Advice on buying a guitar....

[EFCLee1]

My lad is 5 and wants one for crimbo so me an the missus are at loggerheads between an asda special for 20 quid which i have been told will have high action and frequently go out of tune, versus an ebay yamaha av spotted for £50 which looks well decent and i dont even play one

so my lad is 5, would he still ba able to play a full size guitar, would a full size guitar impact on his learning?

any help would be great

 

[imamartian]

i reckon at that age it really doesn't matter..... get the cheapest....

kids have phases.... if your little'un is still into it next year... then start thinking lessons (at school?)... and you can buy them a more expensive guitar for their next birthday or next Xmas..

 

[cantaloup63]

Sort of depends on how serious your lad is about learning it. There's 5 and there's 5.

 

[joe-90]

Complete waste of time buying a full size steel string guitar. Get him a ukulele for ten quid. He'll be tired of it by t-time. How is he going to tune it anyway?

 

[imamartian]

Sort of depends on how serious your lad is about learning it. There's 5 and there's 5.

that's what i just said !!!

 

[EFCLee1]

thing is though i wanna give him every chance of developing an interest in it and high action on a guitar av heard puts people off for life, i know 50 quid is a lot more than 20 quid but the extra 30 quid could make all the difference, or not!!!

 

[joe-90]

If he can grip as strong as you can get him one. If not - forget it.

 

[EFCLee1]

yer am hearing you guys, i kind of agree but would also like to hear from a few actual guitar players if theres any in here!

 

[joe-90]

Been a guitar player since I was 10 (and still rubbish).

There's a couple of pictures of me age 11 in my photo album playing guitar.

 

[EFCLee1]

Been a guitar player since I was 10 (and still rubbish).

There's a couple of pictures of me age 11 in my photo album playing guitar.

amazing joe, thanks for sharing that with us

was it a cheap nasty guitar do you believe it impaired your learning

 

[imamartian]

yer am hearing you guys, i kind of agree but would also like to hear from a few actual guitar players if theres any in here!

yer and we're hearing you... Hendrix was a talent and left handed and played a guitar upside down.... he didn't mention the "action"...

At 5, you really are challenged in everything you do.... 5 is the age to start adapting... get lessons and you may have a star in your midst !!!

 

[joe-90]

Been a guitar player since I was 10 (and still rubbish).

There's a couple of pictures of me age 11 in my photo album playing guitar.

amazing joe, thanks for sharing that with us

was it a cheap nasty guitar do you believe it impaired your learning

No it wasn't bad at all. It was nylon strings though which are easier to play. I was having classical lessons in those days. Ignore Martian he hasn't got a clue. He's just a dopey Civil Servant.

 

[EFCLee1]

he didn't mention the "action"...

action as i put it refers to the distance of the strings from the arm, the further away the more effort to press them, hence low action is better, so am told

 

[Maxsys]

Been playing since i was 6, learned at school, on a nylon strung 3/4 size acoustic, progressed to steel strung at about 10 and electric at 12 or 13. £50 quid is not a lot and in reality it will still be rubbish, whilst Yamaha are one of the better cheap guitars and i am sure it will be better than the Asda one, the reality is that at 5 he will not be able to reach the chord positions, or hold the strings down.

My latest buy was £1200 and it still had to be setup by a pro luthier to my liking.

I understand where you are coming from with wanting to encourage, i have three kids all teenagers and my daughter is studying music at school, even if he likes the look of the guitar the fact that he won't be able to play it will put him off for life, get a 3/4 size acoustic, and get him a couple of lessons to go with it, if he don't like it, stick it on ebay.

If it makes any difference i am 45 and have played in bands for 20 years or so, and even did a couple of demo tapes at a local studio.

 

[imamartian]

he didn't mention the "action"...

action as i put it refers to the distance of the strings from the arm, the further away the more effort to press them, hence low action is better, so am told

I know what 'action' is... my point is that Hendrix can adapt, and kids can adapt more....

I'd seriously start with the music teacher... and get advice...

i have three kids and we've been through all manner or instrument s/clubs etc... they soon get bored !!