Need help choosing an acoustic or classical guitar for 15-year-old

[gyedid]

So, my 15-year-old daughter has got it into her head that she wants to learn to play guitar.  After 1 trial lesson, we established that contrary to her stated desire to start on electric, she needs to build up the necessary skill and finger strength first**, so now I'm looking for a decent entry-level acoustic or classical guitar, preferably with nylon strings. 

**when *I* tell her that, she doesn't listen.  When a qualified guitar teacher says it, of course it was obvious from the get-go...

Any suggestions on what would work well?  (FYI, she's about 5'6" and I worry that a dreadnought-sized instrument might be too big for her at this stage.) Budget is not more than $350 CAD before taxes.

thanks,

Gabe

[Giovanni Blasini]

Does her teacher have guitars handy in a variety of sizes for her to try?  If not, get thee to a shop so your daughter can a few on for size.

My wife is 5 ft 7 in tall, and finds a full-sized dreadnought guitar uncomfortable to play, preferring a 1/2 scale to 3/4 scale guitar.  Her main instrument these days is a Cordoba Mini II Bass, which she took home after getting the chance to try it out at Guitar Center.  It's a half-scale guitar, and comes in classical nylon 6-string as well - we're considering picking one up to replace the 3/4 scale Bridgecraft guitar I literally picked up for free at the side of the road a couple years ago.  Cordobas are pretty reasonably priced, my wife loves her bass, and I've got a similarly-sized Cordoba baritone ukulele I absolutely love.

With that said...I'd avoid steel-string acoustics for her first guitar.  I don't play every day, and there have been long stretches where I don't play at all.  Same's true for my wife.  As a result, the absolutely lovely Washburn acoustic she has, and my Squier acoustic both tend to sit unused, because they quickly start to hurt our fingers to play because we don't tend to build up the calluses we need on our fingers for them to not hurt.  That's not been an issue with her bass, my ukes or cheap-ass nylon-string guitars...

...or, for that matter, my wife's short scale Squier Mini Strat, which is basically a 3/4 length Stratacaster, and was also picked out by my wife after finding it more comfortable to play than a full-scale one.  So, starting with an electric guitar *is* possible, if you start out with strings that are aimed at being more comfortable for the beginner.  Plenty of people start with electrics, and that might still be a better way for her to go if that's still her end-goal.

Back to classical guitars for the moment, which is basically what you're looking for if you're looking at nylon-string guitars, another brand to consider is Yamaha.  They're popular with music schools, IIRC, make tons of instruments in your price range at a variety of sizes, including 1/2 scale guitars, or even smaller - I've got a Yamaha GL1 guitalele, which is basically a 1/4 scale guitar.

[gyedid]

Back to classical guitars for the moment, which is basically what you're looking for if you're looking at nylon-string guitars, another brand to consider is Yamaha.  They're popular with music schools, IIRC, make tons of instruments in your price range at a variety of sizes, including 1/2 scale guitars, or even smaller - I've got a Yamaha GL1 guitalele, which is basically a 1/4 scale guitar.

Thanks for the suggestions; I ended up going with a Yamaha C40, which is pretty much the standard school music room guitar and gives a lot of bang for the buck.  Only 1 lesson with it so far but my daughter said it feels good--not too big, not too heavy, not hard to move the strings.  We also tried a FS800 (dreadnought-sized with steel) at the store and she did find the size somewhat intimidating.

cheers,

Gabe

[rebs]

I know this is not asked about in the OP, but...  Electric guitars often have lighter string tension than acoustic guitars.  I use .009 gauge strings.  Gibson guitars are among the lowest string tension as well.  While Gibsons are pricey, they have an introductory brand called Epiphone that makes quality instruments that you can commonly find for $200 to $300 USD. 

Just in case she takes to it and would be interested in going electric.  I also have a practice amp called a Spark (Made by Positive Grid) that is also affordable and VERY versatile.   It even has an app that you can use to help control it easier and play accompanying beats and music tracks with.

[Prospernia]

Get the cheapest, guitar you can find at Walmart, or at a pawn-shop.

In high-school, my mom got me a guitar for Christmas, and I tried to play it, but hadn't picked it up ever again and it sat in their living-room closet for a decade until they gave it away.  I wanted to play, but, it just wasn't in me.  I tried.

[Giovanni Blasini]

Get the cheapest, guitar you can find at Walmart, or at a pawn-shop.

In high-school, my mom got me a guitar for Christmas, and I tried to play it, but hadn't picked it up ever again and it sat in their living-room closet for a decade until they gave it away.  I wanted to play, but, it just wasn't in me.  I tried.

While there's something to be said for cheap guitars, the best musical instrument is the one you're comfortable with playing, and a lot of times, comfort is one of the things sacrificed on cheap guitars.  So, sure, cheap for your first guitar is fine, so long as it's one that still comfortable to hold and play.

[rebs]

On the left is a Fender Telecaster that I picked up on FB Marketplace for $250.  The lady who I bought it from said she bought it new for her son.  But after trying it a few times, he realized it wasn't an easy thing to learn.  It's their entry level brand called Squire. 

The middle guitar is my 1992 Gibson Les Paul (It's actually a lot more blue than that, hard to see in the lighting, see the attachment), and to the right is my Fender Stratocaster which was NOT an entry-level purchase, it's pro-grade for certain - love the black finish with the tortoiseshell pickguard and white knobs and pickups. 

The whole reason for this picture is my brand-new Mesa Boogie amplifier!  It's all tube, with 4 ten-inch speakers in the separate cabinet.  Just bought it yesterday. 

[gyedid]

On the left is a Fender Telecaster that I picked up on FB Marketplace for $250.  The lady who I bought it from said she bought it new for her son.  But after trying it a few times, he realized it wasn't an easy thing to learn.  It's their entry level brand called Squire. 

Heh, the store where I bought the guitar for my daughter told me Squiers are...well, far from the best.  They do sell them but won't touch them themselves (the salespeople are all experienced players).  Was that your first electric?

As for the amp, I'll keep that model in mind, but my kid is "a few" years away from being able to use something like that...I want her to become competent with the classical first!

cheers,

Gabe

[Giovanni Blasini]

Heh, the store where I bought the guitar for my daughter told me Squiers are...well, far from the best.  They do sell them but won't touch them themselves (the salespeople are all experienced players).  Was that your first electric?

I've found that a lot of guitar shop employees tend to be a bit snobbish.  Not everyone wants to drop $800+ for a Fender, especially if they're a new player or on a budget, when a $150-200 Squier will do the job.

Entry-level guitar brands, whether Squier, Epiphone, or Ibanez' "Gio" line exist because there's a market for entry-level guitars, and not everyone is going to want to pick up someone's 20+ year old used guitar for a comparable price and hope that it's still in decent shape or know how to fix it if it isn't.
 

As for the amp, I'll keep that model in mind, but my kid is "a few" years away from being able to use something like that...I want her to become competent with the classical first!

cheers,

Gabe

Yeah, that's definitely not an entry-level amp, either.

And when your daughter does go electric and needs an amp, there's something to be said for headphone amps for practice.

Also, speaking of new/old guitars, and entry-level guitars, my wife's got a short-scale Squier Stratacaster, and I just picked up a 23-year-old Ibanez Gio GAX70, which arrived yesterday.  Amusingly enough, she likes my Ibanez more than hers, because it turns out she feels the action on her Strat's a little high.  So, now we're looking into how to adjust that.

[rebs]

Heh, the store where I bought the guitar for my daughter told me Squiers are...well, far from the best.  They do sell them but won't touch them themselves (the salespeople are all experienced players).  Was that your first electric?

As for the amp, I'll keep that model in mind, but my kid is "a few" years away from being able to use something like that...I want her to become competent with the classical first!

cheers,

Gabe

My first electric was also a Squier but not the one in this picture.  I received it for my birthday in 1990.   But to be honest, I don't expect a $250 guitar to campare to a $1500+ guitar.  I consider it my stunt guitar and it functions quite well in that regard!   

Most music stores are going to disparage brands they don't carry in favor of the ones they keep in stock.  And there is the snobbish factor, as Giovanni was saying. 

And it gets worse.  Example: You can walk into a store, like Guitar Center or even local music places, pick up a guitar like a classy Gibson ES-335 (BB King played one), and the sales guy who prefers Jackson guitars or PRS guitars will commonly make an audible "Hmmphh" noise, or roll his eyes.  The owners should fire people who do that because it costs not just one sale, but a lifetime of sales because it leaves a taste that will make you spend your money almost anywhere else.

Anyway, below is my practice amp.  It's called a Spark, made by a company called Positive Grid.  It can be found online for roughly $250.  It's very nice, and if I could upload video of me playing though it (with the Squier even!) you would see it simply sounds like a pretty good guitar and amp rig.  I grew up in the late 80's and 90's, and at that time pretty much no amp this size sounded any good.  Times have definitely changed.


 

[rebs]

Just thought I'd share one with the Squier that I loaded on to YouTube last night.  I'm playing slide on it, but as you can hear, it has a nice tone.  My only complaint is that I don't like the tuning keys very much.  They are too sensitive to adjustment - good tuning keys move the pitch up or down a bit slower, but allow more precision and an over-all faster tuning process. 

In My Time Of Dying - Intro

https://youtu.be/1Mx9dB-V844?si=Rud9LDJlqPkrXosO

[Gorgon]

Thanks for the suggestions; I ended up going with a Yamaha C40, which is pretty much the standard school music room guitar and gives a lot of bang for the buck.  Only 1 lesson with it so far but my daughter said it feels good--not too big, not too heavy, not hard to move the strings.  We also tried a FS800 (dreadnought-sized with steel) at the store and she did find the size somewhat intimidating.

cheers,

Gabe

Yamahas are good. Reliable quality, decent pricing - it's a common school and entry level guitar for a reason. That being said, Ortega makes some fine entry-level guitars as well, especially in the classic concert shapes. And if she wants to switch to a Dreadnought, I'm enjoying my Fender CD-60 quite a bit. Over here they go for ~140€, the sound is good, they hold the tension well.