Your son or daughter wants to learn how to play the guitar, and you can’t wait to show them. But don’t expect a six year old to pick up your Les Paul and play your favourite solo; they will most likely drop the guitar. Not because they have no talent, but because the guitar is too heavy and too big for them. So what guitar should you get them?

Firstly, should you go acoustic or eletric?

Pro acoustic:

- no risk of them damaging their earing by pushing the amp up to 10 and sticking their ear to it (no kidding, i know a kid who did this)

- they will learn how to play the guitar without any gimmick; they can later discover the power of electricity and effects pedals, once they have developped a solid playing style

- acoustic is cheaper as you only need a guitar, and not a guitar and an amp

- it’s easier to go from playing an acoustic to an electric, than the other way around, because of the size of the neck

Pro electric:

- it looks cool (and of course, being cool is a huge factor in a kid’s life)

- if they like rock music, they will be more motivated to learn, as it will be possible for them to sound like their favourite band

- they are easier to play, because the neck is smaller, making it easier for a young child to press down the strings and play some chords

Secondly, which guitar should you actually get? In terms of size, you really have two options to go for; a 3/4 scale guitar, and a light adult size guitar. 

For a child under 9, a 3/4 scale guitar would be better, unless your child is a giant. A child over 9 might be able to handle a light full size guitar; but if you go this route, don’t buy it off the internet but do get him/her to the shop and let them try the guitar.

If you want to buy an electric guitar, my personal recommendation would be the Squier range. Squier is a sub-brand from Fender, built in Korea. They come in “mini” sizes for children, and they are light and slim guitars. This is equally true for the adult size models (Stratocaster and Telecaster), which would be a good choice for a young teenager. The build quality and sound are pretty good, and so is the price tag.

If you want an acoustic guitar, the Baby Taylor guitar is a common choice. It is a bit pricey (about £300) but you can easily resell it should your child stop playing, so you wouldn’t lose £300. There are of course much cheaper guitars, and i can only encourage you to check what your local guitar shop has in store. £300 is a lot of money to spend on a child; as a general rule, it’s best not to go for the cheapest of the cheap, but you can certainly find a good 3/4 size acoustic guitar for a lot less than £300.

Another factor to consider is the strings. Acoustic guitars with steel strings (eg folk guitars) are pretty hard to play for young children. So a classical guitar with nylons trings might be the right option at a very young age?

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