child size/scale guitar

[buddyboy69]

so, my 4 year old daughter is showing interest in guitar, probably because of me. she has a couple of small junkers which are basically un-tunable and un playable. she pretends to play but it just sounds god awful. having a pos does not help the development of music at all in my opinion.

my question is, for anyone who might know or have experience, what is the shortest, yet functional scale size guitar out there. i make guitars and i was going to build one for her, so she can choose the color (pink) and decorate it herself. but before i put the time in i want to make sure the scale will work as a functioning guitar, but also be a size she can handle.

my idea is to start with open tunings and simple fretting so she can at least be musical with it. we already jam together with her on drums, shes got rhythm and my wife stands with jaw dropped every time.

john

 

[unfunnyclown]

You might want to look into this:

 

[tele_phil]

Have her try out a Baby Taylor and some of the small Squire Strats at your local shops. It's not just the scale length that matters. Body size and shape is a big factor for small kids.

 

[buddyboy69]

i think i might just make her the cheap trick 5 neck and let her decide.

 

[buddyboy69]

if i let her try out anything she will want to buy, so im investigating first and making a project out of it.

 

[tsar nicholas]

I'm interested in this as well -- I got a ukulele for my two-year-old, but she knows it's not a guitar and always wants me to get the real deal out (which of course she can't hold by herself).

 

[snilloc66]

Just picked up one of those Squire Mini-Strats last Sunday for our Grand-daughters first guitar. She's 6. It fits her pretty well, size wise. Taught her a D chord the first day.
Seems a little hard to keep in perfect tune. Not the greatest tuners, etc. But whatcha gonna do? I tightened down the bridge/tailpiece a little to see if it helps with stability.
We'll see how it goes. She loves it so far, but I'm trying my best not to push her too hard to learn. I don't wanna screw it up by taking the fun out of it for her.
She now wants a little pedalboard of her own, with a tuner, a wah, and a TS on it.
Funny to hear those words come out of a 6 yr. olds mouth.
I must have done SOMETHING right!

 

[echos]

That is awesome. 6 yo with a pedalboard. My 2 year old son wants to play too. he as a cheap electronic guitar "thing" and a ukelele. What is really funny is that when he plays he make the typcial "rock guitarist" facial expressions, head bobbing and jumping. What is ironic is that I don't do any of that stuff (save a little bit of head movement in rhythum) I don't make facial when I play and the only I play out is in church (expression is encouraged, but jumping....uh....not so much.)

 

[edi_87]

Maybe try a Guitalele: http://www.guitalele.net/
I use it as traveller's guitar (Yamaha GL-1) it's cheap stays in tune and intonates fairly good. Should be great for a kid!