Daughters want guitars

[Charles McKinley]

Hi All,

I refused to get the "Tinker Bell" and "Disney princess" guitars for my daughters for Christmas.

I know less than nothing about guitars but don't want to buy junk. I also have limited funds for what might just be a passing phase. As an added twist one of them is a Lefty.

Please help: brands that would be good starters, best place to look, words of wisdom.

Pittsburgh is the closest city.

Thank you in advance,

Chuck

[Mike Cutler]

Charles

There are many entry level guitars out there. Yamaha has made entry level guitars for years, and most of the "big names" have a lower brand attached.
The problem with buying entry level guitars is that they really aren't worth much when they grow out of them, or give up, so be ready for that aspect.
Basically you are looking for a guitar that has an easily adjustable truss rod, light action and can reasonably be tuned to itself, and that fits the girls.
The lefty is a little problematic, because stores just don't carry a lot of left handed selections, and in acoustic guitars there is more of a difference. The nut, the piece at the end of the fretboard, has grooves for the strings cut into it. If you just try to string it backwards the low E string will bind on the high E-string's groove, and the high E will be too low and buzz, which gives a novice fits trying to tune it. The saddle on the bridge will need to be reversed,and it may take a luthier to reshape it. If it can be done at all. The pick guard will also be on the wrong side of the sound hole.

If you know nothing about guitars I would highly encourage you to hook up with someone that plays, that can test the guitars for you.
Intonation, action height, ease of truss rod adjustment, bridge, saddle and nut material, the size, thickness and shape of the neck and more are just a few of the variables.

[Charles McKinley]

Thanks Mike,

As far as not being worth much when they move on is why I would rather buy used to start with. There has to be a ton of these beginner guiars out there.

At least now I have some vocabulary to look up. I think it was in english.

Thanks Again,

Chuck

[Russell Sansom]

I would not assume steel string. Depends on what your daughters want. Willie Nelson and I played nylon for a lifetime each.
Charles, short of taking up the guitar yourself, there's nothing you can do to in a few months to improve your position. Even holding the variables to playability, sound, and cost leaves a very complicated riddle.
My point is, you need an expert. Not sure how you pick one. Many budding musicians have been ruined for life by the "princess" guitar, so playability is my first requirement for a beginner. Sound is a close second. You might try a rental (?). Or a loan from someone. Then keep your eye out. The moment one of your kiddies learns "the three chords" or a whole song on her own, consider stepping her up to a quality instrument. Consider taking up guitar yourself, so when that time comes you will then know what is a good guitar and what is not. If you do this, there's no WAY you're going to subject yourself to a ghastly instrument as you might if you were just a passive observer. Once you feel the deep booming rumble against your stomach that goes with a great acoustic, you won't be able to go back.

When I was a budding musician in the 60's there were fine independent guitar stores in every city. They are almost all gone now. Philadelphia had a dandy right on Sansom street. There was another great one on Staten Island that I think is still there. Palo Alto California still has Gryphon Music. You can spend a whole morning wandering from instrument to instrument and get a great sense of the state of the art. If you can find an independent music store like one of these, you might be able to find someone to guide you through the maze.
Good luck
Russ

[Mike OMelia]

Technically, any company can produce a perfect guitar given all the angles and radii. But it will still sound like crap if its made out of cheap stuff. One thing entry level guitars rarely have is a tuned top. It's just the way it is. IMHO, $400 is as low as I would go. And you are still gonna find plywood in it. But you want it to be easily playable or the kids will give up. If your kids are trustworthy, buy something you can resell. Like a 3/4 Taylor. Avoid ornamentation and stuff that raises the price. After you have owned it and taken care of it, someone else will love buying it off you for maybe $100 less than you spent. And trust me, guitar players are born every day... no shortage.

[David Weaver]

Hi All,

I refused to get the "Tinker Bell" and "Disney princess" guitars for my daughters for Christmas.

I know less than nothing about guitars but don't want to buy junk. I also have limited funds for what might just be a passing phase. As an added twist one of them is a Lefty.

Please help: brands that would be good starters, best place to look, words of wisdom.

Pittsburgh is the closest city.

Thank you in advance,

Chuck

Chuck - go down to pittsburgh guitars on the South Side and tell them what you're looking for. You can get a decent playable guitar for about $200. There are a lot of ways to skin it to a smaller number by going on craigslist, etc, but you take some risk if you do. The difference between a guitar that's unplayable and one that's not could simply be setup, too, another reason to get one from a dealer for the first purchase.

[Dennis Peacock]

Maybe I come from a different school on instruments. I am one of those that was given a K-Mart Hummingbird acoustic guitar at age 10 to learn to play guitar. I hated it. The strings were so high from the fret board that it took a LOT of effort to fret a string. Over the years, I've learned that by spending a bit more money and getting a better-over-all instrument, playing comes easier, learning becomes more enjoyable, and my as the student "wanted" to learn and practice because my fingers and hands weren't killing me.

A Seagull S6 Entourage Acoustic guitar is a great beginners guitar and it will retain good value for resale later on should the need arise.
Takamine G440C Acoustic guitar is also one that plays well and not a bank buster. It may be $250 but it plays well enough to be easy for a learner.

The best thing overall to do? Go to a local "reputable" music store and tell them what you are looking for. Give them the highest price point you are willing to reach and see what choices they give you. You can also shop around online as some online music stores will include instrument "setup" when you buy from them....almost guaranteeing you a very playable instrument "out of the box". I bought a Mandolin this way and it is an awesome instrument and very playable.

In short order here.....if the instrument isn't easy to play, then the student isn't very likely to want to learn to play....plus a hard to play instrument teaches us bad playing habits and creates other issues later down the road for the musician.

Just my experiences over the past 40 years.

[David Weaver]

In short order here.....if the instrument isn't easy to play, then the student isn't very likely to want to learn to play....plus a hard to play instrument teaches us bad playing habits and creates other issues later down the road for the musician.

Just my experiences over the past 40 years.

Encountered the same thing. I started with a contemporary guy who thought it was just fine to start with an electric guitar. There was some old fart notion back then that kids need to start with a hard fingering bronze string acoustic. Action on the inexpensive acoustic guitars is better now... but playability has to be first. If it hurts a kid to play it even after they've got some meat on the ends of their fingers, at best they'll lack progression, and at worst they'll quit something they would otherwise like.

[Steve Milito]

I'd look into a solid body electric with a starter solid-state amp. Go 3/4 size if they are younger than mid-teens.

[Brian Kent]

In the areas I have lived, the Guitar Center has given excellent advice and very reasonable prices. Most of my purchases are related to drumming, but they have given knowledgable advice in 2 guitar purchases and lots of sound equipment.

[Greg Savage]

Chuck......I'm down here in Mars, PA

If you want to go the used route or stay local, try Hanna Music Supply in Harrisville, Fudoli Music in Butler....or.....Head to McKees Rocks and check out Johnny B Goode's. They are upstairs from Hollowood Music....Lots of used stuff.

BUT!!!

If you are looking for new you may consider Daisy Rock Guitars. These are guitars that are of a smaller scale that are designed for girls......acoustic or electric.

http://www.daisyrock.com/

[Charles McKinley]

I will start the journey over at Hanna's as Greg was the second Greg today to recommend them today. I think I will stay local and I know Craig's List well enough to know I do not have the knowledge base to make this purchase there.

They will be 3/4 size as they are for a 10 and 11 year old. The 11 year old is a lefty. I have at least one more lefty coming up.

Thanks for the info as I now have a base to start my research and search.

[fred marcuson]

the one thing that has not been brought up....lefty guitars .
ok disclaimer first , i'm pretty much ambidextrous .
and honestly a lefty guitar 'feels' better in my hands than a righty.
i learned to play right handed , and glad i did .
i can go anywhere and pick up a right handed guitar and play .
friends who are lefty cannot do that .
looking at playing guitar , past the initial learning phase ; both hands get used .
and in all honesty the left hand playing chords / notes does a lot more 'work' than the right had in the learning phase .
also my wife is a lefty . she plays right handed .
just my opinion .... learn to play right handed ....
yes it takes some adjusting at first . but worth it in the long run .

[John Powers]

Ditto. If she doesn't play guitar and is 10 YO, she's not a lefty. Get the little intelitouch tuner. Clips on the head and takes it from there.

[george wilson]

I am left handed. MAKE HER learn to play right handed. I made myself do that at age 13 as U knew that if I didn't I'd forever be handicapped. They didn't even make lefty guitars back then. Your selection will forever be limited. I've seen leftys playing guitars upside down,all kinds of ways. It's VERY limiting. I soon got used to playing right handed. After all,the left hand does the complicated making of chords when playing right handed.