I'm looking to buy my 10 year old son a new acoustic guitar as his loaner needed to be returned recently. He has been taking lessons for about two years now and is mostly into rock and singer/songwriter type music. I don't know very much about guitars and am looking for some suggestions on specific makes and models that might be a good starting point for him to try out.

1. We are going to the local shop (see below) on Wednesday and he gets to try as many guitars as he wants and it is ultimately up to him which one he prefers based on playing them. That said, while he is quite good at playing, I don't think he is that discerning about subtle differences in sound between guitars (nor am I) and suspect that he will make his choice based on feel much more than sound. This is why I'm hoping to gather some info here so I might steer him a little bit toward a higher quality instrument in the price range that, when he does become more discerning, will still feel like a good fit.

2. Shooting for a budget of around $300 but that is a bit flexible if there is value to be had by jumping up a bit.

3. We intend to buy at our local shop a few blocks away [www.BananasMusic.com] as we like them a lot, he takes his lessons there and I like the idea of buying locally. I know their guitar guys will be super helpful but I'm just trying to educate myself a bit prior to going in. This is another local option if he doesn't find something he likes at Bananas: [www.amazinggracemusicmarin.com]

4. While I have heard good things about Baby Taylors and Mini Martins, my gut is to go with a full sized guitar. He has been playing on a 3/4 size but also likes playing full sized guitars when they are available to him.

I have looked at some of the older threads here on the topic: [forums.macresource.com] [forums.macresource.com]
and seen some positive references to the following:

Seagull S6
Yamaha FG730
Takamine Jasmine

If you can dream on and look to the future...

[www.patfosterguitars.com]

If he can handle a full-sized guitar, might as well go full-sized.

MB, thanks for the boost!

But Bo, like MB says, maybe later.

There's a sort of myth about "full" size guitars among beginning players, that those are the "real" guitars. The performing musicians I know of mostly prefer a concert or OM size. These people play fingerstyle, folk and blues. They prefer the more balanced, brighter tone of the smaller guitars. Dreadnoughts, like the ones you listed (which I think you're equating with full size), are most popular with country and bluegrass players. Their tone has more bass at the expense of clarity, making them more of a challenge to record easily. As he progresses, he'll play up the neck more, and the smaller guitars generally have better tone there. At his age, a dreadnought might be uncomfortable to play for any length of time; a lot of adult players feel the same way about the dreads. BTW, I have yet to sell a dreadnought guitar. All my customers have wanted the smaller OM sizes. But he's a kid, so he wants what he wants.

In that price range, you can get a quite decent guitar. China is producing some amazing instruments for the money, but tone may only be passable. Playability is much more of an issue. If it's hard to play, it will stay in its case. Either of those stores would probably be good sources, especially if you know the people at Banana, though I know Amazing Grace is a great store — I used to visit there in the 70s.

The Baby Taylor and Baby Martin are good guitars, but he'll probably tire of them pretty quickly. Any of the brands you listed should get you a pretty good guitar. $300 is about the bottom of the range for a decent playable guitar that will hold up for a long time, but be prepared to go another $100 or so if you find one that stands out. It will be worth it in the long run.

Making the choice by feel is definitely the way to go, since in that price range, they'll all sound similar (size aside). A good shop will do a setup for his style of playing, with the strings set higher for hard playing, at the expense of easy playing, or lower for softer playing such as fingerstyle, making it easier to play.

Good luck! And let me know when he's ready for a custom!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2012 08:50AM by lost in space.

Stay away from the Baby Taylor. And this is coming from a Taylor guy. I own 2 Taylors, and wouldn't recommend the Baby Taylor to anyone. It's great as a "beater" or to play around a campfire. That's about it.

The next step up is the "Big Baby". It's as close to a full sized guitar as you can get (I think it's 15/16 scale). I used to own one, but sold it when I got the Taylor GS Mini. The sound is a little thin, but it plays well. You can find used Big Baby's for $300 or less. The GS Mini is awesome, and might be a consideration. It's a 3/4 scale, but sounds like a full sized guitar. Retail is $499, but I got mine for $399 using a coupon at Guitar Center. Probably a great size for a 10 year old.

If he's determined to get a full sized guitar, there are certainly quite a few to choose from in the $300 range. Full sized Taylor's start at $599 retail, so that's probably out. Yamaha seems to have a good reputation for their inexpensive guitars. But the most important thing is to pick the one that sounds best and feels best to him. Have him play as many as he can. Don't look at the name on the headstock. And don't pay attention to what it looks like. There are a lot of cheap (and I mean that in a bad way) guitars that look really cool, but are hard to play or sound like crap.

I'd really suggest trying to get a used guitar if at all possible. Guitars actually sound better as they age (if taken care of), and unless it's some special model, it will cost less than a new one. I bought my GS Mini new, but only because it had just come out, and there was no used market. My other Taylor I bought used. And I bought the Big Baby used, played it for a couple of years, and was able to sell it for the same price I'd paid for it.

Quote
Acer
If he can handle a full-sized guitar, might as well go full-sized.

if you mean a full-sized dreadnaught, most of my 10 years old students really struggle when the parents have saddled them with a full size guitar. of course, i have one 8 year old who is extremely large for his age so it really depends on your son's physicality.

generally, "full size" guitars range in size. orchestra models are small guitars that are considered full size and i've seen some big burly men playing them. jumbo guitars are full size and larger than a dreadnaught. my point is that the focus needs to be on what feels comfortable for your son, not whether it is 'full size' or not.

and don't discount the value of 'Feel' when purchasing a guitar. it's a vital part of the decision making process. as long as you're dealing with sales people you trust and brands you research you most likely won't get a bad guitar. one's needs change over time anyway. i spend two grand on a guitar a number of years ago. it's a sweet guitar. truly lovely sound. it took me over 5 years to realize it's not the right sound for me.

btw, there's a size step up from the Baby Taylor called the Big Baby. don't think it's $300 though.

edit: ok, lost in space detailed my point so much better! and he spelled Dreadnought correctly.

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"Success isn't about how much money you make. It is about the difference you make in people's lives."--Michelle Obama



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2012 08:58AM by graylocks.

one more point, the Takamine Jasmine is a great entry level guitar. i recommend it often for folks who are just starting out and want a decent instrument to start learning on. it's under $100 which is perfect for a lot of folks. that being said, with a starting budget of $300 you can be looking at guitars with better build quality and tone than the jasmine.

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"Success isn't about how much money you make. It is about the difference you make in people's lives."--Michelle Obama

My kids' guitar teacher took pleasure in finding killer used guitars on Craigslist, both acoustic and electric, originally bought by optimistic parents who later become bent on selling them at a fraction of their original price to get them out of the house.

You guys "rock"...this is all hugely helpful information! I'll check in later this afternoon to see if there any more postings but I do feel better with this additional knowledge. Sounds like the bottom line is really what he likes the feel of which makes sense. At this point my main hope is that he continues his interest in playing and having a guitar he simply enjoys to pick up and play should aid in that!

-Bo

How 'bout Gray's $100 Takemime now, and a $500 guitar down the road...

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If you decide on a smaller guitar you might want to look at the Wechter Travel Elite:
[www.sweetwater.com]

Also, you really can't go wrong with the Seagull S6.

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JoeM

There have been lots of threads about this you can get good information from. Search the word "Seagull" since it has probably been brought up in most of them.

funny that this thread should come up now. looking for a reasonable priced guitar, I came upon the Loar L0-16 and it looks to be very nice.

[www.musiciansfriend.com]