{"id":722,"date":"2011-06-27T22:52:32","date_gmt":"2011-06-28T05:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sixstringsensei.com\/?p=722"},"modified":"2023-11-06T15:26:26","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T23:26:26","slug":"cheap-guitars-for-kids-beginners-budget-guitarists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sixstringsensei.com\/722\/cheap-guitars-for-kids-beginners-budget-guitarists\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheap Guitars for Beginners, Kids and Budget Minded Guitarists"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cheap is such an ugly word. But everyone uses it, so…  Let\u2019s talk about cheap guitars, because most beginners usually start here.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First of all, what is considered a cheap guitar? Well, that\u2019s obviously a matter of opinion, since a $500 guitar might be cheap for some, yet a fortune for others. But generally, new cheap guitars for sale at retail and online stores run between $100 and $200. This is the range that most young players or budget-minded beginners tend to look at. Anywhere under $100, umm, please don\u2019t even go there. I\u2019m pleased to say there are plenty of decent choices to be had in the $100-$200 price range for electric, bass and acoustic guitars. However, I\u2019m going to spill the beans right away: If you want to save, it\u2019s a much better option to buy used instead of buying a cheap new one. Why? Read this article about used guitars<\/a> to learn why. Trust me, it\u2019s an eye opener for those who always prefer to buy the new stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Update for late 2023: This story was originally written in 2011. Prices one guitars have gone up quite a bit. Nowadays we’re seeing guitars such as a the Squier Classic Vibe 60s Telecaster selling for about $450 new. Granted there are cheaper beginner guitars out there that are still very good. As a general rule, beginner guitars that we used to see at $200 to $300 are now about $300 to $400.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you continue this story, keep in mind that the prices are all now higher across the board.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Editor<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start with the kids<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"Cheap<\/a>
I painted the pickguard on my kid’s Squier with my own style of painting. Now it’s not worth $100. More like $1,000,000!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

A simple Squier Bullet Stratocaster in black costs around $119.99. This guitar is marketed at the young players hence the fact that it\u2019s the same model as the Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster from the popular video game. It\u2019s the same color and all.\u00a0 However, it\u2019s still a big guitar and only suitable for kids older than 10, obviously depending on the size of their hands. When it comes to small guitars that are actually meant for the smaller hands of a 6 year old for example, there are only a few options. These include the Squier Affinity Mini Stratocaster and the Ibanez Gio Mikro GRGM21 among a handful of others. The Squier Affinity is what my son plays, but truthfully, even though I\u2019m a Fender fan, I think the Ibanez is a better buy overall. I only got him the Squier, 1. Because I didn\u2019t know any better at the time and 2. Because the shop didn\u2019t have the Ibanez available anyway. I needed to buy in a hurry to be in time for his birthday. However, the guitar is all right. I just changed the tuning pegs and now it stays in tune!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheap guitars for adults<\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"Cheap<\/a>
This is an example of a shop brand bass that was a great buy. My wife bought this cheap bass back when she was starting out and it served her well, until we sold it!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Since the major manufacturers like Ibanez, Fender, ESP, Epiphone and Dean all try to aim at the same target price for the budget beginner, you will find plenty of options in the \u201ccheap\u201d price range. Some of these inexpensive instruments are actually quite good, but please don\u2019t expect them to perform like a proper professional guitar. These guitars are mass-produced with low-end materials. They deliver what they are supposed to, but oftentimes their sound is very much less than stellar, the feel of the instrument is not so great and many cannot even stay in tune properly. However, a properly set up inexpensive guitar can actually be good. Since these guitars\u2019 quality control is not as thorough as on more expensive models they often arrive in the hands of the consumer with the action set too high and the neck relief improperly set. For this very reason, if you want to enjoy your guitar as much as possible and actually be able to learn stuff on it, use some of the money you saved to have a professional set it up for you. This will ensure you get a guitar that has adequate string action, intonation and can properly stay in tune. While the shop that will sell you the guitar will be happy to offer you a set up for small fee, I\u2019d much rather take the guitar to an independent tech instead. At least I know that if the guitar has problems, he\u2019ll be honest with me and let me know. That being the case, I would proceed to take it back to the shop I bought it at, get another one and repeat the process all over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Google up a couple of the major guitar online stores. You should easily find 4, or 10.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not going to go into detail as to which brand of budget guitars is the best, or which cheap guitar amps you should choose from, or how many cups of coffee you should drink before practicing, or none of that sort of stuff. Why? Because this is what I recommend you do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Google up a couple of the major guitar online stores. You should easily find 4, or 10. Look up the guitars available in the price range you are looking to spend. Then read the reviews from previous customers. That is the best research you can do right there. You\u2019ll definitely find a couple of standouts by doing that.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Once you have picked some standouts, either go ahead and order one and hope for the best (you can always send it back if you don\u2019t like it) or take the research one step further: Go to a local guitar shop and test out the standout models in your research list. Even if you don\u2019t know how to play guitar yet, you can learn a lot about a guitar by looking at it closely and holding it in your hands. Run your hands up and down the guitar neck and get a good feel for it. A good guitar should feel natural and fit nicely in your hands and under your arm. If you can, bring your guitar teacher with you. He can likely easily point out if the guitar you are choosing is good for you or not.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    A beginner recommendation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    It’s hard to go wrong with a Fender Squier these days. Those builds are still very affordable. However, they been building guitars for so long that they’ve been able to iron out most of the kinks while still providing a quality product for the price. I personally have been playing guitar for decades and I still play a few Squiers that I really enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I’ll go ahead and recommend this one below:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n