that he would outgrow it soon. I believe it was around $300 or so. I think what he liked about it so much is the sound--the one he's using now is pretty cheap so he really noticed the difference when playing a 'real' one.

 

This may be a dumb question, but is there anything in between half-size and full-size? He is more comfortable with the smaller ones--the full-sized ones feel HUGE to him--but I don't want him to outgrow it in a year.

 

My husband and I both play (and he's teaching our ds11). What was it about the guitar in the store that your son really liked? Was it the color, an inlay (design) on the fret board, the shape of the guitar? My dh says if you can give us a link to the guitar your ds likes, we can try to find a cheaper option that he would like. (My husband LOVES shopping for new gear, and he can't spend his own money, he'll gladly help you spend yours).

 

I have a Baby Taylor that I got for camping trips, but it is the most likely to get pulled out guitar at our house because of the convenience. But, as was already stated he will "outgrow" it.

 

Takamine is a brand that I LOVE, and you can certainly get into one for under $500 - here's an example.

[Sheila in OK]

Thanks, I will check out these brands!

 

I was conerned not to spend a lot of money before I knew whether this would "stick" or not, as there were many things ds had tried and promptly discarded. He's still going strong five years later, and I think one of the reasons for his early success was that we bought him a decent guitar that was a joy to play, rather than a chore.

 

No, you don't have to buy him a 500 dollar guitar. :D Ibanez and Alvarez are two decent quality brands that play nicely and won't be a total loss in the resale market. I was looking in our records the other day; we paid $270 for ds' non-electric acoustic (no on-board tuner, EQ or pickup) Alvarez. Many of the kids in his circle pick his up and play it when he takes it places, so apparently it's got some appeal to it; IOW, it plays nicely.

 

We also looked at Baby Taylors which are beautiful but small; your ds might outgrow that pretty soon if he isn't from a petite family. Ds probably would have outgrown it within two years.

 

hth

 

P.S. In your shoes, I would tell ds that you want to spend what is necessary to get a good guitar, but have some money to pitch in with *his* earned money when he decided he needs an electric within a few years. :lol:

[StephanieZ]

You want a 3/4 guitar. It'll be good until your son is full grown. Many petite adults prefer 3/4 guitars, and many big folks use them for travel.

 

Look at the alvarez msd1 3/4 guitar.

 

It's LOVELY. My ds11 is a serious classical guitarist, but got the Alvarez MSD1 for old-time/acoustic/steel string stuff for goofing around. . . It is *really* nice.

 

You can probably find it for under $500 if you shop well.

 

HTH

[Kate in VA]

Last year we purchased a Baby Taylor for our dd"s Christmas present... Even though it is a beautiful guitar and a nice size for her then.... Her guitar teacher said that after about 11 they should be using a regular size guitar.... However my biggest concern is that the guitar was delivered to us damaged. We have contacted Taylor several times and they have not gotten back with us.... I am very disappointed that we spent $300 for a damaged product that I needed to pay another company to fix it.... Just my 2 cents and experience with Taylor...

[Kebo]

I bought my 9 year old an Oscar Schmidt 3/4 size dreadnought in black, and it has been a nice little guitar for him and it cost less than $100 (on Amazon, with free shipping). I also didn't want to invest too much in a beginner guitar that he would soon outgrow and this one had good reviews for the price. If there are specific guitars you are considering you might want to find reviews on Harmony Central to check it out more thoroughly.

[KellyGirl]

If you get something that is thin body or cut away it will be more comfortable without being "outgrowable". (I'm only 5'1" and I prefer something with a cut away for that reason.) With a thin body you sacrifice some of the acoustics because there is less room the sound to resonate. But if it's made of good wood it will likely sound better than what he has now. A Taylor "Big Baby" would be a good choice, but then your back to $450.

 

Oh, and by the way...what is he playing now? And is there any chance you could ask him if he remembers the guitar he liked?

 

Maybe something like this or this would be nice in the cutaway department...and those are both stores that we have used repeatedly and had good luck with. Ordering online might be cheaper than your local music store, unless you have a Daddy's or a Guitar Center.

[KellyGirl]

I bought my 9 year old an Oscar Schmidt 3/4 size dreadnought in black, and it has been a nice little guitar for him and it cost less than $100 (on Amazon, with free shipping). I also didn't want to invest too much in a beginner guitar that he would soon outgrow and this one had good reviews for the price. If there are specific guitars you are considering you might want to find reviews on Harmony Central to check it out more thoroughly.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot about Harmony Central! That is a great place to look at reviews on guitars and all that kind of gear.:hurray:

[Sheila in OK]

I am not even sure what he is playing now--it is just a small kid-type guitar. He decided to take lessons at the last minute since his sister was doing flute at the same time. To be honest, I didn't think he would stick with it so I wasn't too concerned about getting him a good guitar. But he has really taken off with it.

 

We do have a Guitar Center--that is where he has played the nicer guitars. We'll have to go again and I'll pay more attention to the ones he likes.

[NCW]

Our ds has been playing classical guitar for years. We and his teachers love these Strunal guitars. I buy them from http://www.meantone.com/StudentGuitars.html

 

as this guitar instructor sells them less expensively than most shops. He's also easy to work with via the phone/internet.

[Nestof3]

I recommend a Washburn. Everyone had these in college, and I bought one as well. My husband likes it better than some of the ones he's had. Mine's a D10N. My friend, who was in the recording studio business and a fine guitar player thought it had a great sound too.

 

Yes, Takamine can be good. My husband never liked his, but I have heard good ones.

Edited December 12, 2010 by nestof3

[Urban Girl]

Our ds has been playing classical guitar for years. We and his teachers love these Strunal guitars. I buy them from http://www.meantone.com/StudentGuitars.html

 

as this guitar instructor sells them less expensively than most shops. He's also easy to work with via the phone/internet.

 

I second this company. When I ordered my son's guitar I was surprised at how soon we received it. Something like within 23 hours. David was very helpful answering all my questions and a pleasure to do business with.

[Jeanne in MN]

Here's one I bought by recommendation of someone here. I have really enjoyed it and my 13 yo dd has taken lessons on it and done well. My mom who has played guitar for many years bought one too, because she liked mine so well. It had a lot of great reviews. Best of all it was $100 and free shipping.

 

 

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Rogue-Honduran-Mahogany-Dreadnought?sku=519268

[Shifra]

My daughter, who is now 10 has been playing guitar since she was 7. She has a Yamaha FG JR-1, which is a 3/4 size acoustic (steel strings) guitar. It is very good and about $129 (although you may find it on sale a Guitar Center or Music & Arts at this time of year). We bought ours for about $100.

[AuntieM]

Well, my 16yos just bought his dream today, a $750 Martin, but we have learned a few things in the process.

 

You can get a "smaller" guitar in two different ways. You can get a half or 3/4 size, and overall it will be smaller. However, my guys quickly outgrew these sizes.

 

Another way to go "smaller" is to go with a concert (aka slim) soundbox so there's less to hold onto. Fender makes a great little guitar that is selling for about $199 now at Guitar Center. I love this model because not only is the body slim, but the action on the fretboard is very low and easier for beginners to get a handle on.

 

Bottom line, you want a nice guitar that will hold a tune, have a good sound, and not be difficult to play. My 13yo ds got a nice Ibanez for about $210 that fit the bill a year or so ago. I agree that an Ibanez might also meet your current need.

 

A $500 guitar typically *is* nicer, has more solid wood and is likely more specific to a player's tastes. But you needn't spend that much until the player knows what his tastes actually are...

[Teachin'Mine]

If you're looking for acoustic, the Yamaha FG700S is $200 and gets great reviews: link. I just bought one for DH for Christmas, and he's really happy with it.

I was leaning toward the $319 Seagull S6 Entourage/Slim or $400 S6 Original, but he insisted the Yamaha sounded just as nice to him.

 

:iagree: The sound is amazing!

[Sheila in OK]

Thanks for all your thoughts--I am checking into all your suggestions!

[StephanieZ]

Last year we purchased a Baby Taylor for our dd"s Christmas present... Even though it is a beautiful guitar and a nice size for her then.... Her guitar teacher said that after about 11 they should be using a regular size guitar.... However my biggest concern is that the guitar was delivered to us damaged. We have contacted Taylor several times and they have not gotten back with us.... I am very disappointed that we spent $300 for a damaged product that I needed to pay another company to fix it.... Just my 2 cents and experience with Taylor...

 

IME, the age that a child is ready for a full size guitar depends on both the growth rate of the child & the skill level of the child. A very advanced student will actually need a smaller guitar for LONGER as s/he will be using complex left hand fingerings that require the smaller neck. . . The big 'stretches' will be simply impossible on a larger guitar.

 

My son is 11 & he won't move to a full size guitar until age 13 or older unless he has a shockingly early growth spurt. I expect he'll be over 5'4" before moving up. Probably closer to 5'6".