Children's Guitar

footfootfoot · 06-11-2008, 01:24 PM

I have been charged with the task of buying a children's guitar for the inchling, 4.5 years old.

Mrs. Foot and he are going to embark on guitar lessons a la Suzuki. I was told not to get a shitty guitar (not her exact words) and I am of the opinion that he doesn't need a 1930 Martin OM-45 either.

I thought this was covered before somewhere, but I had to reformat my braincell and now I not sure.

So before I make a mistake I will live to regret, and by extension all of you who will be subjected to my bitter whining, please let your opinions be known.

again, kthxbai.

BigV · 06-11-2008, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

snip--
I thought this was covered before somewhere, but I had to reformat my braincell and now I not sure.
--snip

Some coverage here, bitter whining everywhere else.

dar512 · 06-11-2008, 03:40 PM

I would recommend that you look at nylon string acoustics or an electric. Steel string acoustics can be tough to get used to, even for a teen. Unless your kid is ultra tough, building up the necessary callouses might deter them.

This would probably be a good choice if you can afford it.

Cloud · 06-11-2008, 03:57 PM

this one has good reviews and is cheap. Almost got it myself.

dar512 · 06-11-2008, 04:12 PM

Dreadnoughts are usually larger acoustics. Not very good for little fingers.

Cloud · 06-11-2008, 04:23 PM

good point. wasn't thinking about the size.

footfootfoot · 06-11-2008, 07:44 PM

Yeah, him fingers are tiny, but bigger than they were last year. His mom seems to be the one who wants to learn guitar, he's happy to bash a djimbo or whatever it's called. link to follow.

FWIW, he just got a whiffle ball and bat. He's always had scary good aim and now he connects with the ball about 1/3 of the time. Sucks at catching though, just watches the ball come towards him like a statue. The point of this tangent is that he'll suddenly break off from baseball to start chopping at the ground like a chaingang with his bat. So... I think that and his mom being the driving force behind a guitar make me think an $80. guitar is more than ample.

NB, his mom insisted for years that we get a piano, we did, she practices several times a year. You see where this is going.

She asked me if I wanted to learn to play guitar and I told her "I'd love to know how to play guitar, but I don't want to learn."

The same distinction I'd make with my lazy photography students. (You don't want to learn photography, you just want to know how to do it."

Big difference.

Anyway, So far I see this:
1. Nylon strings
2. 1/2 or 3/4 size
3. Acoustic
4. Price range under $100.

sweetwater · 06-11-2008, 07:57 PM

A friend of mine carried a First Act Discovery Acoustic with him as one of his instruments while he traveled around the world. Martin has a travel guitar that I love. My gut tells me that you should narrow the choices down to a few and then let inchling make the final choice, though.

lumberjim · 06-11-2008, 08:01 PM

ive got three words for you:

You

Kah

Lailee

richlevy · 06-11-2008, 08:09 PM

QVC has a 36 inch student 8 string nylon acoustic for $70, but even that is for ages 8 and up.

Undertoad · 06-11-2008, 08:15 PM

Short-scale basses are available.

Clodfobble · 06-11-2008, 10:00 PM

We just got Minifob a ukulele for his birthday. He looooves his new "guitar." But it is probably a little small for a 4-year-old.

dar512 · 06-11-2008, 10:05 PM

Be careful of this situation,foot. I'd hate to see the inchling turned off of music because Mom pushed him into it.

footfootfoot · 06-11-2008, 11:26 PM

Exactly dar, Mom had a similar situation herself. At eight her piano teacher told her dad (a composer) that she was naturally gifted or some such at the piano. At which point her dad decided he'd better take over the teaching. With predictable results.

To this day I hear variations on the "I coulda been a contender..." theme

I'll keep an ear on things to be sure history doesn't repeat itself.

Sundae · 06-12-2008, 06:50 AM

V, how did the guitar pan out in the end?
Son-of-V still play?

06-11-2008, 01:24 PM	#1
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	Children's Guitar I have been charged with the task of buying a children's guitar for the inchling, 4.5 years old. Mrs. Foot and he are going to embark on guitar lessons a la Suzuki. I was told not to get a shitty guitar (not her exact words) and I am of the opinion that he doesn't need a 1930 Martin OM-45 either. I thought this was covered before somewhere, but I had to reformat my braincell and now I not sure. So before I make a mistake I will live to regret, and by extension all of you who will be subjected to my bitter whining, please let your opinions be known. again, kthxbai. __________________ The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs

06-11-2008, 03:40 PM	#3
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	I would recommend that you look at nylon string acoustics or an electric. Steel string acoustics can be tough to get used to, even for a teen. Unless your kid is ultra tough, building up the necessary callouses might deter them. This would probably be a good choice if you can afford it. __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

06-11-2008, 03:57 PM	#4
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	this one has good reviews and is cheap. Almost got it myself. __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

06-11-2008, 04:12 PM	#5
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	Dreadnoughts are usually larger acoustics. Not very good for little fingers. __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

06-11-2008, 04:23 PM	#6
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	good point. wasn't thinking about the size. __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

06-11-2008, 07:44 PM	#7
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	Yeah, him fingers are tiny, but bigger than they were last year. His mom seems to be the one who wants to learn guitar, he's happy to bash a djimbo or whatever it's called. link to follow. FWIW, he just got a whiffle ball and bat. He's always had scary good aim and now he connects with the ball about 1/3 of the time. Sucks at catching though, just watches the ball come towards him like a statue. The point of this tangent is that he'll suddenly break off from baseball to start chopping at the ground like a chaingang with his bat. So... I think that and his mom being the driving force behind a guitar make me think an $80. guitar is more than ample. NB, his mom insisted for years that we get a piano, we did, she practices several times a year. You see where this is going. She asked me if I wanted to learn to play guitar and I told her "I'd love to know how to play guitar, but I don't want to learn." The same distinction I'd make with my lazy photography students. (You don't want to learn photography, you just want to know how to do it." Big difference. Anyway, So far I see this: 1. Nylon strings 2. 1/2 or 3/4 size 3. Acoustic 4. Price range under $100. __________________ The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs

06-11-2008, 07:57 PM	#8
sweetwater lives inside a Mobius strip Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,120	A friend of mine carried a First Act Discovery Acoustic with him as one of his instruments while he traveled around the world. Martin has a travel guitar that I love. My gut tells me that you should narrow the choices down to a few and then let inchling make the final choice, though. __________________ I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque! - Bugs Bunny

06-11-2008, 08:01 PM	#9
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	ive got three words for you: You Kah Lailee __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

06-11-2008, 08:09 PM	#10
richlevy King Of Wishful Thinking Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Philadelphia Suburbs Posts: 6,669	QVC has a 36 inch student 8 string nylon acoustic for $70, but even that is for ages 8 and up. __________________ Exercise your rights and remember your obligations - VOTE! I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. -- Barack Hussein Obama

06-11-2008, 08:15 PM	#11
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Short-scale basses are available.

06-11-2008, 10:00 PM	#12
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	We just got Minifob a ukulele for his birthday. He looooves his new "guitar." But it is probably a little small for a 4-year-old.

06-11-2008, 10:05 PM	#13
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	Be careful of this situation,foot. I'd hate to see the inchling turned off of music because Mom pushed him into it. __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

06-11-2008, 11:26 PM	#14
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	Exactly dar, Mom had a similar situation herself. At eight her piano teacher told her dad (a composer) that she was naturally gifted or some such at the piano. At which point her dad decided he'd better take over the teaching. With predictable results. To this day I hear variations on the "I coulda been a contender..." theme I'll keep an ear on things to be sure history doesn't repeat itself. __________________ The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs

06-12-2008, 06:50 AM	#15
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	V, how did the guitar pan out in the end? Son-of-V still play? __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

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