|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,730
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,730 |
My first guitar was also a harmony classical from a wholesale box store. It came with a book for beginner songs I played every day for a couple hours. I then bought a takamine steel string acoustic in 1975 still have it and still on occasion play it. For the right kid it is a great gift. My wife suffers from really small handistis she could never form the large chords on a guitar, so I bought her a very nice use, and she loves that thing. She had never played an instrument, but has learned to play a fair selection of chords.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992
PG Music Staff
|
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992 |
The title pretty much says it all…..I’m looking for my 10 year old grandson’s first guitar!! I’d love to hear inputs regarding this so that he hopefully gets turned on to playing the acoustic guitar!!!
Thanks for your insights,
Cecil I have a question. Is your grandson big enough to handle a full size acoustic guitar? Or will he need a 3/4 size guitar? Note stay away from 1/2 size guitars; I haven't seen one yet that was worth buying. This is from experience as I have seen a number of young/small in size students with them. This was something as a very eager 9 year old that I wish someone had asked before I got my first guitar. I feel like it was massive in comparison to how little I was at the time!
Cheers,
Ember
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2022
Posts: 1
Newbie
|
|
Newbie
Joined: May 2022
Posts: 1 |
A Nice squire is never wrong. Cheap and sounds well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 878
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 878 |
Don't spend a lot. Most people don't stick with it.
The tuner is a good idea.
Be sure to get him 2 months of weekly lessons.
Make sure the teacher can show him tunes he likes.
Doesn't matter the genre, just simple 3 chord tunes.
Get him hooked on the instrument. If he likes it, he'll do the hard work.
Don't start him off learning "The Volga Boatman" from Alfreds Basic Guitar Method.
He'll quit in a week.
In my years of playing noone has ever called for that tune, either in the audience or from the bandstand.
Now "Blue Tailed Fly", that's a story for another time.
biab2025(Mac) Latest Build
Mac OS (Latest)
Apple Mac Mini M2 pro 32GB Ram
Logic Pro (latest or pretty close)
Heddon Super Spook XT (Mullet)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,504
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,504 |
Don't spend a lot. Most people don't stick with it.
The tuner is a good idea.
Be sure to get him 2 months of weekly lessons.
Make sure the teacher can show him tunes he likes.
Doesn't matter the genre, just simple 3 chord tunes.
Get him hooked on the instrument. If he likes it, he'll do the hard work.
............... A tuner is a mandatory purchase when buying a string instrument. I respectfully disagree with your teaching methods. The last music store I taught in had two guitar instructors. One taught via songs. I, on the other hand, am old school and taught reading music from day one. If they practiced and did well I would throw in fun stuff like songs. If they did not keep doing well on the basics I would stop the fun stuff. I found this to be a better way of teaching and the students get to read music and in many cases a few years later they learned music theory. Actually I had very few quit. The other instructor was an excellent guitarist. He got the teenagers who only wanted to play songs and the instructor was perfect for them. I got everyone else and had about twice as many students. The parents appreciated my method because their kids were learning the instrument and that is what the parents wanted because they were paying the bills. YMMV
The bumper sticker said "I'm a veterinarian, therefore I can drive like an animal".
Suddenly I realized how many proctologists are on the road.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 647
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 647 |
I got the cheapest guitar I could find and a Bob Dylan song book in 1965 back in the folk era. Still have the guitar but lost the book. I still like to play songs that I enjoy, mostly campfire stuff through old favourites like Irish Eyes to really modern things like John Denver.
Never had guitar lessons and I can only find individual notes on the first 3 frets but it's enough for me
I did buy a 12 string, an electric strat, a mandolin and a banjo for fun.
Don't play as much now
BIAB for Windows Version 2019 (643)
Windows 10 (1909)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 621
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 621 |
I gotta wonder how many kids express an interest in learning an instrument and give up after a relatively short time because they are given cheap, substandard instruments that sound like crap and are actually painful to play fight with.
Not many people are going to stick with something if the experience is unpleasant.
Byron Dickens BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency. https://soundcloud.com/athanorsoundlabs
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 745
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 745 |
My first guitar was made with leftover wood from a fence post! :-)
Personally, if looking for a cheap acoustic guitar I would look at a Recording King Dirty 30's. They do come in sizes.
For an electric, I would look at at Squier.
...Deb
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 647
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 647 |
I took the steel strings off and replaced them with nylon. Looking back, the action is a bit too high, but it's not significant over the first 3 frets so I didn't notice. I had no expectation or intention to be a good guitarist, just someone who could strum along at a party or campfire. Even today my skills are probably much the same and that's OK. sometimes it's the parents who expect more than the child is prepared to deliver. Sometimes it's just fun
BIAB for Windows Version 2019 (643)
Windows 10 (1909)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Order now!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,021
Posts799,028
Members40,011
| |
Most Online44,367
Mar 4th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean