First Electric Guitar for a 10yr old

[StarmistBlue400]

My son has been playing guitar for 3 years and would love an electric.

Can anyone give me some pointers or even suggest one that will fit the bill?

- Must be for a left handed player
- Does not need to cost the earth, he wants to pay for it with his own money

Thanks

[davepoth]

Playing for three years already makes me think a step above the usual starter axes is a good place to start. Don't forget that money needs to go on an amplifier too.

What sort of a budget are we looking at?

[StarmistBlue400]

Sub £150.00 really.

I found this last night

http://www.djmmusic.com/Itemdesc.asp?ic=EBP-LHE6BL...

[davepoth]

Tight budget - especially for lefties. There is a Yamaha Pacifica kit for right handed people at £179 which would have been ideal, the Pacifica is a great guitar.

Encore don't have the best of reputation in terms of build quality, so it may be a false economy as it's likely it'll need a bit of fettling.

I understand that the Squier starter pack is available in left handed (there are a few references to it around the net), but it might be a special order item as most left handed things are unfortunately. If you go into a local good music shop, they should have the catalogue under the counter and they can take a look.

[Jazzy Jefferson]

Get a squier Strat - http://www.gak.co.uk/en/squier-stop-dreaming-start...


Forget left handed stuff. Just learn to play right handed, if you do it from the start, it wont matter. And buying left handed guitars is more expensive, and more difficult due to less choice.

[Amused2death]

E-bay usually has a few l/h guitars, give you an idea about what is available for your money.

[davepoth]

Jazzy Jefferson said:

Get a squier Strat - http://www.gak.co.uk/en/squier-stop-dreaming-start...


Forget left handed stuff. Just learn to play right handed, if you do it from the start, it wont matter. And buying left handed guitars is more expensive, and more difficult due to less choice.

OP's son has been playing lefty for three years.

[rover 623gsi]

I think you can’t wrong with a Squier - my son still plays his Squier Strat five years on despite now having more some other more expensive guitars. Plenty of Squiers on eBay – some of them barely used. I’m not a guitar expert (I play a little, but not as well as my son) but I would suggest you go for full-size rather than a ¾ size.

e.g.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FENDER-KOREAN-SQUIER-Lef...


or - if he fancies himself as a Slash-type how about this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/epiphone-les-paul-guitar...

[StarmistBlue400]

rover 623gsi said:

I think you can’t wrong with a Squier - my son still plays his Squier Strat five years on despite now having more some other more expensive guitars. Plenty of Squiers on eBay – some of them barely used. I’m not a guitar expert (I play a little, but not as well as my son) but I would suggest you go for full-size rather than a ¾ size.

e.g.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FENDER-KOREAN-SQUIER-Lef...


or - if he fancies himself as a Slash-type how about this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/epiphone-les-paul-guitar...

Cheers

They both look good, will keep an eye on those.

[Justin Cyder]

Jazzy Jefferson said:

Forget left handed stuff. Just learn to play right handed, if you do it from the start, it wont matter. And buying left handed guitars is more expensive, and more difficult due to less choice.

I think this is terrible advice. The kid is three years in & he should start again? I'm glad I was never told to do that. Also - Squire decent guitars. Essentially budget Fenders made with cheaper bits, but still to the same classic design. He'll love it - they rock.

[Mastodon2]

davepoth said:

Jazzy Jefferson said:

Get a squier Strat - http://www.gak.co.uk/en/squier-stop-dreaming-start...


Forget left handed stuff. Just learn to play right handed, if you do it from the start, it wont matter. And buying left handed guitars is more expensive, and more difficult due to less choice.

OP's son has been playing lefty for three years.

Then the damage has been done. I'm left handed at many things, but I knew the fall I was setting myself up for by taking the easy route of going leftie. I learned to play normally and now the idea of playing leftie seems totally alien.

[gbbird]

StarmistBlue400 said:

Sub £150.00 really.

I found this last night

http://www.djmmusic.com/Itemdesc.asp?ic=EBP-LHE6BL...

A lefty friend of mine bought this exact same pack a few weeks ago. I went round to check the guitar set up for him, and i didnt need to do anything. The guitar was nicely set up and the quality was excellent for that price point. A good low action too. all in all, Much much better than a mates Peavey Raptor axe he got for xmas.

Highly recommend it as a first guitar.

[Turn7]

This looks like a good deal :

http://www.dv247.com/guitars/squier-strat-left-han...

Marginally over budget, but a new guitar that should be easily upgradeable in the future....

[dojo]

As said earlier the affinity squires are amazing for the money.

I've got a Tele and often use it as a daily workhorse, Frets are a little soft but as I'm on the guitar on and off for about 8 hours a day 18 months is pretty good going and can't complain.

Also the Yamaha's are good and I picked up a Peavy from Gumtree for £45 which really impressed me (bad pickups though) - Stay away from the Staggs and any other usual names.

[StarmistBlue400]

Mastodon2 said:

Then the damage has been done. I'm left handed at many things, but I knew the fall I was setting myself up for by taking the easy route of going leftie. I learned to play normally and now the idea of playing leftie seems totally alien.

It's not an easy route. He has no problem being a lefty and still has lessons so if he wants to experiment playing right handed when he's older that's upto him. It's hard enough getting him to practise playing normally never mind with his right hand

Thanks the for all the suggestions.

[Jazzy Jefferson]

davepoth said:

OP's son has been playing lefty for three years.

Ah missed that. Yeh ignore. Thought he was just starting.

[Jazzy Jefferson]

Justin Cyder said:

I think this is terrible advice. The kid is three years in & he should start again? I'm glad I was never told to do that. Also - Squire decent guitars. Essentially budget Fenders made with cheaper bits, but still to the same classic design. He'll love it - they rock.

No, I mis-read. Its great advice if you are just starting. But yeh, three years on.. probably not

[Justin Cyder]

Cleared up then.

[croyde]

3 years of playing! I'd wager that he is a million times better than me My own 10 year old has only been having lessons for a year and he's pretty good.

He will need a decent guitar and Squiers are that. I have had mine for 20 odd years now and the lead singer/guitarist of It Bites (anyone remember them) swears by his and prefers it to a 'real' Fender for some reason.

Not sure what they cost now but mine was nearly £200 with an amp back in the late 80s early 90s. Great guitar.

[rover 623gsi]

I saw It Bites a few times - awesome band. Francis Dunnery solo stuff is v good too.