Guitar for my daughter

I've recently signed up for Guitar Tricks. I used to play back in high school but not very well. I have picked it up a few times over the years but never really took to it again. So I've come here and I'm enjoying the core system and hope to get a little better.

My daughter (age 8) has been watching me and wants to do it too. I was wondering the best guitar for her, remember she's 8. I was thinking of a cheap Toys R Us, First Act guitar. That way if she doesn't stick with it I'm not out too much money. And if she does take to it then I can invest in something better and pass that one down to my son when he's old enough.

Or are those cheap guitars so bad it will turn her off from playing? Any advice?

I wouldn't go with a Toys R' Us junker, because you're right, it'll probably not work right, and then she'll just get fed up with it. I've come across some really cheaply made acoustics where the tuning pegs had major issues that made it impossible to tune the guitar properly.

Guitar Center always seems to have some guitars for around $100 (even less) that would probably fit the bill. You might want to see about getting something that is 3/4 in size so its easier for her to fret as her hands are probably pretty small.

A couple of other possibilities are looking for something that might be cosmetically damaged, but fully functional, at a substantially reduced price, or buying used. Still, taking your daughter to the music store and finding a guitar for her might not be an experience to pass up lightly. If she sticks with it into adulthood, she'll probably always remember the day you bought her her first real guitar... your daughter, 20 years from now, interviewed by Guitar Player magazine: "...yeah, you know, there's a lot people that get to the where I am now, and they get caught up in the fame and glamour of it all... but for me, its all about the music. I still remember the day my Dad took me the the music store and bought me my first guitar. I was so excited! I get that same feeling now even after all these years.."

GP: "was that the guitar you used for the solo with Santana...?"

You get the idea... :)

Another vote from me to NOT get a cheap guitar. Like Slipin Lizard mentioned, if it's bad then it has a bigger chance of turning someone away from guitar. If the frets don't sound right, or you can't tune it, it'll be a complete waste of time and money. I'd go to Guitar Center and ask them. You can tell them you want something inexpensive, but not too cheap in quality. I'd go to maybe a couple GC's if you can though, or at least talk to a couple people and get opinions. Just to make sure they aren't trying to rip you off or selling you something more expensive than you need.

Buying used is also a good tip, but then you have to rely more on your own knowledge of the guitar to determine if it is a good but.

Think of it as an investment. Sure you may have to pay a little and it may end up just being money lost if she doesn't like it, but imagine where it could go if she DID like it. You won't regret spending the money then.

Ha, ha SlippinLizard is a bit of a romantic. :D I agree with everyone so far.

You could do some research up front, so you have selected some good models she can choose from. A great way to do this is do some online window shopping for the type of guitar (acoustic, electric, 3/4 size, etc); most places also include customer reviews.

Try to buy from an actual musical instrument store where they can do a set up for you. Chances are, the less expensive the guitar, the more it needs one, but either way it is good to have done and they should include it as a service for no charge.

Thanks guys. Great advice. I think I will. Her plate is pretty full right now with dance competition starting in two weeks, Karate and the state standardize testing for the month of March so I'm going to hold off until at least near the end of the school year when school work isn't so heavy and dance is winding down. Then we'll go shopping around. Hopefully by then I'll be a little better as well and can help her along as she learns.

My 10yr old(at the time) Daughter bought an Ibanez Mikro. It was less than $130 brand new and not a bad guitar. Of course, everything is a little lesser quality then some but the only big issue I have see is with either the nut or the tuners. It seem to go from just a little flat to sharp with only a small move.

I am no guitar tech and haven't owned many. In fact the only benchmark I have is an Ibanez RG-710. The RG sounds a bit richer/fuller, is much easier to tune and stays in tune very well. I have no idea what the RG would cost new, I got it used, but I am sure it would have been a good bit more than the Mikro.

I have installed the same strings on both which make playing the little one good practice for using a lighter touch when fretting. The shorter scale and jumbo frets make is easy to sharpen the notes when fretting.

She is, at this moment, trying to play the beginning of Wipeout.

Yes, like the others, I say stay away from the "toy" guitars. In my experience, when beginners have a guitar that sounds and plays well, they have more incentive to play it. Toy guitars do not sound and play well!

I personally prefer the Dean Playmate 3/4 strat myself. It's a solid instrument, and I believe it is still about 100 bucks or so. It's on the second child (daughter graduated to a Kramer :P ) and being thrashed on daily by my 5 year old. I really have to find a picture of him playing behind his back with it. It's awesome.

Anywhoo, don't buy crap. You will be wasting your hard earned cash, and creating a frustrated child while you are at it.