Electric guitar for 6-7 year old girl

builttospill

My daughter has taken an interest in playing electric guitar can anyone recommend a guitar starter package? Ideally looking for a guitar that's not too pricey, that is playable and fun. I'm not too sure if 3/4 size is still a little too big for her currently? There are are couple of mini styled guitars over at Dawson's which seem ok. Any help greatly appreciated.

Legionreturns

I'd imagine there are plenty of patents who've been through a similar dilemma and bought a mini that has had a few days use and then been consigned to the cupboard or outgrown. Check the usual suspect sites. I'd definitely not buy a new one at full price for a maybe. 

Personally, I'd look at full size squire strats and use a capo to reduce scale, then it'll grow with her. 

Ro_S

I have a refinished Washburn Hannah Montana guitar i would sell.

FX_Munkee

At 6/7 my boys started on 3/4 size a Nylon strung classical. They can play a 4/4 size electric at about 9 relatively comfortably. I found it easier to teach them the basics on classical, hand position, finger use etc. because when you get to electric there's a whole bunch of new stuff, damping etc.

thegummy

One of the new Epiphone Les Paul SL!

builttospill

Thanks for suggestions all!

crunchman

Avoid the Gear4Music 3/4 size one.  Friends bought one for their son last year.  Horrible thing.  Can't even get it to intonate properly because the bridge is in the wrong place.

Given that these shops may be sourcing them from the same factory, I'd be a little bit careful with the Dawsons ones.

Ro_S

how about a 'Loog' guitar?

https://loogguitars.com/

thegummy

There's always a dilemma / paradox for beginners where they don't want to buy expensive in case they don't keep it up but cheaper guitars may not play or sound that good so they might be less likely to keep it up.

I'd recommend going with the higher end of what you're considering paying for that reason.

Of course, for a child that may be less relevant than an adult beginner but does still apply

TommyVercetti

The squier 3/4 strat is pretty good and there is a strong 2nd hand market for them. it's a proper guitar, definitely not a toy.

tampaxboo

i would recommend something like this: De Rosa GE30-AST-RD Guitar with Built-In-Amp Red

http://www.bridgecraftusa.com/GE30-AST-RD.aspx
http://www.bridgecraftusa.com/images/products/detail/GE30ASTRED.2.jpg
they do them in a few colours and you can always customise with stickers if you have to get a plain white.

most important thing is that it functions as a potentially playable instrument (just smaller), not an unplayable toy.
you may have to tweak bridge and nut to get the action right down. little fingers will struggle to hold down notes that grown ups don't think require much pressure. fretting is the hard thing when learning early.
the built in amp solves all manner of headaches. leads, connections, psu etc. this is go-anywhere so she can carry it around easily (friends, relatives, holidays) if she takes a shine to it.

stagg (and shadows) are doing a version (3 a side headstock) which is over £100, which seems blatant extortion to me when you look at the full size squier affinity mustangs for the same price. but at christmas, shops can really put the financial pressure on parents, which disgusts me.
kids gear should be industry subsidised and vat free to encourage young players to get started. music making is good for devloping brains, proven a million times over in studies.
and if the kids get hooked for life that small concession will be paid back many times over later.

what to avoid is something majority plastic and bitty, and generally toyish and unplayable.

viz

I’d get a 3/4 squier 2nd hand for 40 quid and a proper little valve amp (because you can always use that as a spare if it doesn’t catch on, and even small people can use proper amps). Get thick strings like 11s, because although her fingers will be tender, she will push 9s sharp. 

welshboyo

I've just set-up a Harley Benton RG look-like 3/4 for my Brother in Law which he has bought for his 7 year old son.

Plays really well, intonated ok, strings are very light and obviously the short scale mean that coming from a full-sizer you tend to over-bend notes.

Great little starter instrument IMO

Funkfingers

Ibanez Mikro or Jackson Dinky Minion.





If their humbuckers have 4-con + shield output cable, it would be possible to modify the selector switch connections to provide five sounds rather than just the obvious three.

Garthy

My son was 7 when I bought him a full size Squire std Stratocaster, he struggled a lot for over a year so in hindsight I wish I had bought him a second hand Jackson Minion then moved to the Squire (or Dinky) at 10.

robgilmo

I bought one of those Encore blaster guitars, the nut is around the standard width as is the bridge end of the neck, so the neck gets very chunky very quictly, my daughter is seven and the neck at the nut is too big for her hands, so while everything else is scaled down the important bits arnt.

stimpsonslostson

My 6 year old desperately wants one of those sparke pink Squier HH Strats. 
I'd second the Ibanez Micro ones- they're good enough for Paul Gilbert to use live! 

out of interest, can she play at all already? If not I'd be more tempted by a Decent Uke- one of my mates bought his wee one a Yamaha Guitalele, it's rather good. 

thegummy

stimpsonslostson said:

My 6 year old desperately wants one of those sparke pink Squier HH Strats. 

I misread that as your son wanting a sparkly pink guitar and thought "if that's what he wants then why not" lmao

stimpsonslostson

thegummy said:

stimpsonslostson said:

My 6 year old desperately wants one of those sparke pink Squier HH Strats. 

I misread that as your son wanting a sparkly pink guitar and thought "if that's what he wants then why not" lmao

No sons here, I'm overrun with pink things as it is... Here's the guitar in question in all its glory- I DO kinda want one, but know I'd end up modding the heck out of it, just because can (& like tinkering). 
https://d1aeri3ty3izns.cloudfront.net/media/19/193564/1200/preview.jpg

tampaxboo

just a reminder for those suggesting full size guitars for six year olds...

height average six year old female: 45 inches.
overall length jazzmaster: 41 inches.

carry on.

stimpsonslostson

tampaxboo said:

just a reminder for those suggesting full size guitars for six year olds...

height average six year old female: 45 inches.
overall length jazzmaster: 41 inches.

carry on.

Firebird instead?