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

[Smiert Spionam]

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

Yes, for sure -- you can't expect they will be great out of the box. One that I bought from Amazon would have been returned if I couldn't address the setup issues. I recently found another (surf green -- woot!) in a pawn shop for $100 that is in better playing condition, but I'll still do a full fret level on it.

And maybe install some cheap DeArmond knock-offs....

 

[Default]

It's a short scale. Very easy to play. Hers for the asking.
@lungimsam

 

[Guildedagain]

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.

Yamaha makes a small acoustic that's very nice. An acoustic is a much better learning/songwriting tool

Squier Mini Stratocaster. . . maybe in Shell Pink?

Mini Stratocaster® | Squier Electric Guitars

Mini Stratocaster®, Laurel Fingerboard, Shell Pink

www.fender.com

Squier Mini is a great guitar with just very minor TLC. I have fixed them up for learners over and over again, in either Black, or Red.

Here's a pair of baby guitars I fixed up a few years ago.

A Squier Mini I debadged and finicked over, and an older Chinese made Power Play tiny guitar that I fixed up for my grandkid.

In action.

 

[tildeslash]

Ibanez Micro is great as well as the MIM DuoSonic with 22.75 inch scale.

 

[jp]

Another option which has just over a 24" scale, but has a small, more manageable body suitable for kids is the Hofner Shorty guitar. She can actually grow into this, too.

Hofner Quality

Hofner seit 1887, Germany, quality products,

www.hofner.com

And if she doesn't like it, you suddenly have a travel guitar!

 

[Maguchi]

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.

Squier makes some very nice mini guitars and basses for not much money. I got their Mini P Bass and it plays and sounds quite good out of the box. If the Mini Strat and Mini Jazzmasters are similar, they're a very nice guitar for small hands and a lot of guitar for not a lot of money.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/search?s=squier+mini+guitars