Recommend electric guitar for an 8 year old please...

[lungimsam]

Backstory:
My grand daughter was asking me about do people really sometimes smash their guitars.
I immediately showed her a The Who video. Short version:

Right after seeing it she said she wanted to learn guitar. (ain’t that the way?!) So I started teaching her.
So in 24 hours she learned by memory Hot Cross Buns, Old MacDonald, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Her requests! And she's been playing on her own every day since. That's how you know they really want to play - when they do it on their own and seek it out on their own every day (sound familiar?).
Now she wants to learn a fourth song. I think it will be Mary Had a Little Lamb. But my Stratocaster is huge on her! She's pretty tall for her age though, like in the 95th percentile for height.
Anyway, her 8th birthday is coming up in a couple weeks and I thought I could get her a child size guitar. Is that what a 3/4 size is?? For kids?
Any ideas what's a good size for an 8 year old? We have amps all over the house so no need for an acoustic. I think I'll teach her some whammy bar tricks next weekend. She ought to get a kick out of dive bombing.
Thanks for the ideas.

 

[GAD]

Ibanez Gio Mikro. Fabulous little guitars for about $100.

About 20 years ago I bought two: A Gio Mikro and a Stag. The stag didn’t last a year. The Gio Mikro was so good I once took it on vacation so I could have something to play.

 

[Opsimath]

Here's Mean Mary when she was 6. Looks like a full sized guitar, but she's worked out the strumming.

 

[kitniyatran]

The Mitchell MM 100, which is the same model Dolly Parton used for her Rock and roll Hall of Fame induction, is pretty good for around $100; the list price may be around $150; it's a Guitar Center brand and they or Musician's Friend frequently have special deals. it's something like a 22 and a half inch scale length. The nuts a little narrow for an adult, but probably not for an 8-year-old

 

[GuildFS4612CE]

Daisy Rock...may be out of business was a subsidiary of KMC, JAM but used still available from the usual sites...sized for smaller hands...besides the pink ones they had 'normal' colored...both electric and acoustic.

 

[Prince of Darkness]

Mary Had a Little Lamb, like this?

 

[RBSinTo]

Backstory:
My grand daughter was asking me about do people really sometimes smash their guitars.
I immediately showed her a The Who video. Short version:

Right after seeing it she said she wanted to learn guitar. (ain’t that the way?!) So I started teaching her.
So in 24 hours she learned by memory Hot Cross Buns, Old MacDonald, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Her requests! And she's been playing on her own every day since. That's how you know they really want to play - when they do it on their own and seek it out on their own every day (sound familiar?).
Now she wants to learn a fourth song. I think it will be Mary Had a Little Lamb. But my Stratocaster is huge on her! She's pretty tall for her age though, like in the 95th percentile for height.
Anyway, her 8th birthday is coming up in a couple weeks and I thought I could get her a child size guitar. Is that what a 3/4 size is?? For kids?
Any ideas what's a good size for an 8 year old? We have amps all over the house so no need for an acoustic. I think I'll teach her some whammy bar tricks next weekend. She ought to get a kick out of dive bombing.
Thanks for the ideas.

lungimsam,
Our grand-daughter who today even as a 14 year old is very petite and slight of build was playing a Squier Mustang that I bought for her when she was about 8 or 9.
It was relatively inexpensive, and two accomplished musician friends who played it remarked on how well it played and sounded.
I'm not sure if they are still available new, but would recommend it as an excellent choice.
RBSinTo

 

[Wilmywood]

The Gibson ES 339 and the Epiphone ES 339 and Casino coupe are both scaled down versions of their respective ES 335s - the Epiphones can be routinely had for $250-$350 in my area

 

[GAD]

If she likes modern electric stylings, the Jackson Dinky line I believe is 7/8th sized.

 

[Stuball48]

A thought - will she ever up grade?
Will she keep her first guitar given to her by her grandfather?
I might lean toward quality as a good guitar (I said might) and should play easier. She could put the guitar down for a while (years) but from what she has done soooo far, her self discipline will make her journey to becoming a fantastic guitar player shorter - she is putting the time in..
Great for her and Grandpa.

 

[RBSinTo]

A thought - will she ever up grade?
Will she keep her first guitar given to her by her grandfather?
I might lean toward quality as a good guitar (I said might) and should play easier. She could put the guitar down for a while (years) but from what she has done soooo far, her self discipline will make her journey to becoming a fantastic guitar player shorter - she is putting the time in..
Great for her and Grandpa.

Stuball48,
While I think positive encouragement is an excellent idea, I would still suggest a conservative attitude regarding buying a good guitar so early in the game. With young children, despite our best and most sincere efforts, today's favorite activity or hobby often becomes just a memory as they quickly tire of it and move onto something else.
Remember with today's children, the only lasting constants in their lives are their "devices".
RBSinTo

 

[Uke]

Here's Mean Mary when she was 6. Looks like a full sized guitar, but she's worked out the strumming.

"I'm a 'Long Doll Texan"!

 

[Uke]

And she's been playing on her own every day since. That's how you know they really want to play - when they do it on their own and seek it out on their own every day (sound familiar?).

Yes, sounds very familiar. I picked up a uke, then got a cheap electric, and this has been going on for 60 years now (with upgrades along the way, of course).

 

[Westerly Wood]

american made fender strat.

 

[lungimsam]

A thought - will she ever up grade?

No way to know just have to see if she keeps up with it.

 

[jp]

Squier Mini Stratocaster. . . maybe in Shell Pink?

Mini Stratocaster® | Squier Electric Guitars

Mini Stratocaster®, Laurel Fingerboard, Shell Pink

www.fender.com

 

[Uke]

american made fender strat.

or even a made in mexico fender strat

 

[Rocky]

IMHO, a 25.5" scale is too long for an 8 year old's hands. It's too long for some adults' hands too.

That said, those 22.5" Fender student models can be an intonation nightmare. I'd recommend a 24" scale instrument (most Mustang/DuoSonic/Musicmaster/Bronco/Jaguar models).

 

[Smiert Spionam]

lungimsam,
Our grand-daughter who today even as a 14 year old is very petite and slight of build was playing a Squier Mustang that I bought for her when she was about 8 or 9.
It was relatively inexpensive, and two accomplished musician friends who played it remarked on how well it played and sounded.
I'm not sure if they are still available new, but would recommend it as an excellent choice.
RBSinTo

I maintain a fleet of cheapies for a girls’ rock camp, and I’ve picked up a couple of these Mustangs (which are really Duo Sonics, since they thankfully have no trem). I don’t think there’s anything better for the price. Some are better than others, of course, and they’ll all need some setup work — but they can be made into really great players.

Their necks are much more child-friendly than most 24.75“ Epiphones (both in scale and girth), and I agree with jp about the 22.5” minis. The littlest girls like them, but they’re much more finicky. 24” Squiers are where it’s at.

 

[RBSinTo]

I maintain a fleet of cheapies for a girls’ rock camp, and I’ve picked up a couple of these Mustangs (which are really Duo Sonics, since they thankfully have no trem). I don’t think there’s anything better for the price. Some are better than others, of course, and they’ll all need some setup work — but they can be made into really great players.

Their necks are much more child-friendly than most 24.75“ Epiphones (both in scale and girth), and I agree with jp about the 22.5” minis. The littlest girls like them, but they’re much more finicky. 24” Squiers are where it’s at.

By way of full disclosure, the Mustang I bought for our grand-daughter did require a set-up, which included tightening up virtually every screw and nut on it. A friend who is an excellent musician and luthier did it, and was one of the people who praised the guitar afterwards.
RBSinTo