MR

I, need some advice on the best guitar for my fourteen year old grandson. Out of the blue a few days ago he came to me and said 'Grandma will you buy me a guitar. I was told by a friend not to buy a Les Paul because that would be too costly for a boy his age. understand this is my firstborn grandson and he totally has grandmom wrapped around his finger so when he smiles and throws the dimples on me it's all over. seriously I'm happy that his interest in music has finally grown and if this will keep him focused and out of the troubles a lot of teens get into I'm more than willing to buy it for him.

My advice to you since my son has been playing guitar since he was 7, now 15, is buy him one that it's easy for him to replace the strings when they break, and they will break. First guitar I bought my son was an acoustic. They are a little harder to play, but it makes their fingers stronger. After a year of him proving to me that he was serious with taking lessons and practicing because it's ALL about practicing, getting your fingers to move where you need them to move, I then purchased him a American made Fender Strat. It was 1000.00 but it came with a nice case and he loves the shit out of it. Now you can buy cheaper strats., like the mexican made one or there are some others in the 200 to 300 range. Strats are also lightweight and easy to hold. Hope this helps.

No Surprize wrote:My advice to you since my son has been playing guitar since he was 7, now 15, is buy him one that it's easy for him to replace the strings when they break, and they will break. First guitar I bought my son was an acoustic. They are a little harder to play, but it makes their fingers stronger. After a year of him proving to me that he was serious with taking lessons and practicing because it's ALL about practicing, getting your fingers to move where you need them to move, I then purchased him a American made Fender Strat. It was 1000.00 but it came with a nice case and he loves the shit out of it. Now you can buy cheaper strats., like the mexican made one or there are some others in the 200 to 300 range. Strats are also lightweight and easy to hold. Hope this helps.

Thank you much

Definitely don't break the $300 barrier the first time around even if that's well within your budget. Many kids get frustrated and quit, no matter how excited they seem to be to play. Getting the guitar and realizing how hard it can be just to play chord or even fret single notes at first is a real killer at first. You just don't want to flush $500-$1000 down the toilet if he stops playing it 3 months later like so many people who start to play do.

get the kid started with a great tone instead of being cheap

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Yngwie-Malms ... 33658e0dd0

Fact Finder wrote:I'd start with this..check the reviews..$200. Any decent music store should carry these.



http://www.amazon.com/Squier-Fender-Dre ... 35-7586535

I agree- a guitar and amp combo is a good way to start; most are geared toward beginners and it won't cost you a ton of money either. Make sure he is commited before you buy an expensive guitar. If you buy from a local shop, get them to set it up for for you- nothing is more frustrating that trying to learn on a guitar that won't stay in tune.

maverick218 wrote:

Fact Finder wrote:I'd start with this..check the reviews..$200. Any decent music store should carry these.



http://www.amazon.com/Squier-Fender-Dre ... 35-7586535

I agree- a guitar and amp combo is a good way to start; most are geared toward beginners and it won't cost you a ton of money either. Make sure he is commited before you buy an expensive guitar. If you buy from a local shop, get them to set it up for for you- nothing is more frustrating that trying to learn on a guitar that won't stay in tune.

Agreed, get a combo, but I don't agree about spending a lot of money. A LOT of good, fairly inexpensive guitars out there. No need to spend a grand. Give the kid something to look forward to and to work toward.

Thank You everyone for the info this helps me a whole lot.