1/8 guitars are the smallest guitars for kids. They are designed for children between the ages of 3 and 5. Because of their small size, they are often considered the perfect travel guitar. You can easily slip this little guitar into your backpack and take it with you as hand luggage on any plane. However, the name of the guitar does not mean that it is only 1/8 of a full size guitar.
On the contrary, the size refers to the scale (the scale is the length from the bridge to the nut of the guitar head). The scale of a 1/8 scale guitar is about 17 inches, while a standard size guitar is 25.5 inches. Based on the overall length, we can say that a 1/8 scale guitar is about 30% or 7.5 inches shorter than a standard size guitar. The small size gives the impression that you’re holding a toy guitar, but it’s a real guitar. If you are looking for a guitar for toddlers or babies, you may want to consider a toy guitar.
If you’re looking for a guitar this small, you’ll soon realise that it’s hard to find one in this size. In fact, there aren’t many of them on the market. So why is that? The difference between a 1/8 and the next size (1/4 guitar) is not that big. In fact, many guitar teachers recommend skipping this size and going for a 1/4 guitar. Besides, if you’re looking for a 1/8 electric or dreadnought guitar, you won’t even find one. They only exist as acoustic classical guitars, which is perfectly reasonable. Of course, children are beginners and for these little guitarists classical nylon string guitars are the first and in many cases the best choice. Nylon strings are simply more comfortable to start with, as they hurt much less at the beginning.
Best 1/8 guitars and alternatives
If you are looking for these small guitars, you should also take a look at the guitaleles. As the name suggests, it is a mix between a guitar and a ukulele. It has a higher tuning than standard guitars and that gives it a sound that reminds us of a ukulele. However, as the guitalele has six strings, it is a guitar. The guitalele is an excellent choice for both children and adults. Just remember that a guitalele is tuned differently to a guitar.
– affordable for beginners
– solid quality and workmanship
– quality is alright
– very good value for money
– gig bag is as well included
– good choice for beginners
Next smaller guitar: Toy Guitar/ Ukulele
Next bigger guitar: 1/4 Guitar
