# Looking for a 1/4 size guitar



## stringer (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi everybody. I am looking for a 1/4 size guitar ( or am I, what would you suggest? ) for a 4 year old. He has expressed an interest on more than one occasion, so I figure what the heck, it's worth a shot. The budget would be under $200.00 and the closer to the hundred dollar mark the better! Used is pretty much out of the question, very small town, small second hand market. I have seen something called a Lucida on Amazon and a company called guitar works offer a 1/4 size nylon with proper set up.

Any advice / thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Oh to have been playing since age 4...

Thanks all.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

You are probably looking for a ukulele. Small guitars exist, but they are usually pretty crappy. A baritone ukulele has the same tuning on the four highest strings as a guitar (DGBE) and you can replace the octave D string with a regular D string to get a more guitar-like experience. The smaller ukes would be fine too, different tuning (GCEA - your guitar capoed at the fifth fret), but the chord shapes will translate to the guitar.


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## cbg1 (Mar 27, 2012)

Guitalele - Overview

tunes the same as the guitar caoped on 5, but i agree on the uke GCEA suggestion. the chord shapes are easy to form and the sounds are pleasing.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

cbg1 said:


> Guitalele - Overview
> 
> tunes the same as the guitar caoped on 5, but i agree on the uke GCEA suggestion. the chord shapes are easy to form and the sounds are pleasing.


Those Yamaha guitaleles are a great idea but every one I've ever tried has had horrible intonation. Try before you buy!


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

bw66 speaks the truth as I see it.


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## cbg1 (Mar 27, 2012)

bw66 said:


> Those Yamaha guitaleles are a great idea but every one I've ever tried has had horrible intonation. Try before you buy!


good to know thanks. i played one that a student had, but just basic chords. that one seemed ok.


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## stringer (Jun 17, 2009)

bw66 said:


> You are probably looking for a ukulele. Small guitars exist, but they are usually pretty crappy. A baritone ukulele has the same tuning on the four highest strings as a guitar (DGBE) and you can replace the octave D string with a regular D string to get a more guitar-like experience. The smaller ukes would be fine too, different tuning (GCEA - your guitar capoed at the fifth fret), but the chord shapes will translate to the guitar.


Yeah ukes did cross my mind. Thanks for the advice on the baritone ukes. I'm gonna do some research. Any suggestions as to brand?


cbg1 said:


> Guitalele - Overview
> 
> tunes the same as the guitar caoped on 5, but i agree on the uke GCEA suggestion. the chord shapes are easy to form and the sounds are pleasing.


Those guitaleles are cool, my dad picked one up a while back. Could very well be one in my future regardless.



bw66 said:


> Those Yamaha guitaleles are a great idea but every one I've ever tried has had horrible intonation. Try before you buy!


Good advice, thanks.

Thanks guys.


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## Lord-Humongous (Jun 5, 2014)

Ukulele is the way to go. Don't spend more than $40 bucks. Intonation doesn't matter, all they do at 4 years old is beat on them. I'm sure the odd child has some ability to do more at that age but with my kids, all they could do (and had interest in doing) at 4, was pluck strings & strum like nuts (not fingering a chord). The desire or ability to finger a note or play a chord came much later.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I have a tiny Hofner that I used to get my son started. I already sold my Anjo. Now that he's 9, he favours his mini strat and occasionally plays his LPJ. His small ibanez just sits there (corksniffer, I guess).

The hofner is a great guitar. If you were local, I'd sell it to you with a microcube within your budget.


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## stringer (Jun 17, 2009)

adcandour said:


> I have a tiny Hofner that I used to get my son started. I already sold my Anjo. Now that he's 9, he favours his mini strat and occasionally plays his LPJ. His small ibanez just sits there (corksniffer, I guess).
> 
> The hofner is a great guitar. If you were local, I'd sell it to you with a microcube within your budget.
> 
> ...



And if I were closer I'd take you up on that. If the child carries on I'll look into mini electrics. They look like tons of fun.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

You could get any inexpensive acoustic and put a capo on it.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

butterknucket said:


> You could get any inexpensive acoustic and put a capo on it.


But his child is only four years old. Maybe a small parlour but for a four year old, that would likely be too large.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

Steadfastly said:


> But his child is only four years old. Maybe a small parlour but for a four year old, that would likely be too large.


A parlour would be a good size. I have one and let my nephew play it a bit when he was 4.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

butterknucket said:


> A parlour would be a good size. I have one and let my nephew play it a bit when he was 4.


Maybe your idea was a good one then. I thought it might have been too big but obviously not. The other thing that might be good about the parlour, is he can grow into it by moving the capo back up the fret board as he grows.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

Steadfastly said:


> Maybe your idea was a good one then. I thought it might have been too big but obviously not. The other thing that might be good about the parlour, is he can grow into it by moving the capo back up the fret board as he grows.


I don't personally like the idea of using a full size guitar with a capo, but a lot of people recommend that.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

butterknucket said:


> I don't personally like the idea of using a full size guitar with a capo, but a lot of people recommend that.


More common with classical where you don't typically play full chords right away. If your kid is content with just playing melody or three string chords (and most are at that age), then a capoed guitar can work.


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## jimmy c g (Jan 1, 2008)

epiphone makes little les paul minis, my son had one years ago and thought he was a star, good luck and I will await his first song j


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## stringer (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks for all the great ideas folks. I've narrowed it down to a half size Yamaha and a uke, possibly a baritone. Thoughts?


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

stringer said:


> Thanks for all the great ideas folks. I've narrowed it down to a half size Yamaha and a uke, possibly a baritone. Thoughts?


I think that is a very good choice. You can always use a uke.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## stringer (Jun 17, 2009)

I've kind of met both of you halfway. Spent about 80 bucks on a decent uke that I would be happy to inherit if his interests take him elsewhere. Coming soon, relic'd ukes! If he's still into it in a year I'll probably get him a half size nylon, probably by yamaha.


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## Gimper (Jan 14, 2016)

Embrace the inevitable... buy a Martin Dreadnought ...tell junior to stretch those arms and fingers!


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## cbg1 (Mar 27, 2012)

adcandour said:


> I have a tiny Hofner that I used to get my son started. I already sold my Anjo. Now that he's 9, he favours his mini strat and occasionally plays his LPJ. His small ibanez just sits there (corksniffer, I guess).
> 
> The hofner is a great guitar. If you were local, I'd sell it to you with a microcube within your budget.
> 
> ...


the pickup is nice and close to the bridge on that hofner.... a nice dual coil humbucker and you could set that up to be a great lap steel guitar .......


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

These kids might be 6 and all are playing dreadnoughts


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Hmmmm. All I'm seeing is classic guitars, not a dread in the first minute I watched. Full size classical guitar though, which do look large on them.

On the advice of my first teacher when I was about 11, my parents bought me a 3/4 size classical guitar, a Giannini, for my first. I bought my own electric a couple years later. That was a long wait.


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