Finding the best guitar for your child doesn’t just mean getting a high quality guitar. The best guitars for kids are the ones that fit their needs in terms of size and playability. There are different sizes of guitars, and you should start by getting the right size for your child. Most children start playing the guitar around the age of 8 or 10. So 36 inch guitars (often called 3/4 size guitars) are the most sold guitars for children in guitar stores.
Besides the right size of guitar, there is the aspect of playability. In most cases, buying a guitar for a child means buying an instrument for a beginner. A complete beginner needs a guitar that is easy to play. That’s why I recommend nylon-string classical guitars for young beginners. Nylon strings are easier to play and hurt your fingertips much less in the beginning. In addition, the tension of nylon strings is much lower. Steel-string acoustic guitars are louder and have a brighter sound, but their steel strings can be quite painful for beginners. The string tension is also much higher, so I wouldn’t recommend a steel-string guitar for young beginners.
Electric guitars also come with steel strings, but they are much thinner and the tension is much lower than on acoustic guitars. I think an electric guitar can be a good choice for older kids who are absolutely fascinated by this type of guitar. This may be the case if their favorite band or idol plays an electric guitar. In this case, you can consider buying an electric guitar because it can be a great motivation for them.
Best Classical guitars for kids
One of the best selling guitars for kids comes from Yamaha. They have nylon-string guitars in the most common sizes and they are good quality for a fairly affordable price. The Yamaha CGS series are great entry-level guitars with a nice finish and sound. You will find Yamaha guitars in almost every guitar class because many teachers recommend them for beginners. Unfortunately, they don’t have 1/4 size guitars. However, there are other guitar brands that have 1/4 size guitars in their lineup, such as Pyle.
– quality is alright
– very good value for money
– good quality and sound
– good value for money
Best electric guitars for kids
There are not as many electric guitar models for kids as there are nylon string guitars. However, there are a few that are specifically designed for kids. The Squier Mini Strat* is a 3/4 size electric guitar and it is without a doubt my favorite small electric guitar. It has great quality and playability for the price. Don’t forget that for an electric guitar you also need an amplifier and a cable. That’s why I often recommend buying a bundle where you get all the necessary stuff on the top of the guitar for a good price.
– amplifier and accessories incl.
– solid quality and workmanship
– amplifier and accessories incl.
– solid quality and workmanship
– amplifier and accessories incl.
– good quality and finish
Best Guitar Alternatives for Kids
Not sure if a guitar is the right instrument for your child? Well, in that case, take a look at other options. There are instruments that are very similar to guitars that may be suitable for your child. In my opinion, ukuleles can be a great alternative for young children. They are small and therefore easy for them to handle. In addition, they have only 4 strings instead of the 6 strings you know from guitars. This makes playing and learning the ukulele much easier.
Have you ever heard of guitaleles? They are a cross between a guitar and a ukulele. They are a bit bigger than a ukulele and they sound like a ukulele thanks to their tuning. However, in terms of construction, they are more like a guitar because they also have 6 strings.
If you think your child is too young for a real musical instrument and is not ready to seriously learn an instrument, then you should go for a good toy guitar. Toy guitars are a good introduction and later on you can still buy them a real guitar. There are even toy guitars that are specifically designed for very young children and some even for toddlers.
– affordable for beginners
– solid quality and workmanship
– gig bag is as well included
– good choice for beginners
– touch board allows real strumming
