|
< h 1> ACOUSTIC G U I T A R S F O R C H I L D R E N < / h 1 > < / c e n t e r >
B e l o w i s a s h o r t l i s t o f q u a l i t y g u i t a r s t h a t a r e s u i t a b l e f o r c h i l d r e n . T h e l i s t i s b y n o m e a n s e x h a u s t i v e , b u t s h o w s s o m e o f t h e b e s t k n o w n a n d t r u s t e d b r a n d n a m e s a n d d e a l e r s i n t h e Seattle a r e a . T o e n s u r e y o u r c h i l d's f i r s t e x p e r i e n c e w i t h a g u i t a r i s a g o o d o n e , i t i s i m p o r t a n t t o h a v e a n i n s t r u m e n t t h a t i s e a s y t o p l a y a n d p r o d u c e s a p l e a s i n g s o u n d . B u y i n g a nice g u i t a r i s a n i n v e s t m e n t , b u t a w o r t h w h i l e o n e . Q u a l i t y g u i t a r s , i f t r e a t e d w i t h c a r e , d e p r e c i a t e v e r y l i t t l e o r e v e n a p p r e c i a t e i n v a l u e o v e r t i m e . < p>
**I M P O R T A N T : I s t r o n g l y r e c o m m e n d a < u > < b > n y l o n s t r i n g g u i t a r < / b > f o r b e g i n n e r s , e s p e c i a l l y y o u n g c h i l d r e n . I h a v e h e a r d r e c e n t l y t h a t s o m e f o l k s o u t t h e r e a r e r e c o m m e n d i n g y o u n g c h i l d r e n s t a r t o u t o n s t e e l s t r i n g g u i t a r s . A s a g u i t a r t e a c h e r o f y o u n g c h i l d r e n , I s i m p l y c a n n o t a g r e e ! S o m e c h i l d r e n c a n o v e r c o m e t h e d i f f i c u l t y , b u t t h e f a c t i s t h a t s t e e l s t r i n g s a r e m u c h h a r d e r t o p u s h d o w n t h a n n y l o n , a n d t h e y a r e p a i n f u l o n l i t t l e f i n g e r s . I h a v e s e e n s t u d e n t s g i v e u p o n t h e g u i t a r altogether b e c a u s e t h e s t e e l s t r i n g s w e r e t o o h a r d t o w o r k w i t h a n d t h e p a r e n t s d i d n o t w a n t t o p u r c h a s e a n o t h e r g u i t a r . W h y m a k e l e a r n i n g t h e g u i t a r e v e n m o r e d i f f i c u l t f o r y o u r c h i l d ? G o with n y l o n ! After a year or so of playing, the student will have developed greater hand strength as well as fingertip callouses, and then it will be much easier to switch to steel strings, if desired.< p>
**A l s o i m p o r t a n t . I t i s n o t r e a l l y r e c o m m e n d e d t o p u t n y l o n s t r i n g s o n s t e e l s t r i n g g u i t a r s . T h e g u i t a r s a r e b u i l t d i f f e r e n t l y a n d t h e r e s u l t m a y b e t h a t i t s o u n d s b a d o r p l a y s p o o r l y . Y o u c o u l d t r y i t . . . b u t i t ' s n o t r e c o m m e n d e d . < p >
< c e n t e r > < h 2> R ECOMMENDED GUITARS < / c e n t e r > < / h 2 >
1 . J A S M I N E b y T a k a m i n e - - T h i s i s m y t o p p i c k f o r k i d s g u i t a r s . T h e y a r e g r e a t q u a l i t y , r e a s o n a b l y p r i c e d , a n d o f f e r n y l o n s t r i n g g u i t a r s i n f o u r d i f f e r e n t s i z e s f o r a r e a l l y c o m f o r t a b l e f i t ! T h e y a l l c o m e w i t h a g i g b a g . < b r >
P r i c e R a n g e : U n d e r $ 1 5 0 . W h e r e t o B u y i n S e a t t l e : < a h r e f = h t t p : / / w w w . a m e r i c a n m u s i c . c o m / c o n t a c t . h t m > A m e r i c a n M u s i c < / a > , < a h r e f = http://www.dustystrings.com/shop/index.shtml > D u s t y S t r i n g s < / a > , < a h r e f = h t t p : / / w w w . r o s e w o o d g u i t a r . c o m / c l a s s i c . h t m l > R o s e w o o d G u i t a r < / a > < p >
2 . A M I o r A M I N Y L O N b y A r t & L u t h e r i e - - S i z e d f o r a g e s 1 0 a n d u p . T h e A M I i s m o d e l e d a f t e r t h e d i m e n s i o n s o f a P a r l o r g u i t a r f r o m t h e e a r l y 1 9 0 0 ' s . I t i s c o m p a c t e n o u g h f o r k i d s t o h o l d c o m f o r t a b l y a n d m a k e s a g r e a t s t a r t e r g u i t a r . Important: I t is a v a i l a b l e in a n y l o n -s t r i n g OR steel-string model, so make sure you know which model you are buying . P r i c e R a n g e : $ 1 5 0 - 2 0 0 . W h e r e t o b u y : < a h r e f = h t t p : / / w w w . a m e r i c a n m u s i c . c o m / c o n t a c t . h t m > A m e r i c a n M u s i c < / a > , < a h r e f = http://www.dustystrings.com/shop/index.shtml> D u s t y S t r i n g s < / a >
3 . O L Y M P I A P A R L O R G U I T A R S b y T a c o m a - - A g e s 7 - 1 2 . O l y m p i a g u i t a r s , b a s s e s , a n d m a n d o l i n s a r e d e s i g n e d i n t h e U S A b y t h e T a c o m a G u i t a r s t e a m o f r e s p e c t e d l u t h i e r s . Made o f f s h o r e , they a r e e n g i n e e r e d , s e t - u p , a n d i n s p e c t e d i n T a c o m a . Go o d s o u n d a n d i n t o n a t i o n , d u r a b l e c o n s t r u c t i o n , 1 y e a r w a r r a n t y . T h e O C 2 model h a s n y l o n s t r i n g s ; s t e e l s t r i n g m o d e l s a l s o a v a i l a b l e .
P r i c e R a n g e : U n d e r $ 1 5 0 . W h e r e t o B u y : < a h r e f = h t t p : / / w w w . g u i t a r v i l l e . c o m / c o n t a c t u s . a s p > G u i t a r v i l l e C o r p < / a >
< c e n t e r > O THER GUITARS < / c e n t e r >
I d o u b t y o u 'l l f i n d b e t t e r q u a l i t y f o r t h e p r i c e than what I have listed here. However, I f y o u ' r e d e t e r m i n e d t o g o a f t e r a y a r d s a l e o r p a w n s h o p b a r g a i n , o r d i g o u t t h a t o l d g u i t a r u n c l e E d l e f t i n t h e g a r a g e t e n y e a r s a g o , h e r e a r e s o m e t h i n g s t o keep in mind: < p >
1 . A N y l o n - S t r i n g G u i t a r i s b e s t f o r b e g i n n e r s e s p e c i a l l y i f t h e y a r e k i d s . ( O r w i m p y a d u l t s . ) I f y o u a r e y o u t o u g h - if you e n j o y g e t t i n g t a t t o o s , for instance - t h e n b y a l l m e a n s , a s t e e l s t r i n g g u i t a r i s f o r y o u ! < p>
2 . M a k e s u r e t h e g u i t a r f i t s t h e s t u d e n t w e l l . D o e s s h e o r h e l o o k c o m f o r t a b l e h o l d i n g i t ? I f s / h e c a n ' t r e a c h all the way a r o u n d i t , o r i t k e e p s f a l l i n g o f f h i s / h e r l a p b e c a u s e i t w e i g h s m o r e t h a n s / h e d o e s , i t ' s p r o b a b l y t o o b i g . If the student has the guitar in her lap, she s h o u l d b e a b l e t o e a s i l y put her left hand on top of the headstock and simultaneously put her right hand on the rump of the guitar . < p >
3 . I r e a l l y e n c o u r a g e b u y i n g l o c a l s o y o u c a n t r y t h e g u i t a r o u t b e f o r e y o u b u y . A l t h o u g h y o u c a n s o m e t i m e s f i n d l o w e r p r i c e s o n b r a n d n a m e s b y s h o p p i n g o n t h e w e b , y o u m a y f i n d t h e p a r t i c u l a r g u i t a r y o u g e t i s n o t a g o o d f i t o r t h a t i t n e e d s a tune-up b e f o r e i t w i l l be easy to p l a y . < p >
4 . I f i t's a u s e d g u i t a r m a k e s u r e t h e r e a r e n o c r a c k s a n y w h e r e . A w o r n o r c h i p p e d i n s t r u m e n t may s t i l l p l a y w e l l , b u t i f i t h a s c r a c k s i t m a y n o t s t a y i n t u n e . A l s o l o o k f o r a n y l o o s e p a r t s . Especially check the bridge to make sure it is securely glued on, and the tuning pegs, to make sure they turn easily and are not rusted, coming unscrewed or so worn that they are losing traction and about to give way. Y o u r $ 5 y a r d s a l e g u i t a r could wind up needing $ 7 5 in r e p a i r s otherwise.< p>
5 . A c t i o n - t h i s i s t h e s p a c e b e t w e e n t h e s t r i n g s a n d t h e f i n g e r b o a r d . I t i s e s p e c i a l l y i m p o r t a n t o n s t e e l s t r i n g g u i t a r s . I d e a l l y t h e a c t i o n s h o u l d n o t b e t o o h i g h o r t o o l o w . T o c h e c k t h e a c t i o n t r y t o p u t y o u r f i n g e r u n d e r the l o w E s t r i n g , b e t w e e n t h e s t r i n g a n d t h e f i n g e r b o a r d . I f a n a d u l t f i n g e r g o e s i n t h e r e , w i t h o u t b e n d i n g t h e s t r i n g , t h e a c t i o n i s way t o o h i g h . N o w , t r y p l u c k i n g o n e o p e n s t r i n g a t a t i m e . D o y o u h e a r a n y a n n o y i n g b u z z i n g s o u n d s ? I f s o , t h e a c t i o n m a y b e t o o l o w . < p>
6 . I f e v e r y t h i n g e l s e a b o u t t h e g u i t a r l o o k s g o o d b u t t h e a c t i o n i s j u s t a b i t t o o h i g h o r l o w , it's possible that t h i s c a n b e f i x e d . A d j u s t i n g t h e a c t i o n ( a " s e t - u p " ) w i l l c o s t b e t w e e n $ 4 0 - 7 0 d e p e n d i n g w h e r e y o u t a k e i t . ( < a h r e f = h t t p : / / w w w . g u i t a r e m p o r i u m . c o m > G u i t a r E m p o r i u m < / a > d o e s g o o d w o r k a t a v e r y f a i r p r i c e ) . However - t h i s i s i m p o r t a n t - i f i t ' s a s t e e l s t r i n g guitar , i t s h o u l d h a v e a n a d j u s t a b l e < u > t r u s s r o d < / u > . T h i s m e t a l r o d is inside the neck of the guitar, and i s u s e d t o a d j u s t t h e a n g l e o f t h e n e c k . W i t h o u t a t r u s s r o d , i t m a y b e v e r y d i f f i c u l t i f n o t i m p o s s i b l e t o a d j u s t t h e a c t i o n . To check if there is a truss rod, look inside the soundhole at the base of the neck. If you see a small metal circle that looks like the tip of a tiny pipe, that's the truss rod. (Most steel string guitars have them.)< p >
< c e n t e r > < h 2 > R E C O M M E N D E D S E A T T L E A R E A D E A L E R S < / c e n t e r > < / h 2 >
< a h r e f = h t t p : / / w w w . a m e r i c a n m u s i c . c o m / c o n t a c t . h t m > A M E R I C A N M U S I C < b r >
4 4 5 0 F r e m o n t A v e N . , S e a t t l e , ( 2 0 6 ) 6 3 3 - 1 7 7 4 < p >
< a h r e f = http://www.dustystrings.com/shop/index.shtml>D U S T Y S T R I N G S A C O U S T I C M U S I C S H O P < b r >
3 4 0 6 F r e m o n t A v e n u e N . , S e a t t l e , ( 2 0 6 ) 6 3 4 - 1 6 6 2 < p >
< a h r e f = h t t p : / / w w w . g u i t a r e m p o r i u m . c o m >G U I T A R E M P O R I U M < b r >
5 3 4 9 B a l l a r d A v e N W ( 2 0 6 ) 7 8 3 - 7 6 0 7 w w w . g u i t a r e m p o r i u m . c o m < p >
< a h r e f = h t t p : / / w w w . g u i t a r v i l l e . c o m / c o n t a c t u s . a s p >G U I T A R V I L L E C O R P < b r >
1 9 2 5 8 1 5 t h A v e N E , S h o r e l i n e , W A ( 2 0 6 ) 3 6 3 - 8 1 8 8 < p >
< a h r e f = h t t p : / / w w w . r o s e w o o d g u i t a r . c o m / c l a s s i c . h t m l > R O S E W O O D G U I T A R < b r >
8 4 0 2 G r e e n w o o d A v e n u e N . , ( 2 0 6 ) 2 9 7 - 8 7 8 8
|