Help...guitar for a 9 year old

[Daisy Hill]

started my boy's littlest dude on piano last year and he is doing great despite the covid shut down. He has wanted a guitar ever since he started noodling around on one while waiting for his piano lesson to start.

So I told him once he reached a certain point, he could get a guitar and start lessons and he is nearing that point.

I am wondering if any of you have ever had experience with having your kid on multiple instruments. I'm wondering if he will lose interest in piano, or not have enough time to practice both and end up not being good at either. His teacher said the only way to know is to try.

If I do go with the guitar for him, I'm looking at it as a Christmas gift so I have some time to plan.

So what are your recommendations? Acoustic or electric? and what gear would you recommend for him so that it is a pleasant playing experience but not something that will break the bank. He will need a child sized guitar because he is a petite little flower LOL ..hanging on to the bottom 1% of the growth charts, he is 9, nearly 10, but is the size of a typical first grader.

[evhintexas]

https://www.amazon.com/Fender-Squier.../dp/B086P976FW
I gave one of these set ups to a nine year old girl I know....she loved it...still rocks out 10 years later w much better stuff...
I had to set up the guitar and stretch the strings really well...I suggest putting size 11s on the guitar as well...
Acoustic guitars can really be a turn off to kids...to billy, to hard to press down on the strings, just lame....
As far as practicing...you could have the next EVH on your hands...just don't give him alcohol and cigarettes at 12 years old....

[pickslide]

The real key is the setup, I think. I'd definitely start with electric. I had a Teisco Tulip from a pawn shop as my first guitar. Funny-looking, cheap guitar. But it had a great neck and low action and was therefore easy to learn on. My brother had an acoustic with super high action and got discouraged very early. But mine was so easy to play, I took off. Wish I had it today. Don't remember what happened to it.

TK

[Bugs Meanie]

I'd go with a 3/4 size electric guitar. I bought one for my son during his School of Rock years and it held up remarkably well. You can save even more money because these pop up for sale used on Facebook Marketplace quite a bit. I was surprised how well my son's guitar played right out of the box. Buying an inexpensive guitar that sounds OK is relatively easy, buying an inexpensive amp that doesn't sound terrible is a little more difficult.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez/GRGM21-Mikro-Electric-Guitar.gc

[masong]

Coming from my own personal experience, starting guitar didn't take away my interest in piano, rather, as I grew as a player in both, I was able to utilise skill and theory from one and incorporate it into playing the other. If anything, starting guitar got me more interested in piano as well. I started playing guitar around the same age, and had been playing piano for four or five years before that.

The 3/4 squiers recommended here really do the trick. I was tall for my age back then, so I started with a fullsize from the beginning, but squiers are awesome starting points, and if he becomes serious, they are easy platforms to modify into something more professional feeling and sounding (I still have my first guitar--squier affinity--which I upgraded with a GFS bridge, Duncan JB, fretboard dress and a proper setup and it plays as a fender would).

Amps are a different story, however, and you truly get what you pay for. My Fender Frontman 10G did the trick back in the day (I still keep it around for portability) and if you put an overdrive pedal in front of it in the future (I played through it with an EVH 5150 OD) it will open up a wide range of sounds for him to experiment with. It doesn't get too loud and can also be plugged in with headphones for silent practise.

[Daisy Hill]

I'd go with a 3/4 size electric guitar. I bought one for my son during his School of Rock years and it held up remarkably well. You can save even more money because these pop up for sale used on Facebook Marketplace quite a bit. I was surprised how well my son's guitar played right out of the box. Buying an inexpensive guitar that sounds OK is relatively easy, buying an inexpensive amp that doesn't sound terrible is a little more difficult.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez/GRGM21-Mikro-Electric-Guitar.gc

Hadn't even thought of the issue of buying a cheap good sounding amp, but you are right. Finding the right amp is going to be as critical to his enjoyment and development as finding the right guitar.

[evhintexas]

https://www.amazon.com/Fender-Squier.../dp/B086P976FW
I gave one of these set ups to a nine year old girl I know....she loved it...still rocks out 10 years later w much better stuff...
I had to set up the guitar and stretch the strings really well...I suggest putting size 11s on the guitar as well...
Acoustic guitars can really be a turn off to kids...to billy, to hard to press down on the strings, just lame....
As far as practicing...you could have the next EVH on your hands...just don't give him alcohol and cigarettes at 12 years old....

I need to add she started playing piano at age 4 and can play both with ease...the guitar tab was kinda hard on her at first coming from a formal theory background...

[evhintexas]

Hadn't even thought of the issue of buying a cheap good sounding amp, but you are right. Finding the right amp is going to be as critical to his enjoyment and development as finding the right guitar.

About the amp, she quickly dismissed the amp. Mainly because of all the gear I have. I first offered her a 40w Stagg solid state. After a few months, she went w a Peavey 112 6505+ I had laying around. Several years later, she plugged into the original EVH Fender 5153 and was just blown away at herself. I mean she had grown up w me and all the 100w heads. Before I split w her mom a couple years ago, she was rocking my 100W 6L6 head. Basically, she was plugging into my board and cranking....now she's off to college and working...I'm told she bought some Line 6 gear but I don't know....to be honest w everyone on this board, if she is still playing everyday like she was, I'd give her any of my gear she wanted.

I guess, in the end, I know I made a huge contribution to her musical enjoyment and determination to be the best she could be...
I just now actually realized this...man, that's good enough for me....

[solo-ed]

Jackson minion and Boss Katana50.

[MF5150]

Get him the guitar he wants. Not the guitar we think might be good for a beginner.

Something that he looks at and will draw him to it and inspire him to pick it up everyday.

Squire Classic Vibes are the best bang for the buck but it depends what kind of music he wants to play. If he wants to play hard rock, do not even entertain getting him a Squier.


PRS SE’s are more money up front but they are versatile, they look stunning and they are excellently made.

But it needs to be something in line with the kind of music he wants to play on it. Just putting a cheap guitar in a kid’s hands because he’s a beginner is a sure fire way in it becoming a dust magnet.


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[Sam Vs. Dave]

How much room do you have?

[Daisy Hill]

[Daisy Hill]

Thank you all for the great advice. This is going to be a Christmas gift, and it is always good to do your research first instead of being at the mercy of a music store employee.

[DJ Work'in Hard]

I pretty much lost interest in the piano when I started playing guitar.

[Mikey Metalhead]

I personally think the fender squire is the best bang for the buck starter guitar. will last thru the the mid years and with a good setup will last them long beyond that.
whatever you get have a proper setup done. even some of the 75$ guitars on amazon can be setup to play well