Top Tips For Buying Your Child’s First Guitar

If your child has shown an interest in learning to play the guitar or has recently started taking guitar lessons, then chances are they’ll soon start asking you for a guitar of their own.

Here’s our short guide to the things you need to think about before heading to your local musical instrument shop.

Set your budget – and stick to it!

Guitars for children can start from as little as £50 and go right up into the thousands of pounds if you’re looking for a bespoke instrument, so it’s important to set a budget that you’re happy with and stick to it.

For a first-time child’s guitar, £50 to £150 is a good price marker as they’ll grow out of the instrument in time as they get older and learn new skills, so don’t think that you’ll have to shell out more than you can afford to to get the best instrument at this stage.

Size matters

Buying the right sized guitar is critical. Too big and they’ll hurt their hands trying to reach the strings, too small and they’ll soon grow too big to handle it properly, so here’s a rough breakdown of guitar sizes to go for by age group:

Ages 4-6 – 30″ 1/4 Size

Ages 6 -9 – 34″ 1/2 Size

Ages 9 – 12 – 36″ 3/4 Size

Ages 12 – Adult – 40″ Concert Size

*Just as a side note, we’ve used acoustic guitars for the purpose of this guide.

Choose something visually appealing

Guitar manufacturers are really good at creating guitars that they know will appeal to children, so don’t be surprised if your son or daughter is instantly drawn to the bright pink or shiny black guitar.

Luckily, these colourful instruments don’t come with a hugely inflated price tag, so if you can afford the colour of their choice then go for it!

Don’t be afraid to shop around

There are so many great quality second-hand children’s guitars available online due to their previous owners having outgrown them, so don’t be afraid to scour social media musical instrument pages, online auction sites or browse the notice board where your child takes their music lessons. You might just be able to pick up a bargain!

If you are interested in Guitar Lessons at HCM Music Academy, our friendly admissions team can help you get started. You can either complete an enquiry form or contact us directly on 01920 460646 or learn@h-c-m.co.uk.