My daughter is developing an interest in playing guitar. She is 8 yrs old and never really played. However, she has been using my acoustic and toured several music stores looking at everything including drums, keyboards, and guitars. What do you think about an acoustic vs. an electric? What price range can I expect to pay other than the ticket price on the instruments? Are the guitar bundles a good direction to go in? Are group lessons okay or would individual lessons work better? Thanks for the help.

I got mt son (8.5) a Squier Affinity Strat. With the smaller neck, it seems to fit him well. I adjusted the action as low as possible to make it really easy to work with. We have an acoustic, but it is tough for him to use -- higher action, bigger strings, etc. The nice thing is it is quieter than using the acoustic, when not plugged into his Vox that is. Worth considering.

We bought my daughter a Squier mini electric and it is WAY easier for her to handle than any acoustic.All it takes is a bad experience and frustration from a young one and they may decide not to pursue thier dream.Make it easy for them and fun and it will definitely help them out .She just can't get her hands around the neck on a full size guitar so the smaller scale works really nice.I think I spent less than 100 bucks....but she loves it
My.02
She is now 15 and loves music..it is here favorite past-time.

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1986 Fender Sidekick Reverb 35
1990 Fender Red Knob - "The Twin"
1992 Fender Newporter - Acoustic
2000 Fender American Series Strat - Natural ash
2010 Fender Mustang 1
2011 Fender Blacktop Jazzmaster -Sunburst
2012 Fender Champion

i agree with the short scale strats. its better built for smaller player. word of caution, spend whatever it take to set that guitar up properly. i solid setup will be everything
to that guitar. if it has tuning troubles get it setup and fix whatever the cause of the problem is. cheaper guitars take a little more to get setup right but its worth it to the student.

as for group lessons, no way, not at first. shes as a beginner will need the extra attention a one on one experience will giver her. later after shes got the hang of it see if shes interested in a group lesson or two to try.
personally, i dont think a group thing would work. not enough time or attention can go to each student as needed for beginers.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

I'm a girl and when I got my first guitar I was 11, and I could handle a full sized guitar. For under 10 though you really should try to find a 3/4 size guitar.

As far as electric vs. acoustic goes there and pros and cons to each. How much money are you willing to invest at this point? With an electric you have to have a cable and an amp too, which can add to the cost. However, electric guitars are easier to play than acoustics because the thinner body allows the new player to more easily see what they're doing. Also, electric guitars use lighter strings and have less string tension than acoustics making them hurt a little less.

For a starter 3/4 size electric guitar I'd recommend a Squier Mini. They're not the most expensive, high quality guitar in the world but they'll do the job and hold up much better than a Wal-Mart type of guitar. If you don't get an amp in a starter pack with the guitar, you're looking at about $99 for a good small practice amp and maybe a little less for one which is just decent.

As far as acoustics go, Yamaha makes a 3/4 size acoustic which is a decent little guitar. I have one that was given to my brother and I use it to play acoustic blues on. It sounds nice for a $99 guitar.

As for group or individual lessons, it's really your call. You know your daughter best and what her personality is like. Personally, I've only ever had private lessons so I can't really offer an opinion on group lessons.

Also, don't be discouraged if she ends up losing interest for a while. I drove my parents crazy. I played violin from ages 7-8, flute from ages 9-13 and guitar from 13+. It would seem like the violin, flute and the lessons were wasted but they did teach me a lot about music so that when I picked up guitar I wasn't clueless. Guitar was really the first instrument they didn't have to force me to practice either. And even though I got my guitar when I was 11, I didn't really start playing it until one and a half years later when I was 13. Since then I've also picked up bass, drums and a little bit of keyboard and tenor sax. So don't lose heart if you get her a guitar and she doesn't immediately take to it.

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I bought a classical with nylon strings for my 8 yr old nephew. He's been
taking lessons and says the guitar feels very comfortable to him. The neck
is wider than electrics and standard acoustics which is helping him to learn
how to arch his fretting hand properly. YMMV?

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

I'm with MIami Mike on this one. AS a guitar teacher, get a nylon string classical. I always say they are hardest to play and this means transition to acoustic and then electric suddenly makes playing easier and this generally stuns kids which adds enthusiasm to the kids which means more practice and so on.
I bought both my daughters when they were 7 or 8 3/4 classicals - semi decent, but not over the top around £50 and although there was a bit of complaining about the way it looked compared to my acoustics or electrics, when they switched to acoustic after learning the chords they thanked me for it later.
I used to let them mess about with my cheap electrics and acoustics while they were learning the classical too and that gave them something to look forward to as well.
Seriously though go for the classical first it is the best option in my opinion.

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speak slowly I'm a drummer too!!

And I proudly lack a stick or a kazoo up my arse...........

Hmm. Punishment first is a strange method.




So they are not what we want for kids. It's that easy.

And there is another aspect: electric instruments are much more fun to play. If my parents had let me play electric piano, I would still be playing the piano. But I'm not because they bought me a classic one. Which s....cks.

I think @scarleg is right.

Cheers

David

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"Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc...and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons."

I see where you are going with your train of thought and I understand but let me explain a bit better.
'Hardest to play' doesn't mean too difficult. It is just slightly more awkward with the higher action, thicker strings and wider neck. This means if your daughter sticks with it when she moves on to acoustic or electric it will feel so nice and easy to play with the thinner neck and, generally, lower action that the steel strings will not be the issue that many kids find when they start. In my experience if someone starts on acoustic, the steel strings as well as learning chord shapes and the extra tension can hurt and some kids find it really uncomfortable.
I started at the age of 10 on an acoustic guitar and got my first electric when I wa about 15. It wasn't till I grew out of the 'Rock' guitar that most teenagers want to play that I decided to try a bit of classical guitar and had to really work hard with the difference in necks and string tensions and even went and bought a Godin nylon string cos it 'felt normal'. AFter a while I decided to just get a normal classical and persevered but it took several months to be able to play it comfortably just proving that if I had started with it it wouldn't have been such a task to relearn.
Now, obviously, this is just my experience and many, many people do it differently and will advise differently but even just learning the chord shapes on a classical and learning to change chords on classical makes advancing to acoustic and electric an absolute dream.
When people are learning guitar they reach several 'penny drop' moments which is when something suddenly becomes natural and sinks in. The first, generally, is changing chords quickly, the second is sorting out strumming, third is barre chords and so on and so on.
Each of these when they are realised causes a motivational 'leap' in the pupil and all of a sudden there is a surge forward in enthusiasm, practicing and playing ability which speeds up the learning process. This is also seen when someone moves from classical to acoustic or electric. The faster, narrower necks and lower action means that it becomes easier to play but also, as we all know, acoustic and electric sound better and fuller when you are learning to play.

It all depends how far it is going to be taken as well.
I see what you mean about fun but, to me, music should always be fun whether it is a grand piano, tuba, penny whistle or classical guitar. Just check out guys like Ewan Dobson who plays acoustic but is obviously classically trained. (I know being classically trained and playing classical guitar is different but you see what I mean)
As far as punishment first.......well just think about it this way. An eight year old's fingers are not necessarily going to enjoy playing steel strings for half an hour a day.

Like I said though it's all personal preference, I just don't want anyone thinking I am making life difficult for my kids and pupils!!!

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speak slowly I'm a drummer too!!

And I proudly lack a stick or a kazoo up my arse...........

I'd be more inclined to go for the 3/4 electric as electrics have a certain romance and attraction tied to them that appeals to kids.An acoustic guitar whether or not nylon string will have a wider neck which may prove a bit daunting to a child with smaller hands. I was made to learn on acoustic first but I was the only one of a bunch of kids in our neighbourhood that had the fire to stick with it,others who started on acoustic as I did soon became discouraged because of sore fingers and they couldn't handle the bigger necks.I often wonder how many would've stuck with it had they started on electric.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Electrics are easier to play whilst not sounding horrible. If you do go acoustic, do not go steel string -- sore fingers = less time spent practicing.

Find a guitar that fits right, but a relatively cheap one. Spend the money to get it set up properly (don't be surprised if it's half the price of the guitar). Squire bullet would work here... with the added bonus that if she's into pink, they make a pink version. Should run about $120 at Guitar center.

In terms of amp, there's something to be said for having a nice sounding amp. I'd argue that it's better to spend your money towards the amp than the guitar. If you can swing it, try the Fender Champ 600. That's run about $150 at Guitar center.

My first guitar teach forced me to play acoustic first, even though I already had an electric. Bluntly, I hated it. I didn't want to play acoustic, and I didn't want to learn the songs she was teaching me. I ended up taking lessons for about a month and quitting. A little more than I year later I picked up my electric again and began teaching myself what I actually wanted to learn in the first place. I probably would've gotten off to a better start had I not been forced into playing acoustic.

That said, I was 11 and I knew exactly how I wanted to sound and what music I wanted to play. Most eight year olds don't. Give her a choice, because she'll be more likely to practice something she wants to play. But if she's not sure either way is fine. And if you go acoustic a nylon string guitar would be the way to go at first since steel string acoustics are much harder on beginners fingers.

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Thanks everyone. You have given us great advice and plenty to think about. She always spends more time with the pink guitars whether acoustic or electric in the store. The next time we are in the store I will show her the Squire models. Her birthday is coming up in a few months and maybe she will pick one of the pink guitars for a present. Again, thanks everyone for sharing!

Well I am not a guitar teacher like pappawookee but I do agree with him. A nylon string guitar is also what I got for my nephew 2 years ago. He also showed some interest and I figured that a nylon string guitar is a best choice for 8-12 years old kids that shows interest in learning the instrument.

When I was convinced that my 9-year-old grandson really wanted to play guitar, I gave (loaned) him one of my Peavey guitars - a T-15, which was actually a short-scale beginner's guitar. I bought it years ago to go with my T-40, T-30 and T-25. Good quality American guitar, two pickups and a really nice ash body. I also loaned him one of my old G-DECs for a little extra fun. Plus, since the old G-DECs have two guitar inputs, my son can play along with his son and they do.

From what I hear, he is practicing several times a week and really enjoying the guitar.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963