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Five great children's guitars
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Wrapping It Up
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Generally speaking, shoppers can't go wrong with any of the guitars we reviewed. They are all considerably better than the children's guitars I've seen offered through mail-order catalogs and at Ikea. When considering prices, keep in mind that most music stores sell guitars at a discount of ten to 30 percent. Also remember that none of these instruments comes with a case, which is essential for protecting your purchase. So you will need to factor that cost, approximately $30, into your budget.
All of the guitars in this review are 3/4-size guitars. Some of these manufacturers also make 2/3- and half-size guitars, with smaller bodies and shorter scale lengths. In choosing the size of the instrument to purchase, consider your child's size and how quickly he or she is likely to grow over the next year or two. For very small or very young children (4—7 years old), you're probably best off with a half-size guitar. For eight- to ten-year-olds, consider a 2/3-size guitar. For 11- to 13-year-olds a 3/4-size guitar will be a good choice. If your child is smaller or taller than average (or has smaller or larger hands than average), take that into consideration as well.
The majority of the guitars in this review would benefit from a quick action adjustment at the nut, which is easy to do if you know how. If not, you should expect to pay a professional about $25 to $40 to have it done. This service may be included in the price of the instrument if you purchase it from a retailer with a repair department. Another common fault among these instruments is that they don't play in tune up the neck–not even the two steel-string guitars, which feature compensated saddles. Manufacturers probably assume that children don't play lead guitar or other styles up the neck, but lots of children strap capos on their guitars and then fault themselves when the guitar plays out of tune. Tuning each of these instruments was a bit tricky, which is a function of a shorter-scale neck, so be patient and help your kids out on that front.
Whichever instrument you choose, I would not recommend purchasing it via mail order. No two guitars sound alike, even if they are the same make and model. It's always preferable to hear and play a guitar before you buy it. If you don't play guitar, bring along a friend who does to help you select a guitar for your child or ask a salesperson to play it for you. The better the instrument sounds, the more excited your child will be about playing it!
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