Parents, the which guitar should I buy for my child question, answered, also what is an ideal first guitar for a learner?

So, what guitar is it going to be? We discuss what to look for

Hopefully in years to come you may thank me for the advice I am about to give you or you may not! (If the player ends up with as many guitars as I have) The question of what guitar to buy and then what to look for I shall help you to understand and I hope that it should help you on your way to a long enjoyment with the instrument.

Children are notorious for changing what they want to do as interests, one of the things they often do is want to learn a musical instrument but the reality of the task may overwhelm them. Part of the problem is finding something suitable for them to play in size, but also something that is adjusted to play correctly. Here is where I help you with that.

My default test of a guitar's playability, if it meets this test, it is generally ok

The best guitars on the market can be no better to play than a cheap one if they are not adjusted properly. Guitar shops promising to supply a guitar 'that has been checked' will supply one on which the strings may not buzz, but only because it may have been adjusted not to and indeed, the adjustment is not 'right'. I have bought supposedly checked guitars and after a half hour of my time, then they feel right!

My first guitar aged 5, was a nylon strung guitar, this can often be a mistake for a child. Why? Because a 'classical' styke nylon strung guitar often has a wide fretboard and a cheap one is not likely to be adjusted properly either.

Now, my default test which works on any guitar, is to buy a Fender Thin gauge plectrum, the one in the picture has 'Thin' written on. As a guide, a 0.46 thou imperial thickness plectrum is about the same.

What you need to do is to take the plectrum and see if you can insert it below the thinnest three (Top) strings and on top of the fret crown of the second fret wire. The plectrum should stay there if the guitar is set up right and you should be able to hold the guitar vertical, without the plectrum falling to the ground.

If it stays its adjusted right, if it falls out, the action is too high. I've been repairing guitars and setting them up for thirty years and this measurement works! I use it on all my guitars and it is the ideal yardstick.

The height of the strings from the fretboard, where the frets are set in is called the 'action.' On factory mass produced guitars, the action is often set at a general height where the strings won't buzz, but is not ideal for young fingers or a learner. And that's because it satisfies a general condition and not the ideal one.

Believe me, it is like getting into someone else's car and trying to drive it without adjusting the seat. 2mm on a string height can make the difference between enjoyable playing and laborious playing.

This is a reason why many give players up, because guitars are badly adjusted. Believe me, I have bought and played many guitars that you can almost drive a bus under the strings and they are atrocious to play, but with about half an hour's work, they are slick as a piece of glass. And some of these guitars were not cheap to buy!

The Squier Mini Stratocaster by Fender, inexpensive and well made

The easiest guitar to play is the electric because of the lighter gauge strings, generally. The pickup makes the sounds not the strings as on acoustic and the necks are generally thinner and smaller in profile width and depth.

A small guitar like a Squier Mini Stratocaster is a fun guitar for children and adults alike, it has a thin body, contours cut to allow it to fit to your body and is available in nice colours. You can fit .009 to46 gauge strings on one of these guitars.

This is likely to need a set up and new strings because factory strings may have been on a guitar for up to a year and as such have lost their vibrancy. Also being a smaller scale length than an adult size guitar, makes the string tension less and as such, easier to play.

If an acoustic guitar is desired, go for a smaller folk size guitar with steel strings. They are harder on the fingers at first, but the benefit is that the strings stay in tune better, are louder than nylon strings and adjusted properly will get the player going nicely. The 2nd Fret Plectrum test applies to acoustic steel strung guitars too. I suggest a 10 gauge top string set, they are usually 10-48 gauges.

It is always best to try the guitar in the shop for how it feels for the player to hold and use before buying. Any good guitar shop will be able to re-string and adjust the guitar perfectly. Ideally, as you play notes towards the bridge of the guitar (where the strings are anchored) there should be no fret buzz.

Any good shop will check the neck alignment for you, guitars in storage can often suffer from the neck changing tension and most guitars have a truss rod in the neck that can be adjusted to give the right amount of dip, called 'relief'. A too straight neck will buzz at the frets. 

For an adult or child over say 5 feet tall, then an adult size guitar may be the best option. Always buy the best quality guitar you can. A good quality guitar will have better woods, hardware and ultimately sound.

Squier Bullet Stratocaster by Fender

However, even some of the lower end pricetag guitars like the Squier guitars made by Fender are really good, I have a Squier Bullet in Pink from 2007 (above) which is in the dining room and set up properly, it is actually a very acceptable guitar.

The Squier Stratocaster is based on the legendary Fender Stratocaster, an electric guitar with a solid wood body and the neck is very near to an original 1961 guitar I owned in feel. Modern era Squier guitars from 2015 onwards are very nicely made and the quality has gone up I think in the last two years.

The Squier Affinity model is similar to the Bullet and has similar hardware appointments to a genuine Stratocaster, although not of the same quality. If you are feeling really confident, try a new Mexican made Fender Stratocaster, these are especially good and reasonably priced.

My advice is to buy the best you can afford.

Part of the panel view on a Zoom Fire 30 amplifier

Although now a discontinued model it shows the concept of effects well.

With electric guitars, amplifiers are required and some lower priced ones come with built in effects that you can use with the natural sound to 'colour' the natural sound.

There are loads of playalong tracks on YouTube to try out and lots of resources that show you the chords for songs you may like to try.

So I hope that this quick guide has been helpful!