So, your kid or a kid in your life is looking to pick up the guitar. Perfect! Now, all you’ve left to do is pick the right instrument. While this can be an understandably daunting task, we’re here to help guide you to the right choice.
With so many guitars for kids, it’s understandable to have a few questions. Each guitar on this list has plenty of mileage to offer. And while it may be tempting to think something branded as a “kid’s guitar” has a short shelf life, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, many of these guitars are fantastic travel-friendly instruments, allowing your kids to practice wherever’s clever!
The key to learning a new instrument, especially as a young student, is to have fun doing it. Acoustics, electrics, classical-style guitars, and ukuleles are all fantastic instruments for starting what could become a lifetime of musical enrichment, expression, and experience. With all that in mind, let’s look at the best guitars and ukuleles for kids!
Best Sellers
Electric Guitar
Mini/Travel Guitar
Acoustic Guitar
Ukulele Starter Pack
Best Electric Guitars for Kids
Epiphone Power Players Les Paul Electric Guitar & Epiphone Power Players SG Electric Guitar
The truth is you're never too young to start rockin', and the Epiphone Power Players Series transforms Gibson hallmark designs into portable packages that pull no punches and provide a premier playing experience. Timeless models like the Les Paul and the SG (popularized by the likes of Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and AC/DC's Angus Young, respectively) have been faithfully realized as beginner-friendly axes. The Power Players' 22.73-inch scale length accommodates young players, those with smaller hands, and anyone looking for a travel guitar with a classic rock soul. Like their larger siblings, each of these guitar models comes outfitted with per-pickup tone and volume controls, helping newer players learn the nuances of finding their tone. With Epiphone-branded high-output humbuckers, these pint-sized guitars have a stadium-sized voice. Plus, Power Players guitars include all the essentials — strap, picks, instrument cable, and gig bag — so you're ready to rock right out of the box.
Squier Mini Strat Electric Guitar & Squier Mini Jazzmaster HH Electric Guitar
Few instruments can say so much with their shape alone. Yet, Leo Fender — with the help of Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares — would unveil the iconic double-cutaway Stratocaster in 1954, forever sealing the guitar's fate as a bona fide symbol of rock and roll. A few years later, Fender had a date with serendipity, releasing the Jazzmaster. This solidbody electric guitar traded single-coil sizzle for soapbars and humbuckers, greatly expanding the sonic scope of Fender's offerings. Squier Mini electric guitars distill these historical designs into short-scale tone slingers that are anything but short on sound. Each axe offers the same tonal flexibility and sonic force as its full-size counterpart, while a 22-3/4-inch scale clocks them in at about 3/4 the size, making them great for traveling players or young beginners.
Ibanez Gio GRGM21M
Expert shredders, from veterans like Steve Vai, Kiko Loureiro, and Paul Gilbert to the newer guard of superlative players like Tim Henson, Lari Basilio, Yvette Young, and more, have found a home with Ibanez. Ibanez's premier Japanese craftsmanship has sewn the company's instruments into the fabric of the most prolific practitioners of precision play, with roots that can be traced as far back as the turn of the 20th century. These Ibanez Gio Series of guitars take their cues from the shred machines that define the Ibanez ethos. Their accommodating 22.2-inch scale provides comfort for younger players without compromising the complete 24-fret experience. The rest of the body's sleek design is scaled to match the shortened neck, providing aesthetic consistency that makes it an excellent choice for a travel axe and a tenacious tone machine for newcomers. High-octane play isn't just for the industry vets!
Best Acoustic Guitars for Kids
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 Walnut Acoustic Guitar, Taylor Baby Taylor BT1e Walnut Acoustic-electric Guitar & Taylor TS-BT Taylor Swift Acoustic Guitar
Don't let the "Baby Taylor" name fool you: these acoustic guitars are held to the same standard of excellence that Taylor brings to every one of their instruments. Each variant of the BT1 is outfitted with a spruce top, walnut back and sides, maple neck, and ebony fingerboard, evoking deep and articulate sonics that shimmer with clarity across every register and boast full-bodied tone in a 3/4-size classic dreadnought. While the standard BT1 is strictly acoustic, the BT1e includes Taylor's ES-B electronics, which are tailored for plugged-in and performance settings to capture the nuanced tones of these travel-friendly guitars faithfully. Plus, the TS-BT includes a custom Taylor Swift graphic unique to this signature model, thus bringing a distinctive visual flair to an already robust acoustic.
Yamaha JR1 3/4-size Dreadnought
You know you're doing something right as a brand when your name is just as revered for motorcycles and ATVs as it is with acoustic grand pianos and genre-defining synthesizers. This craftsmanship has a long history with Yamaha's acoustic guitars, too, as the JR1 is something of an adaptation of their world-famous FG Series of folk guitars. This JR1 is scaled down to a 3/4-size dreadnought, comfortably accommodating young and new players without compromising tone or voicing. Moreover, the spruce top and meranti body pair well for excellent projection and articulation, boasting clarity and quality throughout the spectrum. For new players, Yamaha offers a fantastic supplementary resource to aid in practice and performance: the Player Port app. Available for iOS and Android, it includes a free tuner and a wealth of resources, perfect for a guitar as portable as the JR1.
Ibanez PF2MH 3/4 Scale Acoustic Guitar
Though Ibanez might be more commonly associated with their legacy of high-octane electrics, the good folks at this premier proprietor of iconic instruments understand all too well the fundamental role of acoustic guitars. Their PF2MH is designed to help new and seasoned players easily learn and hone their chops. Featuring a 3/4-scale body, the PF2MH acoustic guitar is transportation friendly and accommodates younger players without compromising sonic quality. A sapele top, back, and sides are paired with a mahogany neck, ensuring a tonal profile of rich and blossoming mids, clear articulation, and plenty of projection. Balanced sounds and comfortable play are offered in spades thanks to the luthiers' craftsmanship at Ibanez, making the PF2MH a fantastic all-arounder for new players.
Features
- Compact design with strong projection and easy playability.
- Warm, balanced sound that records cleanly and performs effortlessly.
Bundle Includes
- Fast, accurate tuning plus safe, stable guitar storage.
- Comfortable Levy’s strap and versatile Dunlop picks for any playing style.
Fender California Standard Redondo Mini Acoustic Guitar
Wherever your next adventure takes you, bring the Fender California Standard Redondo Mini along for the ride. This compact acoustic guitar features a smaller body and a 22.75-inch scale, making it perfect for travel and comfortable for players with smaller hands or those just starting out.
Don’t let its size fool you—the Redondo Mini delivers big sound. With a spruce top and sapele back and sides, it offers a balanced, articulate tone with impressive volume. Classic styling meets modern design touches, giving this guitar a look and feel that’s uniquely its own.
From backyard jams to cross-country road trips, the Redondo Mini is ready to go wherever the music takes you.
Features
- 22.75-in. scale is ideal for younger, emerging players or those with smaller hands
- Shorter scale length makes chording and learning lead patterns much easier
- Spruce top paired with sapele back and sides for balanced tone, robust volume, and clear articulation
- Okoume neck and walnut fingerboard add a lot of resonance and comfortable playability and response
Best Classical Guitars for Kids
Córdoba Protégé C1M 3/4 Nylon String Acoustic Guitar
Learning to play in the classical style comes with different considerations than acoustic and electric styles. Córdoba's nylon-string guitars are synonymous with classical performance, and their Protégé C1M 3/4 acoustic guitar happily continues this legacy. A solid spruce top is paired with a mahogany back and sides, imbuing the C1M's characteristic nylon-string sound with warmth, depth, and plenty of projection. Moreover, its 3/4-size design is a major boon for both comfort and portability. Younger players with smaller hands or those generally looking to refine their talents as they travel will enjoy the reduced-scale construction, which retains all the rich sonic clarity that defines the Córdoba sound.
Features
- 3/4-size guitar is perfect for beginners or players with smaller hands
- Mahogany back and sides topped with spruce give you full, rich tone
- Scale length: 24.2"
- Nut width: 1.88"
Epiphone PRO-1 Classic 3/4-size
A commonly overlooked yet integral aspect of Epiphone's history is the company's early days designing and manufacturing traditional stringed instruments, including mandolins, lutes, fiddles, banjos, and more. Though the musical landscape has changed since Epiphone's 19th-century Turkish roots, the spirit of its founder, Anastasios Stathopoulous, and his son, Epaminondas "Epi" Stathopoulous, continue to define the bedrock of Epiphone instruments embraced by musicians around the world. In particular, the PRO-1 Classic 3/4-size harkens back to those early traditions, updating the classical style of its design to include contemporary accommodations that don't sacrifice heritage. Its 3/4-scale construction is complemented by an EZ-Profile mahogany neck adorned with JumboPRO frets, providing excellent comfort for younger or newer players while minimizing the possibility of fatigue or hand cramps.
Features
- 3/4-scale classical acoustic, perfect for students
- EZ-Profile mahogany neck and JumboPRO frets make for easier chording and less hand fatigue
- PRO-Ease string and fingerboard coating reduces string friction
- Includes Beginner’s Guide to Guitar by Craig Anderton and eMedia online lessons
Best Ukuleles for Kids
Kala KA-15S Soprano Ukulele, Kala KA-15C Concert Ukulele & Kala KA-15T Mahogany Tenor Ukulele
The California-based Kala company is a passion project of founder Mike Upton, who imbues each instrument with the inspirational spirit he experienced during his time in Hawaii. Kala's instruments feature numerous tonewood combinations, several scale sizes, and premium craftsmanship. With the Kala KA-15 Collection, they've designed soprano, concert, and tenor ukuleles, all carefully constructed to optimize their outputs for each voice range. Their robust mahogany construction provides unmatched resonance and projection in a beginner-friendly model. High-quality fixtures ensure the instrument stays in tune and sounds great for the long haul. Experience the tone and playability that have attracted such players as Vance Joy, Twenty One Pilots, mxmtoon, and more.
Córdoba 15SM Soprano Ukulele, Córdoba 15CM Concert Ukulele & Córdoba 15TM Tenor Ukulele
Córdoba's expertise doesn't start and stop with guitars. Their 15 Series of ukuleles exemplify the same standard of excellence to which their guitars are held. Each of these instruments is tailored to soprano, concert, and tenor voicing, allowing you to easily find the instrument with the best size and tone for your playing preferences. And they come with the peace of mind that quality is guaranteed no matter what one you choose. Mahogany and rosewood abound in the construction of these ukuleles; these materials were precisely chosen to enhance the characteristic attributes of nylon-string instruments with rich mids, shimmering highs, and plenty of projection. Plus, the mahogany body woods are quartersawn, ensuring each instrument is structurally and sonically stable.
Luna Vintage Mahogany Soprano Ukulele & Luna Vintage Mahogany Concert Ukulele
It's only fair that a company called "Luna" would pay homage to the dark side of their namesake, and these sleek ukuleles offer much more than just a pretty design. The mahogany back, sides, top, and neck are paired with a shimmering fingerboard to provide structural rigidity and tonal versatility, revealing the rich clarity of the nylon strings. Its dark, satin finish is not only visually striking, but it also features a laser-etched rosette around the sound hole. And its satin-finished, C-shaped neck supports players of any style with comfortable access to the full range of frets. The Luna Vintage Series provides concert and soprano ukuleles to help almost anyone find their voice.
Shop the Best Guitars for Kids at Sweetwater Today!
Picking the right instrument can be a challenge. At Sweetwater, we understand that while these guitars and ukuleles are all fantastic starter instruments, there might be a better choice for the young student in your life. We value the lifelong journey of musicianship, and the first step is one of the most important. To get started on developing your child's blossoming artistic interests or to help narrow down the best instrument for them, please reach out to one of our knowledgeable Sweetwater Sales Engineers at (800) 222-4700 for personalized recommendations.
Note: At Sweetwater, we know there's no such thing as "best" when it comes to music gear. Every player and artist has unique tastes, which is what makes selecting gear so fun! The items on this list feature some of our favorite products from top manufacturers to help you start your buying journey! Explore these recommendations and dive into Sweetwater's massive collection of gear on our online store. For personalized picks and expert advice, please contact our knowledgeable Sweetwater Sales Engineers at (800) 222-4700!
