A small guitar and a kids guitar are not necessarily the same thing. There are many types of small-bodied and small-necked guitars that are professional instruments. They’re often used on stage or in the studio. And players who use fingerstyle and pluck the strings instead of strumming often chose a small guitar just for its sound and responsiveness.
Small guitars were initially made for kids. When it became clear that a smaller instrument would merely make it easier for a child’s smaller hands and arms to use it and learn, smaller guitars were manufactured. These first children’s guitars were made by toys stores, department stores that sold children’s items and mail order catalogue companies.
The first guitars for kids made by these companies looked like small guitars, but that was the main resemblance. They were made very inexpensively and sold amazingly cheap. This allowed many parents to buy a guitar for their kids.
Unfortunately, these instruments didn’t hold up. They were literally low-quality toy guitars. They wouldn’t tune properly or stay in tune, and often were impossible to play at all. Some were even part plastic and barely held together.
A cheap guitar that won’t stay in tune and that doesn’t respond at all like a real guitar when the strings are plucked or strummed is not a good learning instrument. These types of guitars are still being manufactured, but unless you’re truly wanting to buy a toy for a child, you should pass them over.
Once these cheap guitars were introduced, guitar manufacturers took note to of how well they sold. They produced higher-quality guitars for kids. The idea was to make them inexpensive enough that parents could afford them, but high-quality enough that the kids could actually play them.
Yamaha and Aria have kids guitars that are quality instruments. For a child who wants to learn to play, one of these is ideal. They tune, stay in tune and have a good sound. This can be a huge factor in the child wanting to continue to learn.
A cheap child’s guitar that sounds horrible or is too hard to play won’t last long. The child will quickly lose interest when hard work doesn’t really improve the sound or make playing easier. So if a child really wants to learn, a real instrument made for kids is the best way to keep him or her interested.
Guitars for kids typically come in half-size and three-quarter size. They should be actual wooden guitars, not plastic guitars or guitars with plastic parts. A child could learn on such a guitar, but a real guitar will help them learn faster and enjoy it more.
Because the guitar is smaller overall, the child’s hand will be more comfortable while holding the strings against the frets. Because this is one of the most fatiguing parts of learning to play, a small guitar makes it easier and can actually help a child learn much faster. If you have small hands or are small-statured, a child’s guitar could be ideal for you, too.
