Kids Guitar roundup
Kids Guitar: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Half the guitars marked 'junior' or 'student' are fine and half aren't, and the label tells you nothing either way. Here's the checklist that actually matters.
Right, let's cut through the marketing. Half the "junior" and "student" guitars on a shop wall are decent, and half aren't, and the label on the box tells you nothing either way. Buying a kids guitar properly comes down to four things: the right size, a proper setup, honest strings, and not falling for a sticker that says the word "kids" on it. Here's the checklist I'd actually use.
Measure the child, not the calendar
Forget the age printed on the box and size a kids guitar by height and reach instead.
| Size | Rough height | Rough age (as a guide only) |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4-size | Up to ~115–120cm | 4–6 |
| 1/2-size | ~110–137cm | 5–8 |
| 3/4-size | ~127–152cm | 8–12 |
| Full size | ~150cm and up | 11/12+ |
If you can, get the child to sit with the guitar before you buy: can they reach the first few frets without leaning or twisting the wrist? Can they curl their fretting fingers naturally rather than flattening them against the neck? That tells you more than any chart.
Setup is not optional
This is the bit most parents skip, and it's the one that actually decides whether the guitar gets played. Ask, before you buy, whether the instrument has had a setup check — specifically:
- Action — how high the strings sit above the frets; too high and every chord becomes a finger-strength contest.
- Neck relief — a very slight forward bow in the neck, not dead straight and not warped.
- Fret ends — smooth, not catching on the edge of the fingerboard.
- Tuning machines — turning smoothly and holding pitch once set.
A modest kids guitar with a proper setup will play easier than a pricier one straight off the rack with none. If a shop can't tell you whether an instrument's been set up, ask them to do it, or budget for a local tech to sort it once you get it home.
Acoustic, classical or electric: pick on fit, not tradition
There's an old habit of starting every child on a plain steel-string acoustic. It's not the only sensible option. A classical guitar's nylon strings are gentler on fingertips, though the wider neck can be awkward for a small hand. An electric guitar usually carries lighter strings and lower tension, and it needs an amp, a cable and a strap on top of the guitar itself — extra kit, but sometimes exactly the motivation a rock-mad kid needs to actually practise.
Strings: don't assume, ask
Nylon and steel strings are not interchangeable, and putting steel strings on a guitar built for nylon can genuinely damage it under the increased tension. If you're buying an acoustic, extra-light steel strings are usually the easiest on young fingertips; if it's a classical model, it should already be strung with nylon. Either way, confirm what's fitted before you hand over the money, not after.
What to add to the basket alongside the guitar
- A clip-on tuner — simpler for a child than a tuning app on someone's phone.
- A padded, properly fitted gig bag.
- A spare set of the correct strings.
- Picks in a couple of thicknesses, if the child ends up preferring one.
- A strap, particularly for an electric.
Buying second-hand
A well-looked-after used kids guitar is often better value than a brand-new budget import, because it's already proven it holds its setup. Check the neck for straightness, look for cracks around the bridge, and ask whether it's been played regularly or simply stored in a cupboard for years.
Two red flags worth naming
First: a suspiciously low price with no mention of setup, materials or scale length anywhere in the listing — that's usually a kids guitar built to look good in a photo, not to be played. Second: buying "big" on purpose so the child "grows into it." An oversized guitar is uncomfortable now, in exchange for a saving you can make later anyway when they actually need the next size up.
Before or after you buy
If you want the fuller picture on sizing and instrument types first, our complete guide to kids guitars covers that ground, and our guide to kids guitars by price tier is worth a look once you've settled on size and type. Once you've bought one, our beginner's guide covers the first few weeks, and it's worth reading our list of common mistakes to avoid before you finalise anything.
The bottom line
Get the size right by height, insist on a proper setup, confirm the strings match the instrument, and don't be swayed by a "kids" sticker on the box. Do that with any kids guitar and you'll end up with an instrument that actually gets picked up after school, which is the only spec that really matters.
Comments