If your little one has shown some interest in learning to play the guitar, then you should absolutely nurture that by getting them one of the best guitars for kids. Playing guitar can become a lifelong hobby that enables them to have a creative outlet, be more sociable playing in groups, and even improve their IQ.
I won't sugarcoat it for you though, learning to play the guitar is hard. In fact, a Fender study found that 90% of beginners quit within the first year alone. Persistence and perseverance are great skills to have in life, and learning guitar will absolutely test that, even more so with a sub-par instrument. If your kid is going to learn to play, then you need to give them a headstart with a great instrument.
Most parents make the mistake of buying a full-size instrument that is unwieldy to hold and difficult to play, and this is especially true for younger players. My first acoustic was a full-size dreadnought and I didn't last the first year either, only coming back to the instrument when I was introduced to the much easier-to-play 3/4-size acoustic.
To make things easier for you to choose - and for your beginner to play - the majority of guitars I've picked are small-scale instruments that are easier for kids to handle. I've handpicked three acoustics and three electrics to make it easy to choose, and if you have any burning questions then definitely check out our FAQs section where we answer loads of common questions.
The Fender CC-60S is one of the most popular kid-friendly guitars on the market and is easily one of the best if you are looking to go acoustic. Boasting an impressive solid top, the Fender CC-60S offers genuinely unbeatable value for money while also being built to last them to the intermediate stage.
Priced below the $200 mark, the Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy is a brilliant choice for a first-time acoustic guitar. It plays and sounds great, but importantly for a beginner, it looks cool. The retro styling makes it stand out, so they'll want to pick it up again and again.
We love the fact that the JR1 manages to provide some of a dreadnought’s famous booming mids without the significant bulk of the body. We also adore that this short-scale version is far less intimidating for beginners - and as you'd expect as this is a Yamaha product, it's insanely reliable.
The Yamaha Pacifica is a guitar that enters the conversation when talking about the pound-for-pound, dollar-for-dollar best beginner electric guitar. When you factor in the price, the build, the variety of finish options, and the quality of the tone, it’s easy to see why it’s a ubiquitous presence.
Thanks to its ultra-cool look, low cost, and shorter scale length, the Squier Sonic Mustang is a great choice for a budget beginner electric. It's super comfortable to play and at just below $200, exceptional value for money.
Coming in at a little over 3/4 of the original size, this SG is designed with young beginners in mind, giving them a much more accessible instrument without compromising on tone and feel.
✅Buy if you are seeking a reliable guitar with a great tone: The Fender CC-60S is a fantastic guitar built to last, and Fender has an excellent reputation for quality instruments. A solid top wood gives it a great sound too.
❌Avoid for very young kids: This is a Concert-sized guitar so children aged between 3 - 6 may still find the body too large. Look for a 3/4 guitar like the Yamaha JR1 for younger children.
The Fender CC-60S is one of the most popular kid-friendly guitars on the market and is easily one of the best acoustic guitars for beginners. Boasting an impressive solid top, the Fender CC-60S offers genuinely unbeatable value for money while also being built to last them to the intermediate stage.
We found that the concert-sized body is small enough for most new players, but as it isn’t a ¾ size guitar, it won’t feel like a toy when they are grown. The tone is rather impressive here as well - a lot of that is due to the top - it is full and rich, with plenty of bottom end.
It's our top acoustic pick for children aged 6 and up who are learning to play the guitar, offering a great balance of quality craftsmanship and affordability. Most importantly, it sounds fantastic so should keep them coming back.
Best budget acoustic
(Image credit: Gretsch)
2. Gretsch Jim Dandy 9500
A small, affordable option for budding performers
Our expert review:
Specifications
Type: Parlour
Top: Basswood
Back and sides: Basswood
Neck: Nato
Fingerboard: Black walnut
Frets: 18
Electronics: N/A
Left-handed: No
Reasons to buy
+
Super cool retro looks
+
Onboard pickup and tuner
+
Rosewood fingerboard and bridge
Reasons to avoid
-
Bigger kids might find the fingerboard cramped
At a glance
✅Buy if you're on a tight budget: Coming in just below the $200 mark, this Gretsch guitar is fantastic value for money, delivering great tone and a head-turning look.
❌Avoid for older kids: This Parlor guitar is quite small, so the fingerboard might feel cramped to those with bigger hands.
Probably the coolest-looking acoustic guitar on this list, the Gretsch Jim Dandy 9500 delivers retro looks and a comfortable scale length at a very modest price point. Perfect for beginner strummers, if budget is your main concern then this is the guitar you should go for.
Size-wise it sits between a 3/4 guitar and a full-size dreadnought, making it a great choice for younger players. It can be played by adults and older kids as well, but they might find the fingerboard feels a little cramped with certain chord shapes.
It's got a bright tonality overall when strummed, delivering a nice balance that isn't too loud - another bonus for parents. The classic look really adds something to its character too, making it stand out from other beginner acoustics that have a tendency to look a little dull.
A more manageable introduction to the classic dreadnought shape
Our expert review:
Specifications
Type: 3/4
Top: Spruce
Back and sides: Locally-Sourced Tonewood
Neck: Locally-Sourced Tonewood
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Frets: 20
Electronics: N/A
Left-handed: No
Reasons to buy
+
Excellent build quality
+
Small size makes it playable
+
Great value for the money
Reasons to avoid
-
Probably too small for older kids
At a glance
✅Buy if you want a guitar for very young kids: Those with smaller hands will find the 3/4 size of the JR1 super comfortable, both in terms of the body size and when fretting chords on the fingerboard.
❌Avoid if you are buying for an older child: The 3/4 size is really quite small, so older children will probably find this a little too small for their hands.
We love the fact that the JR1 manages to provide some of a dreadnought’s famous booming mids without the significant bulk of the body. We also adore that this short-scale version is far less intimidating for beginners.
The build is pretty great too. There is a classic spruce top with Yamaha opting for meranti – a cheaper material – on the back and sides. The locally sourced tonewood might not be as desirable as mahogany but it's hard-wearing and helps give the JR1 its incredibly attractive looks. Besides, the spruce top is resonant enough to get some great tones from the guitar.
The small scale makes it very playable, and for younger kids, it will make it a lot easier when fretting their first chords. It also includes a gigbag which is a nice touch, allowing your child to take their guitar with them when they go to lessons.
Best electric overall
(Image credit: Yamaha)
4. Yamaha Pacifica PAC012
First electric guitars don’t get much better than this
Our expert review:
Specifications
Body: Mahogany
Neck: Maple
Scale: 25.5" (648 mm)
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Frets: 22, Medium
Pickups: 1x Yamaha Ceramic Humbucker, 2x Yamaha Ceramic Single coils
Controls: 1 x master volume, 1 x master tone, 5-way blade pickup switch
Hardware: Vintage Tremolo with Yamaha Sealed tuners
Left-handed: No
Finish: Black, Red Metallic, Dark Blue Metallic, Old Violin Sunburst
Reasons to buy
+
Comfortable neck profile
+
Pickups deliver a wide variety of tones
+
A good option for upgrades in the future
+
Available in a bundle with amp and accessories
Reasons to avoid
-
This is a full-size guitar, so it may be too large for very young players
At a glance
✅Buy if you want the best electric guitar for beginners: Many players have gotten started on a Yamaha Pacifica, which combines great build quality with excellent playability. It also comes in a bundle with an amp and accessories for the complete package.
❌Avoid if you are buying for a young child: This is a full-sized electric guitar, so it may feel a little cumbersome to small children.
The Yamaha Pacifica is a guitar that enters the conversation when talking about the pound-for-pound, dollar-for-dollar best beginner electric guitar. When you factor in the price, the build, the variety of finish options, and the quality of the tone, it’s easy to see why it’s a ubiquitous presence in school music departments.
We love its HSS pickup configuration, especially for new players. With a humbucker in the bridge position, they’ll have access to thicker, higher-output tones that are ideal for rock and metal, while the two single coils offer some trebly snap and precision for cleaner styles of music.
This is a guitar to learn on, but not only to learn to play. With the HSS pickup configuration, players can learn about tone, too, and learn what type of player they might like to be. A tremolo bar is always a good option, too – nothing like a bit of wobble to show off once you’ve learned a piece.
✅Buy if you want a great value electric: Priced around $200, you can usually get this guitar for a lot less during sale periods, making it great value for a beginner player.
❌Avoid if you don't want to set it up: This guitar will play its best after a setup, so you'll need to take it to a tech or do it yourself.
Small-scale guitars are shorter in length, which makes them a great choice for younger players still getting used to the electric guitar. The Squier Sonic Mustang is only an inch and a half shorter than the Yamaha Pacifica bust trust us, that will make a lot of difference.
Comfortable is the word that comes to mind when playing the Squier Sonic Mustang, it feels lovely to play chords and riffs without having to stretch as far as you would on a regular scale instrument. The Poplar body is also nice and lightweight, another bonus if they want to play standing up.
The two pickups deliver fantastic tones, utilized most famously by Kurt Cobain but popular amongst other grunge and rock players too. Our review model needed a little setup to get it playing its absolute best, so bear in mind you might want to do this as well.
Hardware: Lightning Bar Compensated Wrap Around bridge, Die Cast tuning machines with Kidney Buttons
Left-handed: No
Finish: Dark Matter Ebony, Lava Red, Iced Blue
Reasons to buy
+
Short scale is loads of fun
+
Still sounds pretty mean
+
Small body is very comfy
Reasons to avoid
-
Bigger kids will find it too small
At a glance
✅Buy if you want an electric for small kids: With its ultra-small scale length, this 3/4-sized Epiphone is ideal for players aged 5 to 9 years old.
❌Avoid if you are buying for an older player: This isn't a guitar for older children but Epiphone does make a full-sized version for players aged 9 and older.
Looking for the iconic sound of the SG, but you don't get on with the cumbersome nature of a full-size guitar? Well, the newly released Epiphone Power Player might be the best guitar for you.
Coming in at a little over 3/4 of the original size, this SG is designed with young beginners in mind, giving them a much more accessible instrument without compromising on tone and feel. Featuring a mahogany body and neck as well as Epiphone 650R and 700T humbuckers, this tiny axe certainly lives up to its powerful name, delivering a well-rounded, warm tone that will suit almost any style.
It's worth noting that if you aren't taken with the SG shape, the Les Paul is available and both guitars come in three distinct finish options, Lava Red, Dark Matter Ebony and Ice Blue.
To put it simply, any guitar which keeps your child excited, enthused and passionate about the instrument is a good guitar. In reality, what that looks like will vary depending on a number of factors worth considering. How old is your child? How much growing have they still got to do? Have they played before or have they been playing for a while now? Do they seem serious about the instrument? What inspires them to play guitar?
What’s a good age for my child to start playing guitar?
Your child is never too young to be introduced to the concept of the guitar and exposed to guitar music, however we’d suggest around 6 as a good age to introduce them to playing. Any younger than this and the concepts of chords, strumming, picking, rhythm etc may be too advanced and put them off before they’ve given it a good go. Of course, every child develops at a different rate and if they show an interest there’s no harm in showing them the basics.
The size of the instrument is also a consideration when it comes to age. The guitar’s body may feel too large and unwieldy for smaller children, while a standard neck could be a stretch for smaller hands. 3/4 acoustic guitars and shorter scale guitars are a good option here - like the Squier Bullet Mustang and Yamaha JR1 3/4-Size Dreadnought featured in this guide - if you’re keen to get them started and size is an issue, but your child could potentially outgrow the guitar in a shorter time. More on this below...
What size guitar is right for a child?
One of the biggest challenges when playing guitar as a kid is dealing with sore fingertips and wrestling with full-size, full-scale guitars. Young hands with some growing to do might benefit from a shorter-scale guitar – that means that the length from the guitar’s nut to the bridge is shorter, typically below 25”, and even as low as 21.25”, making the upper frets easier to reach.
One of the many benefits of a short-scale guitar is that the string tension is looser, making the strings easier to bend. The ergonomics of the instrument might be more suited to smaller frames, too. For the under 12s, a short-scale guitar, and one with maybe a 3/4-sized body would be more appropriate.
But you certainly shouldn’t rule out a full-scale guitar for your child. There's no age minimum for a full-scale guitar - what's most important is that it feels right. One big benefit of starting out with a full-scale guitar is that there's no sizing up after they're grown. If budget is tight, this should definitely be a consideration.
Many of us learned on full-scale instruments in our early teens, and if there was a struggle it was more that those instruments were not that playable in the first place – even as adults we’d find some of those hand-me-down firewood acoustics intimidating!
Is an electric or acoustic guitar better for kids?
This is a difficult one, but ultimately it comes back to what we are looking for in any instrument for children: what's going to keep them enthused and keep them playing the longest.
If your child’s interest in guitar was sparked by heavy metal or rock, it’s best to lead them down the path of least resistance and straight towards an electric guitar. The answer would be the same if it was funk, blues, punk or whatever. It’s vital that the guitar inspires the player to do what inspired them in the first place.
There are, however, practical considerations to take into account. The acoustic guitar is the most immediate and portable guitar. You don't need a guitar amp and cable, just a guitar pick – or even your fingers. Indeed, your child might be inspired by someone like Ed Sheeran, and you don’t need an electric guitar for that. Far better to pick one of the smaller-bodied acoustics we recommend in this guide.
And if your child is yet to really form any strong opinions on musical taste, the acoustic guitar’s immediacy makes it an ideal blank-slate for budding young players to find their feet and develop their tastes alongside. You can play any genre on an acoustic guitar.
How much should you pay for a kid's guitar?
The biggest fear most parents face is that their child will fall out of love with the guitar and pick up something else. It happens. There is so much else to attract their attention! If you're unsure that your child will stick it out - and only you know best - we would advise against spending anything north of 200 bucks. As this guide demonstrates, for that money you can certainly get a more than decent entry-level guitar, but it won’t be such a huge loss if it’s ultimately a short-lived hobby.
But say they’ve had a few lessons on an old guitar, and their passion is evident, we’d maybe push the budget to $350 or thereabouts. For that money, you'll be getting a guitar that will definitely last them through to adulthood, and one that will offer a better playing experience overall.
There's an economic trade-off here. With a guitar such as the Epiphone SG in our list, you won’t be under pressure to upgrade it a few years later, but it does cost a little more.
What else do I need to get them started playing guitar?
Once you've chosen the right guitar, you're going to need some guitar picks, a spare set of acoustic guitar strings, a guitar strap, a guitar tuner, a gig-bag for carrying it around, and if you get an electric guitar you'll need an amplifier and a guitar cable, too.
For those crucial items, we've included links to some handy buying guides below. As with electric guitars, there is a huge array of beginner guitar amps - many with a host of smart tech features - at a similar $200 price point. The other essentials will set you back around $50 to $70.
Does my child need guitar lessons?
Lessons are another consideration. Good guitar teachers are hard to find, but there is no substitute for excellent one-on-one tuition. That said, there is a wealth of online guitar lessons platforms to help steer your child in the right direction. The likes of Fender Play, Guitar Tricks and Justin Guitar offer excellent, affordable tuition for beginners. Of course, if you’re a player yourself, the bonding experience of passing on your skills can be just as fulfilling for the parent as it is the child. But remember, keep things light and fun initially at the start. They’ll thank you for it later.
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How we test the best guitars for kids
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Here at Guitar World, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.
When choosing what we believe to be the best bass guitars available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.
First and foremost, we are guitarists, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best bass guitars on the market right now.
Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we test each product.
Why trust us
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Guitar World boasts over 44 years of expertise and stands as the ultimate authority on all things related to guitars. The magazine and website feature expertly written gear round-ups and top-quality, authoritative reviews penned by a team of highly experienced industry professionals.
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Below you'll find more information on the expert authors of this guide.
Daryl Robertson
Daryl is a Senior Deals Writer at Guitar World, where he creates and maintains our 200+ buyer's guides, finds the best deals on guitar products, and tests the latest gear. His reviews have been featured in prominent publications like Total Guitar, Future Music magazine, and MusicRadar.com.
During his career, he has been lucky enough to talk to many of his musical heroes, having interviewed Slash and members of The Offspring, Foo Fighters, Sum 41, Thrice, and more. In a past life, Daryl worked in music retail. For a little under a decade, he advised everyone from absolute beginners to seasoned pros on the right gear for their needs.
Matt McCracken
Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at Guitar World. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on guitars, amps, pedals, modelers, and pretty much anything else guitar-related. Responsible for over 60 buying guides, a large part of his role is helping guitarists find the best deals on gear. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at Dawsons Music and Northwest Guitars and has written for many music sites and magazines including MusicRadar, Total Guitar, Guitar Player, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog.
Jonathan Horsley
Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to publications including Guitar World, MusicRadar and Total Guitar. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.
Chris Barnes
Chris is Guitar World's eCommerce Editor. In addition to testing the latest music gear, it's his job to manage the 200+ buyer's guides on the site and help guitarists find the right gear for them. Chris has been a guitar player for 30 years and a drummer for almost 20. He has worked in the music gear industry for over 20 years, including 7 years as Editor of the UK's best-selling drum magazine Rhythm, and 5 years as a freelance music writer, during which time he worked with the world's biggest instrument brands including Boss, Laney and Roland.
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Daryl is a Senior Deals Writer at Guitar World, where he creates and maintains our 200+ buyer's guides, finds the best deals on guitar products, and tests the latest gear. His reviews have been featured in prominent publications like Total Guitar, Future Music magazine, and MusicRadar.com.
During his career, he has been lucky enough to talk to many of his musical heroes, having interviewed Slash and members of Sum 41, Foo Fighters, The Offspring, Feeder, Thrice, and more. In a past life, Daryl worked in music retail. For a little under a decade, he advised everyone from absolute beginners to seasoned pros on the right gear for their needs.
Daryl is also a fully qualified sound engineer, holding a first-class Bachelor's degree in Creative Sound Production from the University of Abertay.
