What you may not know about picking your child's first guitar

    "I want to learn to play guitar". Whether this is music to your ears or something you have been fearing, once those words are uttered it is time to educate yourself about the world of guitars. Picking the right guitar for your child will have a bigger impact on whether they stick with it than you may think.



    The first major decision is if they want an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar. There are a lot of myths and misconceptions as to which is better for a beginner. The truth is neither is better or worse, it really depends on what your child wants. If their idols are ACDC and Nirvana, odds are you need to pick up an electric guitar. If their idols are Taylor Swift or John Mayor, you may be looking at an acoustic guitar.

Acoustic Guitar

    Acoustic guitars are wider than electric guitars because they are hollow inside. This design allows the guitar to be heard without needing an amplifier because the sound resonates inside the body of the guitar. This extra width makes the guitar bulkier and harder to hold for younger players (typically by age 13 an acoustic guitar is pretty manageable for a kid to hold). Some guitars are made at a scaled down size to help younger players. An acoustic guitar's strings are also thicker, typically making them harder to push down and play.

    While these physical obstacles may sound like a deterrent, if you child listens to a lot of music with acoustic guitars (typically "softer music" i.e. country, singer songwriters, Christian music, folk) the warm sound of an acoustic guitar might be the sound your child is looking for.

Electric Guitar

    Electric guitars are a little simpler. All electric guitars need an amplifier to help them be herd. An electric guitar's body is solid (there are a few exceptions known as hollow/semi-hollow electrics). The solid body does not help amplify the resonating strings. Instead, an electric guitar has pick-ups, which convert the vibrating metal strings into an electrical signal, which then goes out of the guitar and into an amplifier. Although it is not the scope of this article to talk about different amps (though that article is soon to come!) It should be noted that there are many small "practice" amps ranging from $50-$200 that will do the job for a first amp with out breaking the bank (or shaking the foundation of your house).

    Regardless of which type of guitar you go for, there are three major elements that will help make the guitar easier to hold and play for a beginner.

Action of a Guitar

    1. Action - Action is the most important thing to consider when buying a guitar. Action is how high the strings are above the neck. Guitar strings sit just a little above the neck of a guitar to allow the player to push down on a string, which is what determines what note they are playing. If the action is too low, the instrument can not be played. No matter where you push down, the strings will just buzz and no note will sound. If the action is too high, the strings are very hard to push down and the struggle will discourage the most determined of students.

3/4 Size Guitar next to Full Size Guitar

    2. The size of the guitar - Not all guitars are made the same size. You may hear words like "Parlor, Dreadnought, Jumbo, and Concert". These are all words used to describe different sizes of acoustic guitar bodies. Dreadnought and Jumbo are the two biggest guitars. For a smaller player they would be bulkier and hard to handle. A Parlor is the smallest size guitar, sometimes referred to as a 3/4th size guitar. For a small player (ages 8 - 11) this may be the perfect match. For a kids ages 11-13 you may look for a Concert size guitar. Electric guitars, like acoustic guitars come in full size and 3/4 size. Since electric guitars are much easier to handle given their thin body, I would not recommend a 3/4th size guitar to anyone over the age of 10 or 11, depending on the child's size. Although the width of electric guitars is pretty much the same on all guitars, the shape is not. You have probably seen the famous "flying V" or crazy looking guitars shaped like axes or coffins. These can be pretty cool and your child may really want one, some are good some are not. They can however be very uncomfortable to play when sitting down, and this can get to be pretty frustrating. Some of these guitars are overpriced because of their look, and more important things to consider like action are sacrificed. The most important thing is to let your child try out various sizes. Nothing will keep your child from practicing like a guitar that they can not hold or play.
    3. The strings - Guitar strings vary in size, type of metal, and coating. In general, the smaller the strings (diameter) the easier to play. This is typically measured on the packs as "medium" "heavy", or "light". Acoustic guitar strings are typically bronze or phosphor bronze. Phosphor bronze strings are a little easier on the fingers and also last longer than straight bronze strings. Some acoustic guitar strings have a coating material around them. (Elixir is the main brand that offers coated strings) The coating is mainly to help make the strings last longer, but it also makes the strings hurt your fingers a lot less. For a beginner on an acoustic guitar, this can be really valuable.

    About pricing. Guitars range from $75 to $7,500 and everywhere in between. Why is there such a huge price gap? You should not spend $7,500 on your child's first guitar, actually no where near it. They will knock it into walls, spill stuff on it, drop it, drop things on it (I dropped a staple gun on one of my first acoustic guitars from my attic and cracked a giant whole in it the first week I had it...). Prepare yourself for that, it is inevitable and has happened to all of us. You also should not spend $75 on a guitar from Walmart or Target. I have taught roughly 300 or 400 hundred kids private lessons and have seen what happens to every student with a cheap department store guitar. The action is so high the guitar is impossible to play (for me much less the student) the guitar is laid out so poorly it is impossible to tune, and when the child tries to play it hurts and sounds bad. No student can stick with lessons or want to practice if when they play it sounds bad and hurts. There are some great acoustic guitars out there for $150 and up. If you are looking for a good first guitar, plan on spending around $150-$300 on the guitar. A good hard shell case will also help protect it and you can plan on that costing another $75. It is not necessary, but I will at least say I keep all my guitars in cases.

Classical Guitar

    *Last note on acoustic guitar strings - There is one category of acoustic guitars not yet mentioned. The Classical Guitar. Classical Guitars are very different than your standard acoustic guitar. They are still hollow and do not need an amplifier, but they use nylon strings instead of metal strings. Their sound is almost more like a harp than a standard acoustic guitar. The strings are easier on the fingers, and they typically have a smaller body than regular acoustics, but you will not get the normal "acoustic guitar sound" out of them. A lot of kids want to sound like the songs they like when they play them. Very few pop and country artists use classical guitars (I can not think of one of the top of my head). I would typically not recommend a classical guitar unless your child specifically wants one.