DawnM Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 My son wants to learn it play guitar. He currently plays the piano, so he has some music background. However, I have NO idea what to look for in a guitar. What should I be looking for? Our experience at the local music store hasn't been great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Places like Guitar Center are pretty terrible IMO. The employees just don't seem to have much expertise. We've done better with the smaller, locally owned stores. Last year we bought our son a Bristol as a starter guitar and it's been great. It was recommended by several guitarists we know locally as a starter instrument and gets strong online reviews. http://www.amazon.com/Bristol-BD-16-Dreadnought-Acoustic-Guitar/dp/B001OMI41A 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in FL. Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 I second WoolySocks' opinion. We have had really good experiences with a local music store. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 How old is your son? One good piece of advice we got was to get an electric. They are quiet (if unplugged) and they are much easier on young fingers. There isn't as much physical stress, and so kids can work on technique sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 My two dss (8 and 12 at the time) switched from piano to guitar 1.5 years ago. It was a very smooth and easy transition. They already knew how to read music, rhythm, etc., so they progressed very quickly with guitar. Are you planning on getting him a guitar teacher and lessons? I'd highly recommend this, so that he learns correct technique from the start. It's very different hand positioning from piano, and you want to use correct technique to prevent injuries, get the best sound possible, and have an easier time playing the songs you want to play - especially the fast ones. Our teacher recommended starting with a nylon string classical guitar because they are easier on the fingers. The sound is beautiful, too. You can do everything with a classical guitar that you can with an accoustic - pick, strum, etc. They are not expensive at all (compared to violins they are dirt cheap!). Yamaha are excellent beginner guitars, and they have various sizes depending on your ds's age/size. If you can, try to get your ds involved in group lessons, too. The beauty of playing guitar, compared to piano, is that it's an ensemble instrument. The piano is pretty lonely unless you play duets or can accompany others. It is so motivating to play music with others, even from a beginning level. Suzuki has guitar programs which usually have group class opportunities. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 My son wants to learn it play guitar. He currently plays the piano, so he has some music background. However, I have NO idea what to look for in a guitar. What should I be looking for? Our experience at the local music store hasn't been great. I borrowed one and then asked my teacher to help me find a good one. That was a good idea. I now am the owner of a remarkably beautifully sounding guitar that was within my price range. My teacher was able to spot a good deal on Craigslist without any trouble. It was totally worth the wait. I'm also a huge fan of renting for a child, because you can get a higher quality instrument for less in the short term. Then you can get one on Craigslist, or even pay the teacher if he's willing to pick it up for you. If your son is planning on self-teaching, then my suggestion would actually be to start with a rental and then as he gets into it over a period of time, find peers or a mentor to help him find one on Craigslist. The one thing about guitars is that people are often buying them on impulse and selling them, because musicians need money but also collect instruments--particularly pop/rock musicians. So it's a buyer's market, unless you go storefront and have no idea what you're looking for. That's my 2c. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 I second the advice to get a classical guitar. We went that route and it worked very well. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 How old and about how tall is he? My oldest is almost 5ft and would have no problem with a 7/8 size or full size guitar. If you have no one to help you choose, a new Yamaha starter which is around $100 is a safe choice. Like a PP said, it is lots cheaper than violin. If you have someone to help choose, go for craigslist. Either way be prepared to change the strings after a year for better ones. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 We had a musician friend help us choose a guitar. He recommended getting a baby Taylor. It's not horribly priced (around $350, I think) and it has a great sound. It's 3/4 size, but is used by a lot of musicians as a travel guitar because it's easier to cart around. There are some great reviews online. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 1, 2015 Author Share Posted June 1, 2015 My son is 15, so he is large enough for a full size guitar. I am not sure about a teacher yet. He hasn't indicated he wants one and he taught himself piano, so we will see. I am happy to get him one if he wishes. Jean, why classical? I am reading that for playing more contemporary music an acoustic is better. Last night I talked to a friend who says she doesn't mind him borrowing her starter guitar (an $80 one from Costco). Maybe I should start with that??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 DD started with a 3/4 Martin when she added guitar lessons after piano. She needed the smaller size at the time. There are so many good starter guitars that it is hard to choose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 I would never spend over $100 for a child (no matter what age) of mine who was interested in trying out the guitar for the first time. You can try out and begin learning on basically anything. My daughter got her first guitar at age 10 from JCPenney, and eventually moved up to getting a nicer quality used guitar for $50 a couple years later. For sure it wasn't perfect, but it was just fine. I'd say go with the one from your friend. We got our used one at a place called "Music Go Round" that I think has stores in several states. It wasn't until my daughter had been playing for about 8 years that she invested in the nice Taylor that she has now. She is a professional musician and this is how she makes her living. She had probably 10 lessons at the start to learn the very basics, and then played and learned on her own for several years after that. Then she worked with a teacher again at about age 13 for a couple years (maybe 3 times/month). During her mid-high school years she spent about 6 months working with a guitarist from the radio show Prairie Home Companion. He taught her a lot and really challenged her with some creative fingering. So much of guitar playing is figuring out your own style, but I think it's important to get that basic, beginning instruction, and then to meet with different instructors off and on over the years. Each has their own style and can teach or inspire something very different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 My kids (13, 10, 6, and 40 -- that's DH) have been learning from guitars they picked up on Craigslist. Nothing too fancy, but they've watched for some deals and have been very pleased. I do think they've gotten some from GuitarCenter too and have been happy with them too, at least enough that they've been able to teach themselves to play some songs. My big kids have full-sized ones; my 6yo has a slightly smaller one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Places like Guitar Center are pretty terrible IMO. The employees just don't seem to have much expertise. That hasn't been our experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Classical guitars have nylon strings that are easier on beginner fingers. That said, if I had the option to borrow a guitar from a friend, I would. See how he does with it. If it gives him problems, then look for something else. An acoustic that is just strung with nylon strings doesn't sound as good as a classical guitar with the same strings. I should say though that ds prefers the thinner neck of an acoustic to the wider neck of classical guitar now that he's moved to having more than one kind of a guitar. We also started with learning classical guitar method because I wanted ds to learn more theory and move from there to various styles. He now plays classical, acoustic, electric and bass (though not very well on the bass). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 We actually started with a guitar borrowed from a friend and that was great. I would totally do that if you have the opportunity. Especially for a kid that isn't necessarily going to take lessons and just wants to play around with it. Our guitar is steel string. Our local shops actually recommended steel string. It's much easier to go from steel to nylon, but not the other way. And after the first few weeks, his fingers "broke in" and it's fine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Elixir strings are the ones dh recommends. Everyone told me this, but I found guitar painful the whole semester and wished I had changed out my strings. I am sure everyone is different. 3 of us in the house adjusted fine to the steel string guitar we borrowed, so we bought a steel string. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Along the everyone is different line: my son is an Aspie and is extra sensitive to sensory stuff. For him, the nylon strings were a must. But he had a hard time with the fatter neck of the classical guitar - to the point where he was considering having a new neck put on the guitar. So YYMV is really true on these things. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 What style of music does he want to play? Is he wanting to pick or strum? Sing along or play the melody? Solo or with a group? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Background - Neither dh nor I are musical. Ds 17 has been playing guitar since he was nine. He started out with an inexpensive acoustic guitar given to him by his then 19 yo brother (dss). It was given to him by his mother, but he was in college and didn't have the time or motivation to learn to play. When ds said he wanted an electric guitar we told him he'd first need to take lessons with the acoustic to see if this was something he really wanted. We bought him an inexpensive electric guitar a year later for Christmas. I just talked to him and told him what/why I was asking. Of course we both agree that a 9/10 year old with no musical background is very different from a 15 year old who already plays an instrument but he did say that starting out can be similar no matter your age or experience. Anyway, here are some of his points he said I should post. -An acoustic guitar is cheaper and of course portable. He still has that original acoustic and takes it with him to some the teen hs hangouts (usually a park or the beach). -You need to consider the cost of an amplifier if you get an electric guitar. Depending on your budget that means you'd need to give on either the quality of the guitar or the amp. Sometimes you can find a package deal. He saved money from his summer job last year and bought himself a Les Paul and for his birthday we gave him a better amp than the one he had. -A classical guitar will limit you. It has nylon strings and is great for "finger playing" - he explained and I think it means both not using a pick and using multiple fingers to play at once. Great for playing classical music but if he has any interest in rock, acoustic or electric is the better choice. -An electric guitar is easier because the strings are thinner. With an acoustic your ds will need to build up finger callouses before he finds it comfortable to play. -It's not necessary to get the best and most expensive to start, but if he likes playing guitar he's going to want to upgrade eventually. This last bit is mine, not from ds - -Beware of string instrument creep. Ds has an acoustic and a cheap electric guitar. When he bought himself the nice electric one last summer I thought he'd want to sell the old one to offset the cost. Nope. He kept it and uses both electric ones or the acoustic, depending on his mood. He has that Les Paul and now wants a Fender because "each one has its qualities". He found an old ukulele at FIL's and asked his grandfather if he could take it and restring it. Grandad gave it to him. Now he wants a mandolin. And a banjo. It never seems to stop lol. If your ds likes rock, Rocksmith is a fun program for both beginners and experienced players. It uses mostly classic and hard rock though, so if he doesn't like that it wouldn't be for him. Ds has the PC version. I don't know how easy it is to learn with this program because ds only got it less than a year ago - long after he knew how to play. He does think it's helped him improve. The advantage your ds has is that he played piano and therefore learned to read music. My big gripe about the way guitar is taught these days (and it seems to be everywhere) is that they use tabs (tablature). New guitarists don't learn to actually read music but just learn guitar tabs. It puts them at a disadvantage when they play with people playing other instruments. The others can read the music. The guitarists have to convert it to tabs. It's frustrating and bothers me, but doesn't bother ds so I guess I should let it go 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 LOL on instrument creep. Ds has two different electrics, one base, two different acoustics and a classical! Oh and a bandurria - a Filipino 12 stringed lute/mandolin type instrument that I want him to learn just cause it would be cool. He thinks it would be cool if I learned it instead. Which would be cool! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Last night I talked to a friend who says she doesn't mind him borrowing her starter guitar (an $80 one from Costco). Maybe I should start with that??? It wouldn't be a problem. Just make sure the guitar is easy to tune (he can use his piano instead of buying a guitar tuner) and the pegs are in good condition as in the strings don't loosen easily. Link to how to tune the guitar using a piano. http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-tune-a-guitar-from-the-piano.html If he prefers to stand and strum rather than sit, get a lighter guitar when he wants to buy one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 My 7 year old was interested in guitar. Our local guitar shop rented us a 3/4 sized Fender acoustic for $8 per month. We figure it's low investment and if he loses interest quickly, we aren't out much. If we decide to buy it, they will sell it at a discounted used price. So far he's enjoying it but we have only had it 6 weeks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 My kids (as mentioned before, 13, 10, 6, and 40) have been learning from Rocksmith. In five months, they've learned a ton! DH says he learned more in a few weeks than he did from several months of lessons. The really cool thing about Rocksmith is that it adapts to the player; as you progress in a song, it gets harder. Two players can play at the same time, if you buy a second cord, and it'll put their notes on a split screen. If one person is more advanced, it shows that person harder, more complex notes, while showing the other person simpler ones. Maybe it's not as good as real one-on-one lessons, but since those weren't in our budget anyway, Rocksmith had turned out to be a really fantastic option for them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 LOL on instrument creep. Ds has two different electrics, one base, two different acoustics and a classical! Oh and a bandurria - a Filipino 12 stringed lute/mandolin type instrument that I want him to learn just cause it would be cool. He thinks it would be cool if I learned it instead. Which would be cool! Oh yeah, I think he wants a bass guitar too. He can keep collecting them as long as he's willing to pay for them himself. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 1, 2015 Author Share Posted June 1, 2015 Ok, I think we will start with borrowing a guitar if the offer is still good. He is saying now he would like a Yamaha FG700s. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Instrument creep -- at one point this spring, we had eight guitars in the house. We only have seven people, and three of them do not play guitar. Needless to say, some got resold. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 -Beware of string instrument creep. Ds has an acoustic and a cheap electric guitar. When he bought himself the nice electric one last summer I thought he'd want to sell the old one to offset the cost. Nope. He kept it and uses both electric ones or the acoustic, depending on his mood. He has that Les Paul and now wants a Fender because "each one has its qualities". He found an old ukulele at FIL's and asked his grandfather if he could take it and restring it. Grandad gave it to him. Now he wants a mandolin. And a banjo. It never seems to stop lol. We call string instrument creep GAS Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. My ds17 has it very bad…he buys and trades and otherwise acquires guitars constantly. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 We call string instrument creep GAS Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. My ds17 has it very bad…he buys and trades and otherwise acquires guitars constantly. I love it! And from these posts I'm glad to see that my guitar player isn't the only one susceptible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 We got the guitar from my friend last night. DS stayed up for my arrival at 10:30pm from my get together. I have no idea if he slept last night! He was so excited to start. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 We got the guitar from my friend last night. DS stayed up for my arrival at 10:30pm from my get together. I have no idea if he slept last night! He was so excited to start. Awww. That sounds like something mine would have done. I'd love to know if down the road he decides to stick with this and get his own guitar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.