help with acoustic guitar for 13 yr old

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  • Money_maker
    Money_maker Posts: 5,471
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    We got our son his from www.dolphinmusic.co.uk which he still has although he's moved over to electric guitar now.

    Cheapest lessons for us was through the music service at school.
    Please do not quote spam as this enables it to 'live on' once the spam post is removed. ;)

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  • GlynD
    GlynD Posts: 10,883 Forumite
    malebolge wrote: »
    Thanks so much for all the replies. I've a budget of about £150 tops to include a bag etc, and have spent an age looking at ones you've recommended. The yamaha from amazon looks good - I'm now torn between that and a Fender CD 60. I'm wondering what difference a 'dreadnought' design is - are they much bigger? It's acoustic not classical she's learning. Again, I really do appreciate all the advice.

    The name Fender is a byword for excellence in guitars. A Fender CD60 would be an excellent choice.

    "Dreadnought" guitars are, as you thought, slightly larger than standard size. Bigger tone but bigger body. The neck will be the same size (it has to be) as other guitars.
  • A._Badger
    A._Badger Posts: 5,846
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    Dreadnought sized guitars are not always suitable for girls (nor even some adults) due to their bulk. They are also more suited to strumming than fingerstyle playing. Indeed, the Dreadnought was introduced to enable the acoustic guitar to be heard above the din produced by the other band instruments, around the turn of the 19th/20th century.

    Unless she specifically wanted a big, bassy sound and didn't mind the cumbersome body size, I would be looking for what is sometimes called a 'Folk' sized acoustic for her. Most of the better makers offer all sorts of body styles beyond the Dreadnought.

    As for Fender being a 'byword for excellence' in guitars I'm afraid it isn't. It is a large corporation which has guitars made all around the world by any number of suppliers, destined to sell at every price level. Some are good, some are excellent and some are less so.

    If I were buying an acoustic guitar for a girl (or anyone else) I would take the lucky recipient to a shop where they could sit and try a variety to find the one that suited them best.

    You will also get professional advice from a proper retailer who will explain to you the reasons why buying the biggest brand names doesn't always get you the best product.

    That said, if you want it to be a surprise, the Yamaha F310 could be a good choice., It has a slightly smaller body and shorter scale, which would tend to suit a female player and comes from one of the best acoustic brands. That's a cracking price Amazon is selling it for, by the way!
  • tyllwyd
    tyllwyd Posts: 5,496 Forumite
    I'd second going to your local music shop - she can try them out, and see which one she likes in your budget.
  • I've just bought my daughter the Fender Starcaster Accoustic for £99.99 from Argos after asking her head of music at school. She is a beginner. There are various offers that go with it eg half price case or stand. I also bought when the spend £100 get a £10 voucher offer was on and with the half price stand, I qualified and got my voucher. :)
  • £$&*"($£&(
    £$&*"($£&( Posts: 4,538 Forumite
    I agree about dreadnoughts. I don't think it would be a could choice. The Yamaha is decent, although the two I've seen had a very high string height above the neck which needs fixing, but I would go for Vintage V300 - this is well regarded but cheap and has a smaller body type.

    http://www.gak.co.uk/en/vintage-v300-folk-natural/17993
  • jpwjpw
    jpwjpw Posts: 270
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    There is definitely no substitute for going to a music shop and trying them.

    Guitars come in lots of different shapes and it's worth making sure she gets one that is comfortable and sounds good.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,076
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    We bought our son an acoustic guitar for his birthday which was just after Christmas. We took him to a music shop though as we hadnt got a clue as to what we were buying and i dont think he did either. They gave us lots of advice and help choosing the right one so i would suggest you start at a place where they know the sort of thing your looking for.

    I didnt know they did 4 string guitars as well as 6. I thought they were all the same.:o

    As you can tell. I'm not very musical.:D
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