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Buying a guitar for my 7 year old nephew

M

mattlear

Senior member
My 7 year old nephew wants to learn how to play guitar - I'm thinking about buying him a guitar so he can take lessons - probably an electric guitar.

For folks out there who started playing at a young age - would you go with a fullsize guitar, or would you buy a smaller scaled guitar to make it slightly easier to play for a 7 year old so they don't get frustrated so easily?

I used to have a Gibson Melody Maker guitar when I was growing up - I'm thinking about looking for one on ebay.

If you do think a smaller scaled guitar is better - what brand/model would you recommend?

Thanks everyone!

-Matt
 
For an elelctric, get him a strat copy or something. Gibson and its copies usually have the kneck pushed out further.

That said, I recommend an acoustic to to start learning.
 
Don't get a smaller guitar. It will only hurt him later. 7 is old enough to start using and learning on a standard model. In addition, do him a favor and start him on an acoustic. The technique he'll learn on an acoustic will make him a much stronger player. It's too easy to cut corners when learning on an electric.
 
Thanks for the suggestions thus far.

I'm just worried that he's 7, and while he likes music, he tends to get frustrated with things sometimes. I want to make it as easy as possible for him to start enjoying playing a real guitar, and then once he's hooked, upgrade him to a fuller size. Maybe that's not a good thing...

 
Originally posted by: LyricRequiem
Don't get a smaller guitar. It will only hurt him later. 7 is old enough to start using and learning on a standard model. In addition, do him a favor and start him on an acoustic. The technique he'll learn on an acoustic will make him a much stronger player. It's too easy to cut corners when learning on an electric.
Click to expand...

This is completely untrue. A smaller guitar will be more comfortable and he won't have to contort his body to get around it. I've taught dozens of kids over the years and most of them play a 3/4 guitar until they're 12 or so. It's much easier for their fingers to navigate the frets when then neck is in a smaller scale. As their hands grow, their reach grows, and that will warrant a large guitar.

As for the acoustic/electric thing, that's debatable and it depends on what style of playing you want to pursue. I'll argue that you need to be even MORE precise with an electric because what you play can be amplified through a 100W Marshall stack, so EVERYONE will hear your mistake 😉 If you learn proper posture and technique, it doesn't matter what you play. I'm a big rockabilly fan, so I usually teach hybrid picking, which is a great crossover to finger picking on an acoustic.

Anyway, Fender makes a Mini Strat that is outstanding. My son has been playing it for over a year now and it's really very decent for $100. In fact, I take it with me on vacations for a travel guitar 🙂. I did replace the tuning machines with some Grovers to help it stay in tune, but otherwise the pickups and the build quality are very good.
 
Originally posted by: Fritzo
Originally posted by: LyricRequiem
Don't get a smaller guitar. It will only hurt him later. 7 is old enough to start using and learning on a standard model. In addition, do him a favor and start him on an acoustic. The technique he'll learn on an acoustic will make him a much stronger player. It's too easy to cut corners when learning on an electric.
Click to expand...

This is completely untrue. A smaller guitar will be more comfortable and he won't have to contort his body to get around it. I've taught dozens of kids over the years and most of them play a 3/4 guitar until they're 12 or so. It's much easier for their fingers to navigate the frets when then neck is in a smaller scale. As their hands grow, their reach grows, and that will warrant a large guitar.

As for the acoustic/electric thing, that's debatable and it depends on what style of playing you want to pursue. I'll argue that you need to be even MORE precise with an electric because what you play can be amplified through a 100W Marshall stack, so EVERYONE will hear your mistake 😉 If you learn proper posture and technique, it doesn't matter what you play. I'm a big rockabilly fan, so I usually teach hybrid picking, which is a great crossover to finger picking on an acoustic.

Anyway, Fender makes a Mini Strat that is outstanding. My son has been playing it for over a year now and it's really very decent for $100. In fact, I take it with me on vacations for a travel guitar 🙂. I did replace the tuning machines with some Grovers to help it stay in tune, but otherwise the pickups and the build quality are very good.
Click to expand...


hahaha...i am actually looking for a beach guitar. I just might get that instead....
 
Wow - only $100 bucks? Even if I bought better tuners for it, that's still way cheaper than what I'm seeing for a Gibson Melody Maker... and that's only got one pickup.

Thanks so much! This will be a small but worthy investment.

-Matt
 
Originally posted by: mattlear
Wow - only $100 bucks? Even if I bought better tuners for it, that's still way cheaper than what I'm seeing for a Gibson Melody Maker... and that's only got one pickup.

Thanks so much! This will be a small but worthy investment.

-Matt
Click to expand...

funny thing is that it actually sells on ebay for more than it sells at Guitar Center.
 
I got a Epi Les Paul JR. for my 8 year old (now 9). It fits him fine, and is very playable for myself.

Great guitar for the price, and nicely sized for learning while still full scale. Definately worthy of consideration, and I play it myself on occasion.

btw, I began playing at age 8 with my father's full sized Gibson Hummingbird acoustic with no problems with the size of the instrument.
 
Originally posted by: Gibson486
Originally posted by: mattlear
Wow - only $100 bucks? Even if I bought better tuners for it, that's still way cheaper than what I'm seeing for a Gibson Melody Maker... and that's only got one pickup.

Thanks so much! This will be a small but worthy investment.

-Matt
Click to expand...

funny thing is that it actually sells on ebay for more than it sells at Guitar Center.
Click to expand...

Ya, I noticed that... it seems they made a dual pickup version of the guitar last year, and then discontinued them. I missed the clearance deals by a few months. 🙁

I'm going to check out Guitar Center some time this week.

-Matt
 
Originally posted by: Gibson486
For an elelctric, get him a strat copy or something. Gibson and its copies usually have the kneck pushed out further.

That said, I recommend an acoustic to to start learning.
Click to expand...

QFT

On an electric full size is really best. In acoustics reach and size of the instrument can become a factor.

What music does this 7 year old want to learn? I will say most adults become overbearing as far as what it takes to learn music for pleasure.

 
Originally posted by: Gibson486
Originally posted by: mattlear
Wow - only $100 bucks? Even if I bought better tuners for it, that's still way cheaper than what I'm seeing for a Gibson Melody Maker... and that's only got one pickup.

Thanks so much! This will be a small but worthy investment.

-Matt
Click to expand...

funny thing is that it actually sells on ebay for more than it sells at Guitar Center.
Click to expand...

since everyone has a guitar center nearby.
 
Originally posted by: alkemyst
Originally posted by: Gibson486
For an elelctric, get him a strat copy or something. Gibson and its copies usually have the kneck pushed out further.

That said, I recommend an acoustic to to start learning.
Click to expand...

QFT

On an electric full size is really best. In acoustics reach and size of the instrument can become a factor.

What music does this 7 year old want to learn? I will say most adults become overbearing as far as what it takes to learn music for pleasure.
Click to expand...

He actually likes classic rock. My sister said he told her he wants to take lessons. My sister and brother-in-law are certainly not the overbearing type... and he has a pretty good concept of the beat (my other nephew has a drum set and the 7 year old sat down, banged away, and caught on pretty quickly).

It doesn't hurt to spend 100 bucks to see if this is something he would be interested in... no different then playing T-ball or soccer.

-Matt


 
Originally posted by: alkemyst
Originally posted by: Gibson486
Originally posted by: mattlear
Wow - only $100 bucks? Even if I bought better tuners for it, that's still way cheaper than what I'm seeing for a Gibson Melody Maker... and that's only got one pickup.

Thanks so much! This will be a small but worthy investment.

-Matt
Click to expand...

funny thing is that it actually sells on ebay for more than it sells at Guitar Center.
Click to expand...

since everyone has a guitar center nearby.
Click to expand...

musiciansfriend.com
 
Get an acoustic to learn on. Harder on the fingers, but much easier to just to pick-up and play. No amp, patch cord or volume to worry about. I have a Mexican Strat, which is nice, but I prefer the crappy Yamaha cheapo acoustic in the house cause of the aforementioned conveniences.

If he's 7, get something cheap. There's the Strat pack and other beginners packs by Ibanez and Epiphone for $300 or less. They should include a gig-bag (get a hard case if you can), an amp and an electric guitar. Otherwise, a cheap Yamaha acoustic should work fine.
 
Try to find him a guitar that a "00" or "000" (Double or triple zero ... aka a "double or triple oh"

It is a little smaller in size, compared to a Dreadnought (a "D" size, like a D28 Martin) and it's not as deep, front-to-back, so it
ll help him with keeping the reach proper around the bout.

These are "Auditorium" size acoustic guitars, pretty much all of the names brads produce at least one flavor.

Teach him on the acoustic to get his fingers built up. You can use silk & steel strings at first, they're a little softer and lighter tension, so they're easier to fret properly and won't hurt so much in the beginning.

If you're serious about this, PLEASE take him/her to a good instructor, and enforce the daily practice. While attention spans in children that young tend to be short, getting him/her familiar with commitment will go a long way down the road.

Don't buy a toy guitar, or a really cheap guitar; they play like sh!t and the experience would damp the spirit of all but the most dedicated. If you can't find a 00 or 000 size guitar, take him to a larger music store and they can rent, sell, or recommend one according to your budget. If they won't / can't, go to another music store. This is a fairly standard thing.

Good Luck
Scott
 
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