Daughter will be 8 soon and has to expressed interest in an electric guitar. My guitar knowledge is pretty close to zero. What's a good option? She loves the color green. If I only cared about looks, I'd get this one in neon green: https://www.guitarcenter.com/Jackson/JS1X-Dinky-Minion-Electric-Guitar.gc But, the reviews for that one are brutal. And since I don't know anything about guitar maintenance and upgrading, I'm hesitant to get one that sounds like it could need several parts to be upgraded out of the box. Anyway, if you have specific recommendations for a smaller kid with smaller hands, please share.
if she is serious about playing do what buck (and keith richards!) say and start on acoustic. if she is just looking for something fun to make a racket on and youre wanting to stay under $200 then that jackson looks like a good pick. reviews are not encouraging, but you get what you pay for! most guitars need a set-up upon purchase so thats not surprising to read, but the other issues would be a concern. a crappy guitar might keep her from wanting to actually play it. what is your budget?
Make sure to get a proper size guitar for her. One with a thin neck. If it is too difficult on her hands/fingers she might not enjoy it and or stick with it. Then upgrade to a bigger size in a few years.
Young daughter probably has small hands that make it difficult to play a full fretboard guitar. Just a quick google.found this: https://www.fender.com/en-US/squier...QXqyKBA3XV0Aczay7li8V6mwa2k-K7DEaAn1lEALw_wcB 24" shorter scale will let her learn more complex chords if she progresses that work for her 8 year old hands. Squire is Fender's "entry level" brand, but in my experience they are mostly produced to the standards of higher-end guitars - fit and finsh is usually equal to the standard mass produced more expensive Fender branded versions. Kurt Cobain played Fender Mustangs, so there's some pedegree there. If she really gets into it, you can get her a bigger guitar in 5 or so years when her hands get bigger. But even some adults still prefer shorter scale guitars. The high-end Rickenbacker 325 that John Lennon played in the Beatles had a tiny 20.75" inch scale. That would actually be prefect for a child, but imagine you arent looking to drop 2k on a guitar for an 8 year old. Make sure to get a little practice amp with a headphone jack for your own sanity.
The problem with an accoustic is she is 8 years old and the heavier strings on an accoustic require much more force to press than a light-stringed electric. But obviously I don't know her, so maybe not an issue. It can be somewhat mitigated if you specifically get it strung with lower gauge strings.
If you get an acoustic then look into nylon string guitars. Much easier to play than steel string. I’m a fan of Cordova. Great quality and sound for the price. https://www.guitarcenter.com/Cordob...NEqaxuRQWzfolxjhHEoL6L8xJjahcTVcaAsDqEALw_wcB
Do they still make Guitar Hero? Rocksmith? Making a game out of it might hold a kid's attention longer? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Sweet. I had previously seen a Squier Bullet Mustang, which I guess is an older version of the Sonic. One thing I was wondering: should I care about whether it has humbuckers or single coil? Does it matter at all for a first time player? (And someone who might just quit after a few months, because she is a kid after all.) The music she seems to like is more of a classic rock, hard rock, etc. (She grew up to me listening to heavy metal, but that's not really her thing.) So I think that means a HH setup would be preferable? But maybe I'm overthinking it and it doesn't matter at all for this particular situation. Actually, looks like it's a single humbucker. Still, the question stands. Humbucker or single coil? Or it doesn't matter? https://www.fender.com/en-US/squier...dition-squier-sonic-esquire-h/0373552535.html
That's a good suggestion. But I know she has a vision in her head of a (preferably green) electric guitar. I don't think she'd be motivated to practice much on an acoustic, even if that's the best way to break into guitars.
I think budget for everything - guitar, amp, cord, strap, etc etc. - should be under $300. Maybe I can do $350 if I'm convinced the gear is solid and that she'll give an actual effort to learn. She wants this AND a smartwatch, but they aren't both going to happen. We have 3 kids and I sure as hell am not spending $2,500+ on Christmas gifts.
That's a question for Ted Nugent. lol (FYI: The joke is Ted Nugent once tried to play a Fender Strat with single coils and the story goes he hated the sound so much compared to humbuckers he normally plays on that he smashed the guitar against the wall.) For classic/hard rock, my vote goes to humbuckers. The quality of humbuckers can make a difference in sound quality obviously. Entry level guitar humbuckers can't be that good but it is what it is. I have a Jackson Dinky guitar originally bought new for $799 back in the 80s and I didn't realize just how bad the humbuckers on it sounded until I got a Paul Reed Smith (PRS) with humbuckers. It was like night and day. I was kind of shocked. I also have a Fender Strat with humbucker and two single coils so I can sorta get the best of both worlds.
Acoustic guitars are harder to play than electric. Strings are higher off the fretboard. Acoustic guitar are cheaper. You might even be able to find a nice acoustic guitar at a pawn shop for a reasonable price. There is getting a guitar and there is learning to play. I suspect that one can find group/private lessons at the local guitar shop. That will cost money over time. Back to my other suggestion ... Suzuki lessons might teach your kid invaluable music lessons at an early age. Ear training is harder as you get older. Suzuki lessons are done as a group, so lots of opportunities for "networking" or "friend groups". If she really likes violin, there should be middle school orchestra to join later. If you do do Suzuki, you could buy a violin after you sign up. I am sure that there will be recommendations. Amazon does have a nice selection of entry level nicely priced violins (less than $100). Greensheet et al should have cheaper used ones as well. From a financial perspective, the gift you are giving will be dominated by lessons and a time commitment from parent and child.
Depending on what kind of music she likes, I would seriously think about enrolling her in School of Rock (if there's one near you). Once she gets her guitar for Christmas, you can take her for a free 30 minute lesson to see if she likes it. My boys joined when they were 9 (they're 12 now, one on guitar and one on drums) and absolutely love it. https://www.schoolofrock.com
While I've never actually played or even heard one of these in person, the Oliver Jr. is supposed to be comparable to the absolutely wonderful Taylor GS Mini -- only at a bargain price. I don't quite believe that, but if they come close your daughter will have a great little guitar for years to come, AND you won't be stuck with a complete pile of crap if she quits. More important yet: get her private, in-person lessons and see to it that she practices every day -- the more frequently the better. EDIT: Since Christmas is a ways off yet, I would go find a teacher first, talk to him/her, and get their recommendation on a good guitar and forget about picking one that looks cool, etc.
I’ve been playing for 20 years…so I hope you take this and the above (btw don’t have to start on acoustoc I actually think it’s harder) 1) don’t invest in a bad guitar, it’s ironic how the more new you are the more essential it is to have a properly set up and nice sounding instrument. It’s going to sound like **** for a while and be pretty painful, so lessen that load. 2) squire (now makes good gear), PRS SE etc are good beginners. For musical gear do not underestimate the used gear market. I’ve traded, sold and bought more gear than I can count over the years. I got more into single coils and fendery cleans as I got older. Probably because it’s a lot harder to hide your mistakes and I always sounded more crap than on humbuckers initially. So I’d say a PRS se would be the best bet. Can find for 350-400$ Look on reverb or Craigslist
I started with Squier in 7th or 8th grade. They have cool greens. Perfectly fine to start with. I don't at all understand the "start with acoustic" recommendations.
