gift help for 13 y.o. boy: guitar for a beginner?

[wapiti]

I'm struggling to come up with ideas for ds13 and he hasn't give me any sort of wish list yet.  He has been learning to play guitar at school and seems to like-music-but-won't-admit-to-it.  They do a lot with other instruments, piano, etc. on computer (Ableton, Sebelius, etc.) which is right up his alley.  He had a few years of piano when he was young and he can read music now for sure.

 

I wouldn't mind buying a beginner guitar if I could get one inexpensively.  I'm not sure whether he'd really use it, but if he did, it would be good for his overall development.  Are the cheap ones on Amazon worthwhile or are they junk?  Obviously if he were to get really into it, I'd be willing to upgrade down the road, but it doesn't seem wise to lay out a lot if this interest goes nowhere.  I'd prefer to buy online if I can get away with it, rather than dealing with going to the music store.  Thoughts/suggestions?

[meena]

We got a Rogue Starter Acoustic a couple years ago for a group gift for our kids. I'm not a guitar expert, but it seems to be well made, have a nice sound, doesn't go out of tune easily. My one regret is not getting a classical guitar rather than an acoustic, because I think my kids might have done better beginning with nylon rather than steel strings. One of my kids took casual guitar lessons last year and complained frequently about the strings hurting his fingers. He has eczema on his hands so that didn't help things, but I can see how until callouses are built up the strings could be irritating.

 

We also bought a tuner, strap, extra picks, and a stand which are things that are necessary/useful but you might not think about.

[Arcadia]

I like this Yamaha beginner, entry level one. Tried it in store at Guitar Center and you can buy online with free shipping. It is $99 compared to $160 at Amazon. My DS12 can handle a full size guitar. You may want to upgrade the strings in the future depending on how sensory your child's fingers are.

 

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Yamaha/F335-Acoustic-Guitar-Tobacco-Brown-Sunburst-1274115033955.gc

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-F335-Acoustic-Guitar-Natural/dp/B003OFQBKQ

[SebastianCat]

If you have a Guitar Center or specialty guitar store nearby, I'd recommend buying in person rather than online.   Guitar Center has used guitars as well as new, and when I bought a guitar for my DD last Christmas, I had the salesperson sit down and play several guitars that were in my price range.   The sound difference was noticeable (even to someone like me, who never played guitar).   I told them what I was looking for and what my price range was, and they didn't push anything more expensive.   

 

Returning or exchanging a guitar would be easier at a local store than having to send something back that you purchased online.    What I picked out for my DD wasn't exactly what she was looking for, so we exchanged it.   You could also re-sell a guitar back to a store like Guitar Center if your DS played it for a while then decided he didn't like it.

[wapiti]

My one regret is not getting a classical guitar rather than an acoustic, because I think my kids might have done better beginning with nylon rather than steel strings. One of my kids took casual guitar lessons last year and complained frequently about the strings hurting his fingers. He has eczema on his hands so that didn't help things, but I can see how until callouses are built up the strings could be irritating.

 

I like this Yamaha beginner, entry level one. Tried it in store at Guitar Center and you can buy online with free shipping. It is $99 compared to $160 at Amazon. My DS12 can handle a full size guitar. You may want to upgrade the strings in the future depending on how sensory your child's fingers are.

 

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Yamaha/F335-Acoustic-Guitar-Tobacco-Brown-Sunburst-1274115033955.gc

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-F335-Acoustic-Guitar-Natural/dp/B003OFQBKQ

 

Returning or exchanging a guitar would be easier at a local store than having to send something back that you purchased online. 

 

Thank you all!  Excellent points.  I have located a nearby Guitar Center and it has the sale guitar.  Question about sensory stuff and fingers hurting and the strings:  he complained about the strings hurting his fingers at school, but then I bought him picks.  Are picks enough to fix that issue, or do the strings also hurt the other hand?  This is a kiddo with a long sensory history...

 

Also, he's left-handed - does it matter?  Sorry, I know zero about guitars!

Edited December 14, 2016 by wapiti

[redsquirrel]

yes, left handed does matter...as the mom of a lefty guitar player.  My son DID restring my old acoustic to accommodate his left handedness and it has been perfectly fine.  His guitar teacher, who also teaches guitar at a college for music, told me NOT to spend the extra on a left handed guitar for a new student.  He just restrung it and called it good.  It has been perfectly fine. 

 

The guitar looks a little funny because the protector is on top, instead of on the bottom, but it hasn't been a problem. He' been playing for 3 years on the restrung guitar with zero problems.  The guitar store will tell you it is a problem b/c they want you to spend a bit more on a lefty guitar, there is something to be said about the bridge..but we just flipped it with no problem. FWIW, he recently switched to a bass guitar so I'm glad I didn't buy a new acoustic guitar, kwim?

 

And FYI, there is a school of though that lefties should learn to play right handed. There are benefits to it, to be sure. For one, their left hand will make the chords and they will be great at the skill that most guitar players struggle with. I sort of wish we had done that with DS1, but our teacher never mentioned it. Guitar teachers love lefties b/c they can face each other during the lesson. But, I wish we had been told of the benefits of learning to play right handed. It would have been harder at the very beginning, but not a disaster.  It's like when ds1 learned to use a computer and we didn't give him a left handed station. He mouses with his right hand with no problem because he learned it from the start.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2016 by redsquirrel

[happypamama]

This is the set DD started on: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Peavey/Rockmaster-5-in-1-Electric-Guitar-Pack.gc

 

This started a whole guitar thing in my house, and now DH and the kids have collected a variety of guitars. They all say that the guitar in that set is easy to use and keep in tune and has good sound. However, it's not lefty-friendly. You need a lefty guitar.

 

DH says a Squire Bullet series may also be a good choice for a good starter guitar but not too expensive. He also suggests looking on Guitar Center's website for deals on lefty guitars.

 

We got Rocksmith when DD got the first guitar, and they'd all highly recommend it as a learning tool. They have a blast with it and have learned a lot!

[meena]

My son is a hard-core lefty, and he learned to play right-handed style. He is still very much a beginner so maybe he would have progressed faster if we'd switched it for him but he seemed to do okay learning that way.

 

As far as sensory issues, my son had a difficult time with the fret hand. Pressing down the steel strings hard enough can get uncomfortable for him, especially after playing for 30 minutes.

[Arcadia]

I am actually left handed forced to be ambidextrous. There are guitars for left handers but since I am okay with playing as a right handed, it opens up more choices of guitar and also not having to always sit at the far right to prevent banging into a fellow ensemble player who is right handed. I agree with redsquirrel that it is easier for me to do the fingering on any strings with my dominant hand which is lots more flexible.

 

The sensory stuff affects the fingers pressing down the strings more than the fingers doing the strumming. My DS12 loves strings instruments but is sensory like me. Calluses took many days to build up for DS12 and do not put moisturizer/lotion on those because he need those calluses to minimize pain when pressing down the strings.

[rose]

My dd 14 is just learning to play on a classical guitar. The strings of a classical guitar are easier on your fingers because they're nylon rather than metal. If you're just thinking of getting a beginner guitar anyway maybe you should consider a classical until his hands are tougher.

 

She also a lefty playing as a right-hander.

[wapiti]

After school, I will see if I can find out from him whether he plays right-handed at school - seems possible.

 

As for guitar, gah I have no idea now.  I am probably biting off more than I can chew but I won't go to the store until tomorrow.  Nylon strings sound like a good idea...

[Lawana]

We bought a small guitar when did was much younger and had it restrung with nylon strings. She later got a classical guitar. The fingerboard is appreciably wider on a classical. It makes some chords harder to play.

[meena]

We bought a small guitar when did was much younger and had it restrung with nylon strings. She later got a classical guitar. The fingerboard is appreciably wider on a classical. It makes some chords harder to play.

 

I never thought to inquire if our guitar can be restrung with nylon. Thank you for sharing that!

[wapiti]

*sigh* in class, he prefers to play the guitar on the piano.  No, I don't know what type of keyboard hooks up to the computer and I think Ableton is involved, probably pricey.  I probably shouldn't buy a guitar, though he has never played an electric one.  Santa will have to come up with something else.

 

ETA, so is there such a thing as a keyboard that plays guitar sounds?  In our cabin we have a digital piano, but I don't remember whether it does what I am thinking - it has a few options but mostly it's a good-quality digital with weighted keys.  Maybe Ableton is the only way (too expensive unless he really, really, really wants to compose with it).  At home we have a regular, lovely upright acoustic piano... why doesn't anyone want to play that  :glare:

 

ETA, ok maybe I go with something like this: http://www.guitarcenter.com/M-Audio/Keystation-49ES-Black-with-Ableton-Lite-1416325128813.gc?cntry=us&source=4WWRWXGP&gclid=CK3oy-v09NACFZC1wAodSO8GAw&kwid=productads-adid%5E57619015002-device%5Ec-plaid%5E144143627562-sku%5E1416325128813@ADL4GC-adType%5EPLA#productDetail  keyboard for computer ("key station"?) that includes Ableton Live Lite.  Hmmm... off to research some more, hoping I don't burn dinner in the meantime....

Edited December 15, 2016 by wapiti

[Guest]

My son is a hard-core lefty, and he learned to play right-handed style. He is still very much a beginner so maybe he would have progressed faster if we'd switched it for him but he seemed to do okay learning that way.

 

As far as sensory issues, my son had a difficult time with the fret hand. Pressing down the steel strings hard enough can get uncomfortable for him, especially after playing for 30 minutes.

Yes! And this is where having an narrow enough neck on the guitar can help with comfort too - nothing like hand cramps in your palm :lol: Edited December 14, 2016 by Arctic Mama