How to Choose a First Guitar for a Child: Size, Type, and Setup
Updated: Sep 30
A first guitar can make lessons exciting or frustrating. A guitar that is too big, too hard to press, or out of tune makes every practice session a struggle. The good news is that choosing well does not require spending a lot of money. It requires paying attention to size, string type, and setup.
Pick the right size
Guitars come in fractional sizes, much like violins. A guitar that fits lets a child reach the first fret without stretching and rest their arm comfortably over the body. Here is a rough guide that many teachers use:
About ages five to seven: a quarter-size or half-size guitar
About ages eight to eleven: a three-quarter size guitar
About age twelve and up: a full-size guitar
Smaller-bodied full-size guitars can suit teens and adults with shorter arms
Height and arm length matter more than age, so these ranges are only a starting point. Your teacher can check the fit in person at the first lesson.
Nylon strings, steel strings, or electric
Nylon-string classical guitars are gentle on young fingers and are a common choice for younger beginners. Steel-string acoustic guitars sound brighter and suit folk, country, and pop, but they take more finger strength. Electric guitars have light strings that are easy to press, though they need an amplifier. Our guide on electric versus acoustic guitar for kids explains the tradeoffs in detail.
Why setup matters more than brand
Setup means how the guitar has been adjusted, especially how high the strings sit above the frets. When strings sit too high, even simple chords hurt and sound buzzy. Many inexpensive guitars play well once a music shop adjusts them. Ask the store to check the setup before you bring the guitar home. Also make sure it stays in tune for a whole practice session, because a guitar that drifts out of tune discourages beginners quickly.
A few extras worth buying
A clip-on tuner, a few picks, a strap, and a soft case cover the basics. A guitar stand keeps the instrument out where your child sees it, which quietly encourages practice. Coastal humidity can affect guitars, so store the instrument away from vents and hot cars. Left-handed children have a few extra options, which we cover in our guide to left-handed guitar lessons for kids.
Every Evergreen Studios teacher is EvergreenCertified, which means background-checked, abuse-prevention trained, and personally vetted before teaching in any home. Your child keeps the same guitar teacher every week, and the lesson happens on the instrument they practice on at home.
See our in-home guitar lessons guide for more on how lessons work.
How to get started
Private guitar lessons are $320 for one month. That covers four 45-minute lessons with the same teacher in your home.
Call (910) 613-0704 or email evrgreencompany@gmail.com.
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