Used guitar to target for 7 year old

rjblakel on 19/06/2015 - 14:42

Hello,

My 7 year old is a good piano player who has shown interest in learning the guitar. As such, I am looking to buy a used electric guitar that suits a 7 year old but one of which he can still use for a few more years. I don't have anything close to music knowledge, so unfortunately an online search has only confused me further.

Can anyone recommend a guitar to target and necessary peripherals (eg amp)? I'd guessing Gumtree and Ebay are the best places to look?

I may be way off the mark, but I was hoping not to spend more than, say, $250…

Thanks,
JB

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Comments

  • spackbace on 19/06/2015 - 15:24

    Does he really want electric, or start with acoustic? Acoustic would be really beneficial with a greater use of chords and fretwork that piano players really pick up on easily.

    (Was trained in classical guitar from age 10 to 17, went to a musical high school which was more traditional instruments, however I saw many guitar players play piano and vice versa… not many of the other instrumentalists could negotiate more than 1 note at a time!)

    And acoustic/classical guitars can be had for like $100 new for beginner models. Also doesn't rely on an amp, therefore a lot quiter! ;) And more portable (he can be the kumbaya kid at camps!)

    • rjblakel on 19/06/2015 - 16:39

      Yeah, the electric thing is probably my bias. Thanks for the feedback.

      • BadGiraffe on 05/08/2016 - 14:58

        I would disagree. Different guitars have different play styles, so if your son wants to learn electric, start him on electric. I was told I should learn classical before moving on to acoustic and then electric. I personally found it a waste of time because that wasn't the stuff I wanted to play.

        He can still learn all his scales, fingering, etc. on electric, as he would on classical. At least he'll be learning things on an instrument he likes. Also… get an effects board. He'll LOVE that.

        • spackbace on 05/08/2016 - 15:05

          Post is from June last year…!

        • BadGiraffe on 05/08/2016 - 15:09
          +1

          @Spackbace: Ha! Yeah. I realised it after I posted it. I feel really dumb. :(

  • slow on 19/06/2015 - 16:22

    Do 7 year olds not need a smaller size? My 7 year old also plays the piano and is keen on the guitar. I have been showing him some stuff on one of my guitars, but the fretboard is just so big for his fingers.

    And I agree young kids and electric are a bad combination - from experience it just becomes a challenge to see how much noise they can make

  • YTW on 19/06/2015 - 16:32

    Aldi does them. No idea what they are like and may be a bit of a wait until they next come in but just thought I'd mention it as an option:

    https://www.catalogueau.com/aldi/aldi-special-buys-week-10-f…

  • yuuki on 19/06/2015 - 18:33
    +5

    Incoming long post - but guitarist of ten years over here so bear with me.

    Will begin by saying - stay away from the Aldi/generic Chinese guitars that you see advertised for $100 new. Going to be blatantly honest here - simply rubbish quality; with the biggest issue being poorly leveled frets causing buzz all over the place or rocket high action rendering the guitar hard to play - often causing one to lose interest in the instrument.

    The next big question, is electric or acoustic? If your child longs to be the next Steve Vai; it isn't going to help purchasing a classical acoustic. On the other hand; if your child has dreamed of playing acoustic like the wonderful Sungha Jung, a heavy metal and often strangely shaped guitar isn't going to cut it. Often, the individual learning will progress much faster put on the correct course.

    Things you must have are the guitar, amp, and a lead to plug it in. Essential accessories include a tuner and a replacement set of strings (shoot me a message and will direct you where to get these cheap). Other accessories that should be had include a bag (protection when not being used), picks (should he/she decide to use a pick to play) and a strap. Stands are always handy too!

    In regards to guitar and amp; stay second hand. Much better bang for your buck. Instruments are several times more expensive when new and highly depreciate in value once resold. Highly advise against purchasing new as you'll get a better quality instrument. Quality here is much more important than the instrument being "new" and terms like "warranty" are simply irrelevant in this field unlike general consumer products.

    As for the guitar, you can very often pick up a used Ibanez Gio or RG for $100-150. Excellent guitars for the money. Occasionally, Schecters and LTDs can be found too in the same price range, albeit more rare. These three brands manufacture excellent guitars for the money. Would not suggest going down the Squier or Epiphone route like many others will; as from years of experience; have found the quality of work performed on the entry level Ibanez/Schecters/LTDs superior to that of the more well regarded beginner brands.

    As far as the amp is concerned, you have two routes. You can go down the modeling amp route or the digital modeler route. Modeling amps such as the Roland Cube 15XL can be had for $50-100 second hand; as good as a tone you're going to get for that kind of money. Can also use headphones for quiet practice. Even better is a digital modeler such as the Boss ME25 (have seen the ME75 go this low) for around $100 - highly portable (will fit in a backpack) and you can also use headphones. No speakers however; so will have to be plugged into a set of normal speakers. A third option if you own an iPad could be an app based amp; which typically blow the entry level modelers out of the water. Despite owning a rack based system (an Axe-FX II for those interested), still constantly use Positive Grid's Bias application for simple practice at home. Sounds great - feels great to play especially considering it's less than 1/200th of my rack system.

    I see that you're in Melbourne. If you'd like to private message me; I'd be more than happy to shoot you links to all the cheap yet excellent playing guitars around the area that pop up - am very active on music trading/selling/buying sites. Would also be happy to explain some of the guitar-technical stuff that I've mentioned in the post.

    If you happen to be local around my area (or willing to travel), would also be more than happy to do a free setup on your guitar once purchased so it plays at it's optimum, nothing better than seeing yet another child enter the world of guitar.

    TL;DR: shoot me a private message; and will be your personal assistant in regards to finding a guitar and amp suited for your child that can be bought locally

    • rjblakel on 24/06/2015 - 13:51

      Are you kidding me?? What an awesome post. Thanks for your time. I feel equipped to do some research now. I will definitely PM you if I have further questions. Gracias :)

    • rjblakel on 28/06/2016 - 20:59

      Ok, life happened and I'm only now ready to dive in. I know you suggested to buy used, but frankly I'm after an easy, no fuss solution. Any thoughts on this package for $499 in my local Melbourne shop?

      Amazon reviews suggest the package is alright: https://www.amazon.com/Fender-Squier-Strat-Electric-Guitar/d…

      • Squier Affinity Series Strat HSS Guitar
      • Fender Champion 20 guitar amp
      • Digital tuner
      • bag, cable, strap, picks

      Thanks!

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