Is your kid interested in music and you’re looking for the right gear for them, like an electric guitar? Some things to have in mind are the size, simplicity of the model, and number of strings, to name just a few. Then, you also have to consider the materials and overall performance of the guitar.
Our Top 10 List – Beginner & Electric Guitars For Kids
Contents
- Our Top 10 List – Beginner & Electric Guitars For Kids
- 1. Yamaha JR1 3/4-Size Dreadnought Bundle
- 2. Taylor Taylor Swift Baby Taylor TSBTe
- 3. Yamaha APXT2 3/4-Size Thin-Line Cutaway
- 4. J&Z Classical Guitar Starter Pack
- 5. Martin LX1 Little Martin
- 6. Luna Aurora Borealis 3/4-Size Guitar
- 7. Squier By Fender 3/4 Size Stratocaster Bundle
- 8. Pyle PGACLS82 BeginnerClassical Guitar Bundle
- 9. Rogue Starter Acoustic Guitar Blue
- 10. Hola! Music Travel Series Junior Guitar Bundle
1. Yamaha JR1 3/4-Size Dreadnought Bundle
If we tried to sum up the JR1 in short, it would be a big sound from a small guitar. Dreadnought acoustic guitars are known for their sound projection, and despite being just 3/4 size, the JR1 is a powerhouse.
Yamaha has combined a few different tonewoods here; it has meranti back and sides with a spruce top. The spruce top makes a difference; it adds a little brightness and crispness to your tone.
The neck is nato with a rosewood fingerboard, and it’s all topped off with a subtle natural finish.
The guitar sounds big and bright, and the size makes it easy to play, even for younger kids.
One of the good things about the sound is that it’s modeled on Yamaha’s legendary FG series, so the better your playing gets, the better the tone will get. Bundled with the guitar, you get a decent gig bag, strings, a winder, some picks, and a nice strap.
Tuning and intonation aren’t an issue with the JR1, the rosewood bridge and chrome tuners are sturdy enough for any kid.
What you get here is a mini folk guitar with a big voice, the included bundle is a nice bonus. Ultimately, it’s comfortable enough to be a first guitar, but it will stay with developing players for some time. That’s why we think it’s the best guitar for kids right now.
2. Taylor Taylor Swift Baby Taylor TSBTe
If your first guitar is a Taylor, then you are fortunate indeed. The Taylor Swift Signature Baby Taylor is the dream guitar for any kid, especially a Taytay fan.
This little 3/4 dreadnought electro-acoustic comes with layered Sapele back and sides with a spruce top. The spruce top has a gorgeous custom rosette with Taylor Swift’s signature just underneath.
Taylor has gone for an ebony fingerboard, which gives the guitar a slightly more high-end look and feel. It’s important to remember this is a Taylor guitar, not just a Taylor Swift guitar, so it sounds as good as it looks.
The Sapele tonewood is similar to mahogany, and it gives the guitar a warm, well-balanced tone. Meanwhile, the spruce top adds that extra sparkle and sweetness.
It also projects sound very well, so it’s perfect for practice or performance. The electronics are pretty impressive on this little guitar; they are based on Taylor’s well-loved ES2 system.
The onboard preamp delivers a beautifully natural sound when plugged in, and volume, tone controls are available. It even has a built-in chromatic tuner with LED display; this might well be our first choice had it been more budget-friendly.
3. Yamaha APXT2 3/4-Size Thin-Line Cutaway
The APXT2 is based on one of the best-selling Yamaha instruments of all time – the APX500 – so there’s no question it’s a quality guitar.
The first thing you notice is the thin-line cutaway body; it’s a beautiful looking guitar. The cutaway also makes it easier to reach the highest frets, which is useful for young guitarists.
Like many of Yamaha’s junior guitars, the back and sides are meranti for a balanced tone. The neck on the APXT2 is mahogany with a rosewood fingerboard, and it’s a little nicer than you find on many budget kids guitars. The meranti body has a spruce top that gives a really natural, sweet, dreadnought tone.
Onboard electronics are pretty impressive with the APXT2, featuring a System 68 contact pickup and active preamp. Even plugged in, the APXT2 sounds natural, bright, and full of life. It also features a built-in tuner so you can never blame the guitar for any bum notes!
Despite being such a pretty instrument, this junior guitar is tough as nails, too. It comes in a natural finish, dark red burst, or black with white binding; it’s an excellent guitar for kids.
4. J&Z Classical Guitar Starter Pack
A classical guitar has a smaller body in general, so in a junior (3/4 size) guitar, it could be the perfect shape for smaller kids. Not to mention that it lends itself more to fingerpicking, so it’s fantastic for any budding classical composer.
The guitar body is basswood with a solid top that enhances projection and clarity. Both the neck and fingerboard are hard maple, which is a little less common, but still very playable. It’s also fitted with nylon strings, so it’s a little easier on young fingers!
As we mentioned, the solid top enhances projection, but not to the same level as a dreadnought acoustic. So, while this guitar has clarity, response, and punch, it’s more suited to classical technique than the folksy singer-songwriter style.
One of the cool things about this guitar is that it’s hand-crafted. High-quality craftsmanship isn’t something you typically associate with budget or kids’ instruments.
It also comes with a handy bundle that has everything you need to get started. Included in the package, you’ll find a waterproof gig bag, a strap, guitar picks, polishing cloth, a capo, and a clip-on tuner.
This one comes down to style; if you want to encourage a young potential classical prodigy, this is the right choice.
5. Martin LX1 Little Martin
The Martin LX1 may be little, but it’s built with the same attention to detail we have come to expect from any Martin guitar.
In terms is pure build quality, this guitar is one of the very best on our list. The back and sides are mahogany pattern HPL, and it looks great; it also sounds rich and resonant like it should.
Capping off the body is a hand-rubbed, solid spruce top that brightens up the overall sound. There’s a lovely inlaid Boltaron rosette adding a touch of class to this junior guitar.
The LX1 has a rust stratabond neck with a Richlite fingerboard. Like the rest of the guitar, the neck is solid, thanks to the Mortise/Tenon joint. It’s smooth and easy to reach with 14 frets in the open (20 in total), everything has been custom designed to suit young players by some of the best in the business.
The hardware is solid, too, so there are no obvious intonation issues. It also comes with a rather lovely Martin gig bag, which would make you the envy of any music class.
6. Luna Aurora Borealis 3/4-Size Guitar
The Luna Aurora Borealis is everything that a kids’ guitar should be. Not only is it comfortable and sounds good, but it’s also fun, which is the best way to learn.
The back, sides, and bridge are made from basswood. We see basswood a lot in entry-level guitars, but despite being cheaper, it’s relatively well rounded. It has a mahogany set neck, and it’s a C-shape neck, so it’s nice and slim for small hands. The walnut fingerboard is an unexpected touch, matching the black walnut bridge.
This guitar isn’t nearly the best sounding on our list; it’s good, but not great. It projects pretty well; it holds tune, it can be mellow (if a little rough around the edges). Nothing is terrible, it’s just not exceptional, but It doesn’t matter, the most significant selling point is how it looks.
That might sound silly, but it comes in multiple colors, even with a sparkly finish that kids will love. The best way for any child to learn guitar is to enjoy it, and they won’t want to put this down.
7. Squier By Fender 3/4 Size Stratocaster Bundle
This short-scale version of the classic Stratocaster will make any kid feel like a rockstar. Squier does a phenomenal job in getting close to the genuine Fender feel without breaking the bank.
Everything, other than the shorter scale, is about the same as you’d expect on the full-size guitar. The same C-shape neck with maple fingerboard, and with only 20 frets, it’s even easier to get around.
It also features the classic Strat, three single-coil pickups with a 5-way blade switch. This guitar is a great all-rounder; it can do that country twang, blues crunch, or clean jazz, all very well.
The included bundle features a strap, picks, clip-on tuner, instructional DVD, but most importantly, it comes with an amp and Fender Play Online lessons.
It’s a little 10w practice amp, which is all you need when learning. The amp isn’t fancy in terms of features, it’s basically volume with a 2-band EQ, but again, that’s all you need.
If you haven’t tried Fender Play yet, it’s one of the best online guitar resources available.
8. Pyle PGACLS82 BeginnerClassical Guitar Bundle
Pyle makes guitars that are predominantly aimed at the beginner market. While some people might think that means they aren’t very good, the reality is that they know precisely what a beginner need.
This bundle features a junior-sized classical acoustic guitar and accessories. The guitar has a linden wood body with a maple neck and fingerboard. For a guitar at such a low price, it more than looks the part with touches like the decorative rosette and high gloss finish.
Soundwise, it’s nice and clear, not a whole lot of bottom end, but for the pickers, it’s great. Everything is very articulate right across the fretboard.
The rest of the bundle is made up of a Pyle USA gig bag, a pitch pipe tuner, picks, strings, and a Pyle USA gift card. Undoubtedly, you can’t go wrong with this bundle for the price.
9. Rogue Starter Acoustic Guitar Blue
The Rogue Starter Acoustic Guitar is perfect for youngsters with a bit of style. When you pick this up, you aren’t just a guitarist; you’re a showstopper thanks to the various color burst finishes.
It comes with a 7/8 size scale length and overall smaller body to suit kids. The maple neck and rosewood fingerboard are smooth to touch. The neck doesn’t feel as strong as something like the Yamaha JR1, but it should withstand more than a few temper tantrums.
The Rogue Guitar has a surprisingly full sound for such a small instrument. It projects very well and doesn’t get too muddy with harsh strumming. For any little performers, this would be a fantastic option.
It’s clear and powerful enough to fill a room naturally, whether on stage or putting on a show for the family.
We have to say the thing we love most is the color options. The Blue Burst, in particular, is meant for a pop star in waiting.
10. Hola! Music Travel Series Junior Guitar Bundle
Another 3/4 length guitar to round off our top 10 best guitars for kids. The unusual thing about this one is that it is bright pink; boy or girl, there’s nothing long with letting your inner diva out through music.
Surprisingly, this little pink beauty has mahogany back and sides, so it has a vibrant, resonant tone. It’s topped with spruce to make sure it sounds as bright as it looks, too. Keeping up the colorful theme, it also has a pink rosewood fingerboard and bridge, which is far more robust than expected.
The bundle includes a padded gig bag, and it’s pretty heavy-duty for the price. It also comes with a strap, picks, a pickguard, and a truss rod key.
This guitar is most definitely the wild card of our list. Despite its playful appearance, it’s very well made indeed. Even the geared die-cast tuners are more heavy-duty than expected, they are absolutely dependable.
It comes pre-strung with a set of D’Addario EXP16 Coated Phosphor Bronze strings, just tune up and away you go.
I guess the phrase don’t judge a book by its cover or don’t judge a guitar by its color applies here. Well done, Hola! Music.