1/2 size or so acoustic guitar recommendation

**bako** · 06-28-2016, 12:56 AM

I am going to teach guitar to my neighbor's 9 year old daughter.
She is highly motivated and I'm excited for this opportunity to work
with her from the beginning. It has been a long time since last I did something like this.

Her parent's have a nice small body Taylor that will be a wonderful guitar
to play several growth spurts down the line. Meanwhile, I have been looking
online to see what's out there.

Cordoba has some nice looking models in 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 size classical guitars but unfortunately nothing similar for steel strings. Oscar Schmidt had a pretty looking 22" scale they referred to as 1/2 size.
Any teachers here that work with young children that have any consumer insights to share from actual
hands on experience.

Thanks in advance.

**targuit** · 06-28-2016, 06:55 AM

Bako - What is the 'budget' here? When my son was young, I got him a Yamaha CGS-103, which is a 3/4 size classical nylon string. Scale is something like 575mm if I recall. Around $200 or so. To be truthful, when I'm in front of the computer playing along to a YouTube video or working on a transcription, I love to use it simply because of the excellent tone and smaller size body. This guitar is now almost ten years old or so and in perfect intonation and shape. It makes an excellent travel guitar as well.

I mention this one because, apart from the fact that it is well made and the neck intonation is "perfect", in my opinion starting a young child on a nylon string has its advantages. Steel strings can be kind of rough to get used to in terms of developing calluses on the fret hand fingers which might discourage a young child. And the tone is more nuanced in some ways.

I have of course tried out the mini-Taylors and they are fine. But my personal preference would be a nylon string initially. Just my 2 cents. And it won't be long before she will be ready for that regular parlor Taylor. In the blink of an eye...

**EarlBrother** · 06-28-2016, 08:56 AM

I had ok experience with fitting a Jay Turser 3/4 with a couple students but they were a year or 2 years older.they were easy to play.but still the steel strings might get uncomfortable on the fingers. but you can walk her thru that.they may have 1/2 as well.Oh and for classical nylon Giannini was nice.Again you would need to look up to see if they make a 1/2.Depending on the student of course.

**bako** · 06-28-2016, 09:47 AM

Jay, Earl,

Thanks for your response.

I have had several positive experiences recommending lower end Yamaha classical guitars to starter students years ago.
They were full size models also numbered in the lower 100's like your example.
Likewise I have played some Gianninis and Jay Turser models that fulfill the basic need, which is good intonation and a basic pleasing tone.

It's good to know that Yamaha, Giannini and Jay Turser have proportional size models as well.
Like left handed guitars, proportional instruments are not something placed front and center of
the advertising campaigns.

Were you able to try these guitars at the local stores or did you have to take a leap of faith ordering online?

**joe2758** · 06-28-2016, 09:53 AM

I taught a 9 year old who started on a full sized classical and did fine

**bako** · 06-28-2016, 10:38 AM

9 year olds come in all shapes and sizes. In this instance, I believe she will need something smaller.
Her right arm in particular struggled getting over the body of a relatively narrow but full scale Taylor.

**mr. beaumont** · 06-28-2016, 10:54 AM

Yamaha makes a 3/4 size steel string that's an actual guitar. It's the only one I recommend to small beginners.

**EarlBrother** · 06-28-2016, 11:46 AM

local store thrift store pawn shop..I still have the little gianini.Wheres cnote ?Am i,is this,are we in a parallel universe?I thought i was responding to cnote the new guy but am glad i could contribute.I am messed up.cnote was a different forum.CAN SOMEBODY SHOW ME TO MY ROOM?

**matt.guitarteacher** · 06-28-2016, 12:46 PM

I don't know what the price range is, but the baby Taylors and smaller Larrivee guitars are really excellent, if you're determined to get a steel string . They have resell value to basically anyone, as a travel guitar etc. The kind of thing you could keep and play the rest of your life.

**targuit** · 06-28-2016, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by bako

Jay, Earl,

Thanks for your response.

I have had several positive experiences recommending lower end Yamaha classical guitars to starter students years ago.
They were full size models also numbered in the lower 100's like your example.
Likewise I have played some Gianninis and Jay Turser models that fulfill the basic need, which is good intonation and a basic pleasing tone.

It's good to know that Yamaha, Giannini and Jay Turser have proportional size models as well.
Like left handed guitars, proportional instruments are not something placed front and center of
the advertising campaigns.

Were you able to try these guitars at the local stores or did you have to take a leap of faith ordering online?

Bako, I got to try the Yamaha out in a local music store, not a GC type thing. I've never played a Giannini or Turser. Cool that this young girl has the passion. So many kids don't seem to these days.

Aside here. At my son's HS graduation, the best part of the program was performances by a vocal ensemble ( a bit off key individually here and there) and the 'symphonic' jazz band which was very good. The director is retiring this year, a really capable guy. Nice to hear kids really making music happen together.

**bako** · 06-28-2016, 01:41 PM

Jeff,

Do you know the model? Yamaha seems to have several 3/4.

Matt,

Excellent points about resale or keeping as the travel instrument.

**rlrhett** · 06-28-2016, 04:31 PM

For children I really have to recommend a baritone ukulele with a low D. It simplifies the instrument, reinforces the idea that the guitar is really a three voice instrument (bass, middle, top) as opposed to the IMHO painfully misguided way most people are taught to play six string "chords" they will never actually play in real life, is sized right, is priced right, sounds good, and transitions up to a guitar very easily.

Since the strings are tuned the same as a guitar, you can teach them exactly as you would a guitar just simplifying by dropping the bass.

**matt.guitarteacher** · 06-28-2016, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by rlrhett

For children I really have to recommend a baritone ukulele with a low D. It simplifies the instrument, reinforces the idea that the guitar is really a three voice instrument (bass, middle, top) as opposed to the IMHO painfully misguided way most people are taught to play six string "chords" they will never actually play in real life, is sized right, is priced right, sounds good, and transitions up to a guitar very easily.

Since the strings are tuned the same as a guitar, you can teach them exactly as you would a guitar just simplifying by dropping the bass.

I was tempted to suggest this as well. I don't know others' approach to teaching, but with very young , I use material which is mostly focused on the bottom for strings anyway. Baritone ukulele's make everything simpler. Lot of space between those four strings. Nothing extra in the way. I think Wes started on a baritone uke? :-)

It does assume , however, that you're going with the bottom four strings for a good length of time, though. So, is more dependent on your specific approach.

**mr. beaumont** · 06-28-2016, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by bako

Jeff,

Do you know the model? Yamaha seems to have several 3/4.

Matt,

Excellent points about resale or keeping as the travel instrument.

The model I like is a JR1.

**bako** · 06-28-2016, 06:27 PM

Thanks Jeff.

Re: baritone uke

I can't think of any reason to try talk her into a ukelele detour even though it probably is easier as you suggest.
She has her mind set on guitar. I am sure she'll do fine with that once a size appropriate instrument is procured.

**rlrhett** · 06-29-2016, 12:16 AM

To the ukulele suggestion, the reason, beyond being easier to learn for a beginner, is that 3/4 or smaller guitars tend to be very cheap guitars with bad tone and terrible setups/playability. They can be discouraging to play, hard to find in stores, and are quickly left behind to become bird houses or coat racks. A nice, reasonable playing, and sweet sounding ukulele can can be had for the same price. When the child does move on to a guitar, the ukulele will still get played.

However, I completely understand if her heart is set on guitar. When I was her age I desperately wanted to play guitar. My parents bought me a classical guitar and offered me lessons. It wasn't what I wanted, it wasn't music I listened to, it wasn't what my friends were playing, etc. That set my guitar playing back a decade. It wasn't until I was in my twenties and had more control over my destiny (i.e. my first job) that I was able to buy a decent entry level Martin and start learning to play the music I loved on the instrument I loved.

**Cincy2** · 06-29-2016, 06:55 AM

I got my very petite wife a Taylor Mini GS. Short scale, small bodied. I'd run the young lady over to Sam Ash or Guitar Center and have her try it on. The sound on these little $500-ish guitars is quite amazing.

Cincy

**brucekenway** · 08-02-2016, 04:23 AM

Can I learn ukulele online? It would be your kindness to give me a website for self learning ukulele

**medblues** · 08-02-2016, 07:33 AM

You can also look into Kala Guitarlele. It has six strings and is like a guitar capoed at the fifth fret.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

**bako** · 08-02-2016, 10:02 AM

Update:

We ended up with the Yamaha JR-1.
While there were a few viable candidates online, this one was available at the local music store.
The intonation, playability and sound production is decent.
Thanks for all the suggestions.