Advice for Guitar for Son

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

My HS son took a guitar music class and has really liked it. We had some absolute POC kid guitar from years ago that he plays on at home. He actually is picks it up pretty quick and plays often so we though to encourage it we'd get him a guitar for 'Christmas'.

He said he wants an acostic guitar, but he implied because he thought it would be cheaper.

When it comes to guitars in Denver, what store is the Mlle High Shooting of guitars?

What is the BCM grade of guitar brands and models? Acoustic, electric and small amps?

Not looking to go PSA cost, don't want to spend Knights money- but not afraid to spend some cash on something worth it. So BCM balance of cost and niceness.

I can barely whistle, so I have no music skill besides iTunes.

Thanks

[rondog]

"I can barely whistle, so I have no music skill besides iTunes."

I can SO relate.....wish I could help, but I must sit back and watch.

[sbgixxer]

If he really wants an electric, there are plenty of inexpensive packages that will come with everything he needs. I'd say start with that to see if he likes it then move up if the interest is there. For $250ish, you could get what he needs. There are also acoustic/electric packages that, as the name implies, can do both. It depends more on the style of music he's interested in.

I started with an inexpensive Ibanez set-up probably 20 yrs ago and have been playing since. I've had 10+ guitars since but still have my original cheap Ibanez.

[Irving]

If you go with an acoustic, try to get one with an undercut to allow access to the high notes on the fret board. He'll really appreciate that.

[def90]

Guitar Center.

Been playing guitar since 1983.. I could go on for hours on the subject but as far as your needs are concerned here is my super basic response:

For electrics anything in the $800 range is going to be a very good guitar, you can even get really good guitars in the $400 to $800 range, it's amazing what they make and sell these days, guitars are one of the few items out there where quality has gone up and price has gone down. Ibanez makes a solid guitar at a great price point as well as ESP which now goes by the label of LTD, I would stay away from cheap (sub $1000) Fenders or Gibsons. Charvel would be the cream of the crop. Spending more than $1500 on an electric is wasting your money unless it's a collector Fender or Gibson.

On the acoustic side once again Ibanez makes a great acoustic for the $$ as well as Taylor and Takamine. Ovations are ok.. You should be able to get a decent acoustic for around $700, acoustic guitars are where you will likely spend more money than an electric. Martin acoustic guitars are awesome and what most people eventually move to that have played for a long time but other than the tonal qualities it may have will play no different than an Ibanez or Taylor.

There are a lot of used guitars available on craigslist, just need to know what you are looking at to determine if it's a good deal or not. but honestly guitars are so cheap these days I would just buy new if your kid is really interested in playing long term.

Once you buy a guitar and your kid continues on with it it is worth it to take it to a respectable guitar repair shop and have it set up correctly, it will be close out of the box but it won't be what it could be, they crank those things out and get them about 80% there and say that's good enough. What this is is they dress the frets, properly adjust the neck and the string height, this will make a worl of difference when playing it.

If you buy a cheap guitar it is going to play like shit and will not be an enjoyable experience for your kid.

[ray1970]

I am definitely not a musician but dabbled in it years ago so take my advice for whatever that?s worth.

Your kid is a beginner and probably doesn?t yet have the skills to tell the difference between a $400 guitar and a $1400 guitar. Spending big bucks isn?t really necessary at this stage of the game unless you just want to. (FYI- if I had every dollar I ever spent on equipment for my sons various hobbies throughout the years I?d be a rich man right now.)

Anyhow, my first (and only) guitar was one of the Fender Squiers. It was a Japanese made version of their American made Stratocaster. I likely played it just as well back then as I could have played something way more expensive and it didn?t break the bank when I bought it.

My brothers are real musicians (don?t have real jobs and have played and toured all over the world with people like Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughn, Trisha Yearwood, etc.) and the Squire was what they suggested I should get until I decided if I was going to be good at it or stick with it long term.

No matter what you get him I bet he will be stoked to have a decent guitar he can call his own.

[JohnnyEgo]

I bought my 9 year old a Fender Squier for Christmas last year, along with lessons. He still loves it. Will even volunteer to practice without me having to remind him, which is a behavior he does not engage in with anything else in his life, such as brushing his teeth. If he keeps it up for another year or two, I am sure he will outgrow it, and I will spend the money to get him something decent in the middle of the range. But for an electric guitar sized so a 9 year old can play it, it's worked out really well.

[ray1970]

But for an electric guitar sized so a 9 year old can play it, it's worked out really well.

Are the new Squire models scaled down or something? The one I had in the 1980?s was a full sized guitar.

[def90]

A Squire is the same size as any Fender that is the equivalent model, the difference is that they are built over seas with cheaper parts and materials.

Nothing worse than killing a kids excitement about playing guitar than buying them a cheap POS guitar with a shitty neck that has such a horrible shape and action height that it actually makes it hard to play on top of the fact that it will have zero sustain and will sound like shit.

[Mtneer]

How much does small hand size affect choice? My wife has been wanting to learn acoustic and the hints keep getting stronger.

I know nothing about guitars but enjoy watching the "British guitarist analyses" Youtube channel. He reviews some amazing stuff. Old school country pretty much blows everyone away.

[CS1983]

Jdhndhdh

Mtneer- I have Donald trump sized hands and have no problems. John 5 has commented on his own small hands and is a very accomplished player.

A thinner (back to front) helps.

—-

OP - I 2nd def90. Go to guitar center.

As far as acoustic vs electric, acoustic is going to be more versatile for traveling. But a cheap acoustic with medium to heavy strings is going to be hard to learn on. Especially a cheaper guitar. There are some acoustic electrics that are more of an electric feel than acoustic, but I’m not a fan of their acoustic sound.

Here’s what I’d say: figure max budget. Give him a coupon on Christmas morning. Go with him and have him talk with a salesman about budget, musical goals, and all that goes into selecting an instrument. If you notice the salesman is shifting him toward something without hearing him out, get another or steer the salesman back to what’s good for the kid and not just what the salesman likes.

If he’s in to rock, punk, metal etc., he still needs to learn guitar. Those skills come into play in ANY style, and most rock guitarists of any note can bust out blues, jazz, and country licks with no problem.

Check out John 5’s versatility. Now imagine only thinking of him playing some repetitive Marilyn Manson riff and thinking that’s playing guitar and only learning that. Bad. Be versatile.



https://youtu.be/EedGF36YcGI

[FoxtArt]

If anything, small hands is an asset. It's difficult to get clear and correct vibration when first starting out (precision in finger placement is key), if you have sausage hands then you'll sound like crap for ages because you have almost no clearance between your fingers and the adjacent strings.

[ray1970]

Nothing worse than killing a kids excitement about playing guitar than buying them a cheap POS guitar with a shitty neck that has such a horrible shape and action height that it actually makes it hard to play on top of the fact that it will have zero sustain and will sound like shit.

Not every young person is a snobby rich kid that wouldn?t be happy unless they had the best of the best.

If I was young and wanted a guitar and my parents bought me one I?d be stoked no matter how crappy it was.

[JohnnyEgo]

Are the new Squire models scaled down or something? The one I had in the 1980?s was a full sized guitar.

There may be multiple flavors and sizes. The one I got my son is supposed to be 3/4 the size of a regular guitar. It is called the Squier Mini Strat. 'Squier' being their spelling.


https://www.johnnyego.com/photography/vincent/2018/christmas/2018xmas23.JPG

I've got no particular experience with guitars or any other instruments, so I don't know first-hand if it is better or worse than anything else out there. But he plays it well and is very happy with it. One of the advantages of being an old parent of a more-or-less only child is that discretionary income is not really that much of an obstacle for kid-attainable desires; he gets private individual lessons weekly, and his instructor hasn't voiced any concern over the Squier at all. In point of fact, our only issue is that nobody made a strap for it that could be sucked in tight enough to hold it in the proper position on his lap, so I ended up having to break out the sewing awl and stitch it shorter myself.

Whether or not one considers the Squier 'cheap' aside, it is sized right for my kid and brings him much joy. I recommend it.

[ray1970]

Thanks. Mine was red with a white pick guard too. Just like his.

[Colorado Osprey]

The old squier were hand made and a crap shoot if you got a good one. The current mass produced CNC squires are all ok for a beginner guitar- come with a crappy amp though.
Have you looked at the Sterling Music Man guitars? They are the mass produced CNC Ernie Ball based guitars. Better quality than a squier. They are changed every couple of years so even these become collectors. The John Petrucci Collection versions will only need to be replaced when your youngster starts to play stadiums. https://sterlingbymusicman.com/ My son has been playing his JP160 since elementary school and now plays semi-professionally. He was turned on to this guitar through multiple instructors and musicians. They are about 6-7 bills on amazon Some of the others start about the same as the Squier.

[Great-Kazoo]

only this


Stick closer to church-oriented social activities. ;)

[rondog]

I have a lot of regrets in my life, but probably the biggest is never learning to play guitar. Such a big hole in my soul.....

[OtterbatHellcat]

If he wants an acoustic, get him a Taylor mini....small body with good sound and respectable action out of the gate.

Kids don't often stick with an impulse hobby or interest. I hope he stays with it and actually learns music along with learning to play it.

[ray1970]

If he wants an acoustic, get him a Taylor mini....small body with good sound and respectable action out of the gate.


I?m guessing a full sized model is likely more fitting for a high school age kid. I was pretty much a full sized person by the time I was in high school.

[Rucker61]

The Classic Vibe series of Squier guitars has a fairly decent reputation.

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/squier-electric-guitars/

[rondog]

The Classic Vibe series of Squier guitars has a fairly decent reputation.

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/squier-electric-guitars/

Dang, those look pretty nice! The Squier Strat that I have must be one of their bottom-shelf models, it makes "guitar like noises", but it sure as hell doesn't sound like good ones do. Pretty discouraging. I'm sure it could be tweaked to be a lot better, but I don't know shit about that.

Guns - I can make most guns function well, at least better. But guitars, nope nope nope.....

[Rucker61]

I have a lot of regrets in my life, but probably the biggest is never learning to play guitar. Such a big hole in my soul.....

I started playing drums when I was 37. Picked up the bass when I was 40. Started played guitar when I was 42. It's not too late. My FIL is in his eighties and still gigs.

[Rucker61]

Dang, those look pretty nice! The Squier Strat that I have must be one of their bottom-shelf models, it makes "guitar like noises", but it sure as hell doesn't sound like good ones do. Pretty discouraging. I'm sure it could be tweaked to be a lot better, but I don't know shit about that.

Guns - I can make most guns function well, as least better. But guitars, nope nope nope.....

Go try one out. Unless you're a pro, you'd have a hard time telling the difference between a well set-up Classic Vibe and the basic US model.

[def90]

Not every young person is a snobby rich kid that wouldn?t be happy unless they had the best of the best.

If I was young and wanted a guitar and my parents bought me one I?d be stoked no matter how crappy it was.

Snobby rich kid? Where does that come from? All of the guitars I listed other than the Charvel are entry to moderate level guitars, if you are a serious player you are looking at the $3000 x $4000 range.

And yes, a stoked kid will quickly figure out how shitty the shitty guitar is after about the third lesson. I?ve been there and done that.

[ChickNorris]

I have a lot of regrets in my life, but probably the biggest is never learning to play guitar. Such a big hole in my soul.....

Yeah? I didn't learn to shoot until last year -- can't believe I went my entire life not doing this.

How many excuses are you going to make?


Or did I miss the punchline?
;-)

[JohnnyEgo]

I can respect an informed opinion, even when it runs counter to my own. I can even respect a passionately held opinion, delivered with conviction. But sometimes, the holders of such informed, passionately held opinions can also be dicks. And nobody respects a dick.

[ray1970]

Snobby rich kid? Where does that come from? All of the guitars I listed other than the Charvel are entry to moderate level guitars, if you are a serious player you are looking at the $3000 x $4000 range.

And yes, a stoked kid will quickly figure out how shitty the shitty guitar is after about the third lesson. I?ve been there and done that.

My apologies. Your recommendation kind of came across that a young, new guitar player needed a very nice guitar.

While I?m no musician I have raised two kids and I know that typically they don?t need top notch stuff to enjoy it or try it to see if they are going to stick with it.

[OtterbatHellcat]

I?m guessing a full sized model is likely more fitting for a high school age kid. I was pretty much a full sized person by the time I was in high school.

Flying low in this thread, I'm 6' 2" and have rather long arms and huge hands. I have a full bodied Vega and honestly it's a pain in the ass play...I also have the Taylor mini and it's more comfortable for me so I recommended it.

Aside from acoustic instrument decisions, I also believe it's very important for the kid to do his learning on the acoustic before making the jump to electric. If he stays with it, the higher action will help him with fret control later on when it's time for electric. This is my personal experience and what my instructors taught me. I'm only chiming into the thread because I hope the kid gets into music and enjoys playing, it is very rewarding when you're doing it right.

[rondog]

Yeah? I didn't learn to shoot until last year -- can't believe I went my entire life not doing this.

How many excuses are you going to make?


Or did I miss the punchline?
;-)

Age & arthritis to start with......

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Thanks everyone for the insights. I never know if chain places like Guitar Center are the right places to go- like going to a Bog Box store for an AR...Probably start him off on an acoustic. We went and looked and he liked a 'Seagull' model. Says it fit his hand the best. Lord knows I can't tell by looking at them. Pretty intimidating to walk in there and see a 100 guitars. We kept him out of the 'back room' with the $3k ones ;)

[CS1983]

Nice. It will serve him well.