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My brother wants to build a guitar for his 10 year old son. He wants to have it finished by Christmas and I told him that a kit would give him the only possible shot at getting it finished by then. I’ll be helping him, but I don’t have the time to take him through the whole process from scratch.

So, anyone know of a small guitar kit? I’m thinking that he’ll need a short scale also.

What scale length would be best for a kid?

One option is to use the Stewmac Triple 0 kit and cut down the depth of the box to make it easier to reach around, but that would still leave a 25.4” scale.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

even full size that is a pretty small box. I started playing when I was 10 and managed to learn on a full size dread.

I would think a triple 0-12 would be fine.

If you are going to consider the option of NOT building a kit, I think a single 0-12 would do the job with a 24.9 scale.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I don't know of anyone that builds a "Baby" (to steal a name from Taylor) kit. A good starter guitar by the way is the Taylor "Baby". The price is reasonable. A lot of work and money goes into a hand built, even a kit will run in the $400-$500 range for kit and misc material. I would have a hard time sugesting to build for a 10 year old anyway.

I had a client get pretty mad at me last year when asked how much to build a 3/4 size for his kid. I did the math and it still cost near the same as a OM. He thought half as big, it should be - half the time - halve the cost!!! afraid not

Bruce,

My oldest son is 10 and he has been playing a full-size dread (25.4" scale) since he was 6 with no problems. My second son is 9, and he recently began playing with one of my full-size dreads as well. I started building a guitar for my 9-year old a few weeks back, and he wants the same size dread he is playing now.

My kids are on the small size for their age, and I don't think the size is a problem for them at all.

If you chose a parlor guitar size and shape it could easily be played by a child but also makes a great other guitar for duets.

Sting is a player who especially likes smaller body guitars and plays them in concert as well as on recordings. He owns 2 Martin 5's, a Ditson #1 (think of a dreadnaught shape with about 4 inches taken out of the middle (about 12.5" lower bout) as well as several antique guitars.

Two of Martin's newest guitars are a signature edition Sting #5 (only 50 made) and Claire's guitar (#5 made for Chris Martin's daughter).

John Hall has molds and patterns for small Martin's and also puts together kits...I would ask him to help to get together a kit that would help you top build a smaller 1, 2 or 0 Martin style.

In two years, if he's still playing, he'll want a full-size guitar anyway, 'cause he won't want to be seen with a "kiddie" instrument. Also, just in case he actually gets good as a player, he's going to want better upper-fret access than a 12-fret will afford. All-in-all, I'd suggest a 14-fret OOO style with an easy-play setup.

Thanks for the help, guys. It sounds like the Triple 0 will be a viable option. I've got an email in to John Hall - hopefully he'll be able to come up with something too.

Michael - I suggested the Taylor Baby, but my brother still wants to build one.

Bruce,
I was perusing web sites of builders on the site and noticed Dave Rector of Rector guitars had built a smaller looking guitar for his grandson I believe? Maybe he has another to sell to you? Maybe he can help you out.
Mark

Just my two cents...I have Two children both under 10 years old...I gave my son (5yr old) a $25 acoustic...he took his crayon box to it and "customized it". I gave my older daughter (she's gonna be 8 soon) an Erlewine travel guitar...because it's small scale and she wanted to learn how to play. She played it all of 5 times . I then bought both of them (each) a Fender squire mini strat with an amp. My daughter played it once. My son has played his maybe a dozen times and dropped it on the floor as many. My point is building a guitar for a 10 year old isn't a real good idea. A lot of times folks don't realize all the work involved and just figure "hey wouldn't it be neat...". I have played and owned a baby taylor ( as well as Laravee's version... a nice baby KOA) and I honestly think the best advice you could give him is to buy one for his son. Then if the boy realy wants to learn to play maybe his uncle could make one for him someday that would truely be appreciated and cherished. Just my two cents...

Not that the boy wouldn't cherish and appreciate it... just when he's a little older he might be able to understand a little more about what, where,and how it came about.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

I agree whole heartedly Dave. Even if a ten year old has been playing for a couple years It is not likely they have formed there real concept of value yet. I am not at all knocking anyone’s kids, but in the best of conditions it is usually 14-18 before the concept of sweat equity and its value registers with a child.

Now if the Father wants to build a guitar from a kit and take the responsibility for it's care on himself and use said guitar to teach the 10 year old on that is another matter. Then the father, son or whole family can take responsibility and ownership in the instrument.
MichaelP38594.4212037037

Not that I think that is bad advice... I don't. It is wise.

However, I had a pretty nice guitar at 10. I played it practially every day until I went to college, then I picked up that same guitar again in my 20's.

I still have that same guitar to this very day. It is still in great shape too.

I think it depends on the kid whether he is ready for a nice guitar or not.Brock Poling38594.4452662037

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Wow, Brock you had that guitar when you were 10 and still play it? The darn thing must be at least 125 years old right?
I think Brock has a pretty good point. I bought my older daugher a pretty nice violin for her 7th birthday. It was an amazing day for me as well as her because it's the only gift from me that she really loved. I mean LOVED. We started lessons a few weeks later and she's played it everyday since.
I think if you instill the fact that it is a very valuable instrument that needs to be treated as such, it just might be respected the way it should be.

My 8 year old son is starting to build his first guitar this fall. A size 5. He has been working on bridges and fret boards as well as other things around the shop this last year. A nice size 5 blows away a baby taylor and is still lots of fun to play as an Adult. One of my main guitars is the first size 5 I built. By building his own I think my son will take real pleasure in it. At the same time I am thinking we might build it as a Tenor guitar so he will only have to play 4 strings. Haven't decided yet. All htis said, I believe that although Martin only advertises a few kits they often have parts around to put together other models. I have seen size 5 martin kits as well as 0 and 00 kits for sale on ebay, not true kits but all the parts to build one.

Now ther is a good idea, have the kid deeply involved in the building. This would ingrain a meaningful value. What a great life lesson

I am also starting to teach my son how to french polish. He is really excited about that because I have told himn that when he gets good enough to start doing guitars for customers I will pay him $200 per guitar. Ok no coments about child labour please

I was just reading an article in GAL, I think it was a transcription of a presentation that Richard Brune made at one of the GAL conventions. He said he had his son Marshall french polish a guitar for the first time, it was the easiest $500 he's ever made. After that he could never get him to mow the lawn. So be careful :)

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

I can see both sides of the argument here. On one hand, a kid can't appreciate a good guitar, but then again, a cheap guitar wouldn't necessarily inspire a kid to play. In my case I got a cheap guitar when I was eleven. It was horrible. High action, awful tone, and wouldn’t stay in tune. I quickly got frustrated and gave up. Of course, a Baby Taylor is a big step up from my old crappy guitar.

Thanks again for your input. I’ll share your collective wisdom with my brother and let you know what he decides.

I think that I’ll suggest a compromise route. Maybe get a Baby Taylor and then personalize it by installing some flamed maple binding, custom inlay, and top it off with a shiny finish.

Now that sounds like a winner! You could put the boy's name on it! What 10 yr old wouldn't love that!

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Now that I think about it, anybody know if the Baby has kerfed lining, or are the top and back glued directly to the sides?

I built 3 quite nice acoustic guitars for my sons. While they like and play them, they prefer playing electrics...easier to fret...lower action, etc. They are more motivated playing their own genre of music and the electrics fit that criterion and inspire them more for now. Their teachers are also more electric-inclined.

I would vote for a StewMac Tele or Strat kit...you'll finish it a lot faster as well. Could be the reason why we're building the Tele kit together. Whatever keeps them out of trouble is fine with me.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Bruce, Grizzly has some inexpensive acoustic kits ($89). I haven't ever seen one but they may be another option. It looks like most of the work is already done for you but it would give him the chance to customize it.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Musicians Friend - when on Sale - Squire mini Strat - $99.00 Short scale easy to play....can't beat it!

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Well, I talked to my brother some more tonight. I've finally convinced him of the enormity of the task if he wants to build a kit. (That, and his wife looked at the price of kits ) Anyway, he's looking at the Grizzly kit now (Thanks, Don) and I told him that I'll help with setting the action/intonation. BTW, his son is left handed, so that cuts down his options.

Thanks again guys.

I bought one of the Grizzly Classical kits and was not very impressed. I admit that for $89 you shouldn't expect much, and it isn't. Mostly basswood. Box is premade. Neck is mounted with dowels into the heel block, and a glue in steel bar stiffens it all. The more I worked on it the less inclined I was to finish it. The bright side of that - it's the reason I'm here and already own more tonewood than I'll likely use in my lifetime.

The Grizzly electric kits look pretty nice.

[QUOTE=Jerry Hossom] I bought one of the Grizzly Classical kits and was not very impressed. I admit that for $89 you shouldn't expect much, and it isn't. Mostly basswood. Box is premade. Neck is mounted with dowels into the heel block, and a glue in steel bar stiffens it all. The more I worked on it the less inclined I was to finish it. The bright side of that - it's the reason I'm here and already own more tonewood than I'll likely use in my lifetime.

The Grizzly electric kits look pretty nice. [/QUOTE]

It has to be better than my first guitar, bottom of the line Montgomery Wards. Had to string it with nylon to play it.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA