Finding the best acoustic guitar for kids is tricky because there are so many different children’s guitar options to choose from. One of the best options to go with is a children’s guitar starter pack because it has everything your child will need to learn guitar. Most bundle packs include strings, picks, a tuner, and a guitar bag or case.
Starting your child out learning an instrument, especially the guitar, at a young age is great for their development. Learning to play guitar teaches discipline, the importance of practice, and gives kids the ability to express their creativity with music and others. Plus, your kids can learn your favorite songs. 🙂
Let’s check out some of the most popular kids guitar bundles and packages for kids.
Click Below to Compare the Top Kids Guitar Packs
Contents
- 1 Click Below to Compare the Top Kids Guitar Packs
- 1.1 Yamaha JR1 3/4-Scale Acoustic Guitar Bundle
- 1.2 Crescent MG38-CF 38″ Acoustic Guitar Starter Package
- 1.3 Arcadia DL36NA 36″ Acoustic Guitar Pack
- 1.4 Gibson Innovations 6 String Maestro Mini-Acoustic
- 1.5 Yamaha JR2 Junior-Size Acoustic Guitar
- 1.6 Martin LX1 Acoustic Guitar
- 1.7 Yamaha FG JR1 3/4 Size Acoustic Guitar
- 1.8 Taylor Swift Signature Baby Taylor Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- 1.9 Yamaha APXT2 3/4-Size Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- 1.10 Rogue Starter Acoustic Guitar
- 1.11 Luna Aurora Borealis 3/4 Acoustic Guitar
- 1.12 Hohner HAG250P 1/2 Sized Classical Guitar
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here is a list of the best kids acoustic guitars that will help your child learn how to play guitar and fall in love with music.
- Yamaha JR1 3/4-Scale Kids Guitar Bundle
- Crescent MG38-CF 38″ Acoustic Guitar Starter Package
- Arcadia DL36NA 36″ Kids Guitar Pack
- Gibson Innovations 6 String Maestro Mini-Acoustic
- Yamaha JR2 Junior-Size Childrens Guitar
- Martin LX1 Kid Guitar
- Yamaha FG JR1 3/4 Size Acoustic Guitar
- Taylor Swift Signature Baby Taylor
- Yamaha APXT2 3/4-Size Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- Rogue Starter Acoustic Guitar
- Luna Aurora Borealis 3/4 Acoustic Guitar
- Hohner HAG250P 1/2 Sized Classical Guitar
Yamaha JR1 3/4-Scale Acoustic Guitar Bundle
Specs, features, and benefits
As a leading musical instrument manufacturer, Yamaha offers instruments to all levels of musicians. It understands that it is today’s beginner that becomes tomorrow’s legend. It therefore ensures that just as it pays attention to the provision of quality instruments to the pros, it also does same for the young beginner.
This acoustic guitar bundle contains practically everything your kid needs to start playing. The bundle is built around the Yamaha JR1 3/4-scale acoustic guitar.
It is built with a Spruce top, a Meranti back and sides and a Nato neck with Rosewood fingerboard and bridge.
The size makes it perfect for the young player while its tone and playability makes continuous play a pleasure.
The bundle also includes a gig bag, a clip-on tuner, extra strings, a string winder, picks and even a polishing cloth for keeping your guitar clean.
On top of all these, you also get an guitar education video DVD to help with getting started on the guitar with ease.
Pros and Highlights
- Bundle – It includes everything you need to get started.
- Quality – It is well built and does not show bad craftsmanship.
- Playability – It is setup to make playing easy for beginners.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Sound – The sound is okay for its price. You cannot expect too much.
Bottom Line
This is a great starter pack which can also be used by more experienced players who need a travel guitar. For its very affordable price, it is practically a steal.
Crescent MG38-CF 38″ Acoustic Guitar Starter Package
Specs, features, and benefits
This bundle from Crescent just makes it possible for almost everyone to be able to afford a guitar for their kid. You may not find any other bundle that will offer this kind of value at its price point.
What’s in the bundle?
The main item in the bundle is the Crescent MG38-CF 38 inch acoustic guitar. This mid-sized guitar is built with Linden binding and wood while the fingerboard is made of Rosewood. With steel strings, you will get a bright, loud sound from this baby.
Aside from the guitar, the bundle comes with practically all you will need to get started. These include: a gig bag, extra set of strings, strap, pick guard, pick and a pitch pipe tuner.
All your kid needs to do is simply pick the guitar up, tune it and begin to play. This makes learning easy on everyone especially your pocket.
Pros and Highlights
- Sound – It delivers a loud bright sound.
- Cost – It is very affordable
- Bundle – It comes with most of what any beginner will need to get started.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Strings – It may not be able to handle the tension that steel strings will exert.
Bottom Line
This guitar is ideal for anyone who does not care about name brands and wants to spend as little as possible on a beginner guitar. This acoustic guitar bundle offers most of what your kid will need to get started. You can always upgrade later as they get better.
Arcadia DL36NA 36″ Acoustic Guitar Pack
Specs, features, and benefits
Arcadia Guitar Company has one mission and that is to offer guitars that are easy to own and easy to play. It offers this half-size guitar targeted not just at the beginner but also intermediate players who require this size of guitar. Its laminate Spruce top and laminate Linden back and sides, coupled with the high quality internal bracing all contribute to the balanced, resonant tone that this guitar delivers.
Its neck is made of Mahogany with Rosewood fretboard, smoothened nicely to encourage easy play. The featured hardware like the double action truss rod which make neck adjustment very easy and the die cast tuners that aid precise tuning are all of good quality.
Also included in the bundle are: a gig bag, clip-on tuner, extra sets of strings, picks, strap, a guitar guide and a chord chart.
Pros and Highlights
- Sound – You may actually find the sound to be better that you will expect for the price.
- Playability – It has a shorter scale length and a neck that generally enhances playability.
- Accessories – It comes with good quality extras to make it easier to get started.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Gig bag – The included gig bag is of poor quality.
Bottom Line
This is a well-made guitar that will suit both a beginner and a small sized intermediate player. It actually has a well-balanced, resonant sound that you may find surprising given its price. You should certainly go for this if you want a good sounding guitar on a budget.
Gibson Innovations 6 String Maestro Mini-Acoustic
Specs, features, and benefits
Whenever we hear of Gibson guitars, we just expect that they will cost an arm and a leg. This expectation is understandable given the brand’s reputation. Gibson has however gone out of its usual mold to offer this very affordable acoustic guitar designed for kids or for use as a traveling guitar.
This guitar is a 3/4 size guitar that features a Spruce top, Basswood back and sides and a Maple neck. It has a shorter scale length which makes is easier to play and therefore ideal for beginners and younger players.
This guitar spots a sunburst finish that is both vintage looking and at the same time gorgeous. The highlight added by the white ply binding serves to further enhance its aesthetic value.
For tuning efficiency and precision, it comes with chrome plated tuning machines. These are not just efficient but also durable.
This guitar not only looks good but also sounds good. It also includes a gig bag for easy transporting.
Pros and Highlights
- Appearance – It is a well-built and well finished guitar.
- Sound – It has a good sound.
- Playability – It’s quite easy and fun to play.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Strings – The included strings may be of poor quality.
Bottom Line
If you love all things Gibson and will want to have one for a beginner around you, then this is a very affordable Gibson guitar designed for beginners. While it may not offer the quality other top level Gibson guitars may offer, it offers good value.
Yamaha JR2 Junior-Size Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
This is another offering from Yamaha. We earlier looked at the Yamaha J1 but we will now be looking at the J2 junior size 33 inch acoustic guitar.
This guitar is another 3/4 size one designed for beginners, younger players and for use as a traveling guitar. It has a Spruce top, a Mahogany back and sides, a Nato neck and a Rosewood fretboard and bridge. This is a compact guitar that is modeled after Yamaha’s popular FG series.
This guitar also comes as part of a bundle. The bundle includes a clip-on tuner to help you keep the guitar tuned at all times, a gig bag for easy transportation and storage, extra strings for emergencies, a string winder for easy stringing, picks (if choose to use them) and a polishing cloth for keeping your guitar clean. It also comes with an instructional DVD to properly get the beginner acoustic guitar player started.
This guitar can also effectively serve as a travel guitar.
Pros and Highlights
- Quality – It is a well-built guitar.
- Sound – It has a sound that rivals some more expensive models.
- Accessories – It comes with sensible accessories for beginners.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Strap – No provision is made for a shoulder strap.
Bottom Line
This is a guitar that offers very good value. Its quality is okay and the accessories that come with it are well thought out. This will serve not just a beginner or small sized player but anyone who needs a very affordable travel guitar.
Martin LX1 Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
For a brand more known for high-end guitars, the Martin LX1 or Little Martin is one of the brand’s offering to beginners or younger players. Don’t let this deceive you, it’s a Martin and it does hold its own as a Martin.
The body comprises of a solid Sitka Spruce top, Mahogany patterned high pressure laminate (HPL) back and sides, a Rust Stratabond neck and an East Indian Rosewood (or solid Morado) fingerboard.
The hardware on this guitar are also of good quality. The Tusq saddle and tuning machine with small chrome knobs all contribute to this guitar’s immense playability.
It delivers a sound that is fuller and more robust than most other guitars of its size. The fact that the sides and back are made of HPL totally becomes a non-issue when its sound hits you.
A gig bag is also thrown in to help you transport and protect the guitar more easily.
Pros and Highlights
- Top brand – It’s a well-respected brand and it lives up to the name.
- Sound – It has a full, warm sound.
- Playability – It has a shorter scale and is built to make play easy.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Durability – The HPL may begin to come apart after a while.
Bottom Line
This guitar is way more than a beginner guitar though it can effectively be used as that. Its quality is beyond what most beginner guitars offer which is why you will likely find a lot of professionals using this as a travel guitar.
Yamaha FG JR1 3/4 Size Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
It’s Yamaha again but this time rather than a bundle, it is simply offering the guitar. The Yamaha JR1 is the guitar in one of the bundles we looked at above.
This guitar is highly rated because it was designed and built in the mold of one of the brand’s legendary guitars – the FG series. This is however designed for younger or small-handed players who find full-sized guitars uncomfortable to play.
The thought that goes into the creation of any of these guitars begins to show from the tonewoods used. These are carefully selected to achieve the best tone at a very affordable cost.
This guitar has a Spruce top, Meranti body, Nato neck and Rosewood fingerboard. All these combine to deliver a tone that is solid and bright. They also add to its aesthetic value.
This is a very affordable but good quality beginner guitar that your kids will love and find quite easy to play.
Pros and Highlights
- Quality – It is well-built and the different components well put together.
- Sound – It offers a solid, full tone.
- Playability – It is very easy to play and will make learning fun.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Accessories – It doesn’t come with any other accessory aside from a gig bag.
Bottom Line
This is an ideal first time guitar. It is affordable but offers good value. Your kid will appreciate it and find it easy to learn with. You can also use it as an adult if you require a travel guitar.
Taylor Swift Signature Baby Taylor Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Taylor Guitars is regarded as the foremost manufacturer of acoustic guitars in the United States of America. The brand offers top quality guitars including custom made ones. As you will expect, these guitars usually do not come cheap.
This Baby Taylor guitar is a Taylor Swift signature piece. The term “baby” simply refers to its size. It is a 3/4-size guitar, making it ideal for smaller or younger players.
It features a Sitka top and Sapele body and neck. This guitar delivers a tone that is both full and bold. It also has an electronic section that makes connection to an amp smooth. It comes with Taylor’s new ES-B electronic system which includes an under-saddle pickup, a preamp and chromatic tuner.
You therefore have the choice of an acoustic sound or an amplified one. This offers more versatility, making it much more than just a beginner guitar.
Pros and Highlights
- Versatility – The added electronics gives it more sound and usage options.
- Sound – It has a full and bold sound.
- Extra – It comes with a good quality gig bag.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Cost – Some may consider it too expensive for use as a kid’s guitar.
Bottom Line
This is a great ¾-size guitar that is sure to wow both you and your kid. While this is called a Baby Taylor, it is a top quality product that everyone in the home will love to play. Totally get this if you don’t mind spending this much on your kid’s guitar.
Yamaha APXT2 3/4-Size Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
It’s yet another guitar from Yamaha. Have you heard about the Yamaha APX500III? Well just in case you have not, it is only one of the bestselling acoustic electric guitars from the brand. Now, this Yamaha APXT2 is just a smaller sized version of this all-time bestseller.
This guitar has a Spruce top, back and sides made of Meranti and fingerboard and bridge made of Rosewood. It is very well-made and offers a compact solution for musicians who require something smaller for road trips.
To further add to its appeal, it comes with System68 electronics. This includes a pickup system based on the ART (Acoustic Resonance Technology) which professionally amplifies the acoustic sound, a tone and volume control that helps you manage your sound and a built-in tuner that helps you ensure your instrument is constantly in tune.
Get this for yourself or your kid. Either of you will love it.
Pros and Highlights
- Quality – It feels great and sounds nice.
- Playability – It’s very easy to play so kids will love it.
- Electronics – It comes with decent electronics that sound good too.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Tuning machine – This is one thing that can be upgraded for improved quality.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a guitar that will serve your kids very well, this is one. It’s not necessarily a kid’s guitar, it’s just a smaller-sized one. You can actually also use it as an adult if you have small hands or need a travel guitar.
Rogue Starter Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
If there was ever a guitar that was made for kids, it is the Rogue Starter Acoustic Guitar. It is not a toy but a real guitar only slightly smaller than a full-sized guitar. It is important to note this so you do not get it for your very small kid.
This guitar was designed specifically for starters and so may not be of much value when the student has graduated from the “starter” stage.
It is a simply built guitar with a nice enough tone. It is lightweight (which helps playability) and surprisingly sturdy. Some users have reported that it can withstand a good amount of “unfriendly” attention from kids.
Since this was designed for kids or starters, it has an attractive color that your kid is sure to find interesting. Given the price of this guitar and what it offers, you can confidently say that it offers good value.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – It’s well-made and looks good.
- Lightweight – Its lightweight construction makes it great for kids.
- Cost – It’s really affordable.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Setup – It may require some adjustment for optimal performance.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a simple and really affordable guitar that will serve as a starter instrument for your kid, then you can consider this. Note that its size may be too big for children under the age of 11. This guitar makes no pretense of being what it is not. It is a simple, smaller-sized guitar that kids can learn on.
Luna Aurora Borealis 3/4 Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Luna Guitars has always been known for the creation of guitars that are comfortable and aesthetically engaging. The brand aims to deliver instruments that engage the full essence of the musician, from mind to soul and spirit. Since the musical journey needs to be groomed from youth, the brand offers products for both young and established players.
The Aurora Borealis 3/4 Acoustic Guitar is from the brand’s Aurora line which is aimed at student guitarists. It combines enhanced playability with affordability to offer beginners instruments they can be proud of.
This guitar features a Basswood top and body and Rosewood fretboard. The signature MOP moon inlay of the brand can be prominently seen around the sound hole. It is a very lovely guitar with loads of sparkles.
Aside from its tone, it also has a good sound.
Pros and Highlights
- Quality – It has a great tone and intonation.
- Playability – It is easy to play, making it ideal for beginners.
- Appearance – It is well-built and nicely finished.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Sparkles – It is very sparkly and so may not suit a boy.
Bottom Line
This is surely a lovely guitar to go for if one of the things you are looking for is a very flashy guitar. It’s a great guitar for your kid, but with all the sparkles, females may prefer it to males. Other than that, it is well-made, has good intonation and tone and is easy to play.
Hohner HAG250P 1/2 Sized Classical Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Hohner is a company of musicians with a special kind of passion for music and all things related to it. It is committed to offering musicians instruments that help them really enjoy their music.
Music knows no age so the brand has offered the Hohner HAG250P 1/2 Sized Classical Guitar for kids aged 4 to 7. Of course this age range will differ depending on the actual size of each child.
This guitar is made with Agathis – top back and sides. It is actually handcrafted which increases the quality of its construction.
As the name indicates, it is a Classical guitar so it comes with nylon strings of light gauge. This makes playing a lot easier for the little kids so they do not get scared off the guitar even before they’ve really started.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – It is really well-made and can take substantial abuse.
- Playability – Its shorter scale length, low action and light gauge nylon strings make it easy to play.
- Cost – It is very affordable.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Strings – You may need to get more appropriate strings to get the best out of it.
Bottom Line
If you have a kid aged between 3 and 7 who you want to introduce the guitar to, this is a good guitar to start with. It is purely a kids’ guitar. It’s not a toy, but an affordable half-size guitar meant to make playing easier for children.
What We Recommend and Why
It’s that time again when we have to pick a winner (at least for us) from the list of reviewed instruments. After duly considering all the features offered by the different guitars and the fact that our focus is acoustic guitar for kids, we reached a decision. Our pick for the top acoustic guitar for kids is the Yamaha JR2 Junior-Size Acoustic Guitar. While some other brands offered better quality in some areas, its cost, quality and the additional value it offered made it the winner for us.
