So, why did I fail? First, I made the assumption that if I paid enough money for a guitar, it would sound good. The problem was that “enough” money is pretty subjective. The two guitars I purchased were around $100 a piece – significantly more money than a toy guitar, but significantly less money than I would spend on a guitar for myself.

That’s what hit me, a year or so too late, after $200 worth of guitars had gathered almost a year of dust – I had settled on the cheapest “real” guitar I could find for my kids, viewing it more as an experiment rather than an investment. The experiment was to see if they had the desire to ever even play the guitar, but with the wrong equipment, the experiment was doomed from the start.

I also believed that the girls (ages 10 and 8 at the time) needed small guitars. That was a bit of short sightedness that I regret. Yes, they had smaller hands, but they were not going to have small hands forever. Again, I was approaching my purchase without thinking of investing in the future.

With all that said, there are better guitars than the ones I purchased for around $100, and there are ¾ or Jr. sized guitars that are higher quality than the ones I bought. My biggest failure in purchasing guitars for my kids was that I ignored the rules for purchasing guitars in general.

Since then, I have guided several friends through the purchasing kids acoustic guitars, and here is the advice I give every time.

Don’t skimp on quality just because they are a kid

The fact is, there are good guitars, and bad guitars. The wood used in construction contributes to the quality, as does the construction itself. If the guitar has a solid top, it will resonate better. (Hint: If it does not say solid top, then it is not a solid top. Guitar marketing folk like to highlight the solid tops. ) Can you get a decent guitar that has a split top? Yes. Good ones are harder to find, but if they meet your goals for the guitar, then they are certainly worth considering.

Evaluate your goals for this guitar

More than likely, if you are purchasing a kids acoustic guitar, it is a “starter” guitar. If your kiddo is just starting out, chances are they would sound just as awful on a $4,500 guitar as they will on a $100 guitar. But, I caution you from thinking that learning on any old guitar is the same as learning on a quality guitar. Learning to hear the notes is an important part of learning music. If the notes sound awful, then the kid never learns how they are supposed to sound. I would never suggest an expensive guitar for a kid – you have no idea if they’ll take to it. But, you can bet no kid will ever take to playing cheap guitars. I don’t like playing cheap guitars, so how could they?

Take a hard look at your budget

This is a tough one – especially when you know your friends are already probably over-spending on gifts, but a cheap guitar isn’t going to do anyone any good. If you cannot budget enough to purchase a good guitar, then maybe wait, or think about getting a used guitar. (Sometimes used guitars are definitely the answer, and can sound better than new guitars. Below is a sample of some used guitars from eBay.)

And, you can find more on eBay here

I finish by suggesting several guitars in a couple of price ranges. I’ll do that for you as well. If I were buying my kids acoustic guitars today, I would consider all of the following guitars. They are well constructed, play beautifully and meet my kids needs (learning to hear the notes and chords

Good luck finding the perfect kids acoustic guitar!!

Epiphone DR-100 Acoustic Guitar Natural The Epiphone DR-100 Acoustic Guitar is a nicely crafted acoustic guitar that sports a select spruce top and mahogany body and neck. This guitar epitomizes Epiphone's focus on affordable quality. Epiphone builds the DR-100 Acoustic Guitar with chrome hardware, precision construction, and rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays.

Ibanez SGT110VS SAGE SERIES Acoustic Guitar Natural Check out the Ibanez SGT520 SAGE SERIES Acoustic Guitar and you'll be amazed at the retro look and feel, inspired by the 1st Golden Age of Ibanez acoustic guitars. The shape of the headstock, body, pickguard and bridge recall a time when things were just a bit more ornate, and pride in craftsmanship was much easier to find. The grand concert body shape is particularly well-suited for fingerpicking, but sounds great in any style.

Jasmine by Takamine Jasmine Series S33 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Natural The Takamine Jasmine S33 is a full-size traditional acoustic guitar with a dreadnought body shape. The Jasmine S33 is geared towards beginning to mid-level guitar players. Unlike lower priced guitars however, it features a spruce top, dot inlays on the rosewood fretboard, and a lacewood back and sides. With the quality and craftsmanship you've come to expect from Takamine, the S33 offers all the tone and playability at an affordable price, and comes with a hardshell case.

Squier by Fender Hello Kitty Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Pink* A guitar for kitty lovers. The Squier Hello Kitty Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar is a Purr-fect guitar to inspire youngsters and fans of Hello Kitty. A basswood top, the rosewood fingerboard and bridge and high quality tuning keys are finishing touches that’ll keep her sounding great, even if her favorite touch is the custom Hello Kitty decal. Squier by Fender Hello Kitty Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Features: Finish: Gloss Top: Basswood Back and sides: Basswood Neck: Nato Fingerboard: Rosewood Frets: 20 Bridge: Rosewood Scale length: 25″ Body depth: 4″ at lower bout Width at nut: 1-5/8″ Width at heel: 2″