What Size Guitar for a Child? Kids' Guitar Size Chart

The most important thing about a child's first guitar is its size. A guitar that's too big makes a child stretch to reach the first notes and hunch to hold the body, and chords that should be easy feel impossible. A guitar that fits lets small hands do what the lesson asks. That's why guitars come in fractional sizes: 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 are smaller versions of a full-size guitar, with a shorter neck, closer frets and a smaller body.

This guide gives you the size chart, a simple fit test to do at home, what to know about strings and left-handed players, and the kids' guitars we'd pick in each size. Every guitar named here is in stock at 2kool4skool.com.

Kids' guitar size chart

Kids grow at different speeds, so height is a better guide than age. These are the ranges most size guides agree on, with the measurements of our own guitars where the makers list them:

The ranges overlap on purpose. A tall 7-year-old may fit a 3/4, and a small 12-year-old may still be happiest on a 3/4. That's what the fit test is for.

The 30-second fit test

If you can borrow a guitar or try one in a shop or a lesson, this tells you more than any chart. If you can't, the chart above is a good guide on its own.

1. Sit your child down on a chair where their feet reach the floor.
2. Rest the guitar on their lap, the body against their tummy and the neck pointing to their left (to the right for a left-handed child).
3. Ask them to reach for the far end of the neck, the tuning pegs, with their fretting hand.
4. Check the elbow. A slightly bent arm means a good fit. A fully straight, stretched arm means the guitar is too big: go one size down.
5. Check the strumming arm. Their other arm should rest comfortably over the top of the body. If their shoulder rides up to reach over, the body is too big.

Nylon or steel strings for a child?

• Nylon strings (a "classical" guitar) are soft and gentle on small fingertips, and they're the usual choice for kids under about 10. Most of our 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 guitars are classical guitars. The neck is a little wider, which suits beginners learning where to put each finger.
• Steel strings (an "acoustic" or "folk" guitar) give the bright sound of pop and country songs. They feel firmer under the fingers for the first few weeks, which is normal. Great for a child who knows the sound they want.
• Electric guitars have light steel strings and a slim neck, and need an amp. Most kids move to electric at full size, around 12. For younger players, a 3/4 electric is a fun option (ours is a left-handed model, below).

Our picks at a glance

1/4-size guitars: ages 3 to 5

For the smallest hands

Stagg C405 1/4 classical guitar

The Stagg C405 ($100.99) is our smallest guitar, sized for preschoolers and early kindergarteners. It has a linden top, back and sides, a composite walnut fingerboard and bridge, and nylon strings that are soft on little fingers. The natural matte finish keeps it simple and classic.

Who it's for

• Children about 3 to 5, under about 3'3"
• Little ones who want a real guitar of their own

Good to know

• Most children move up to a 1/2 by about 6
• At this age a soprano ukulele is also a great first instrument: four strings, even easier chords

1/2-size guitars: ages 5 to 8

Our pick for ages 5 to 8

Stagg SCL50 1/2-size classical

The Stagg SCL50 1/2 ($110.99) has a linden body, a pau ferro fingerboard and bridge, nickel classical tuners and a high-gloss finish. It also has a truss rod, a steel bar inside the neck that keeps it straight as the guitar settles in, so it plays well for years. For a little less, the Stagg C410 1/2 ($100.99) has a matte finish, a truss rod, and a scale of 21.96 inches.

Why parents like it

• Sized for ages 5 to 8
• Nylon strings, gentle on fingertips
• Truss rod keeps the neck straight

Good to know

• A bag is not included, so add one for lessons

For kids who want the acoustic sound

Stagg SA20D 1/2 steel-string dreadnought

The Stagg SA20D 1/2 ($123.99) is a scaled-down dreadnought, the classic acoustic shape, with steel strings for the bright sound of the songs kids hear on the radio. It has a basswood body, open-gear tuners and a high-gloss finish, in natural or black ($125.99).

3/4-size guitars: ages 8 to 11

The complete gift

Stagg 3/4 classical guitar pack

The Stagg 3/4 guitar pack ($135.99) puts the three things a beginner needs in one gift box: the 3/4-size SCL50 classical guitar, a clip-on chromatic tuner, and a nylon bag with two shoulder straps and a handle, so your child can carry it to lessons like a backpack.

Want color? The same SCL50 3/4 comes in vibrant blue and vibrant red, each $116.99. And the Stagg C430 3/4 ($106.99) has a matte finish, a truss rod and a 23.03-inch scale.

Why it's our pick

• Tuner and bag included
• Gift box, ready to wrap
• Backpack straps for lesson day

Good to know

• Kids usually move to full size around 12
• Add a spare set of strings for the first year

A step up in sound

Stagg SCL60 3/4 with spruce top

For a child who's serious about lessons, the Stagg SCL60 3/4 ($149.99) has a spruce top, the classic tonewood for guitar tops, with okoume back and sides, black binding, gold lyre tuners and Savarez strings from France. Its scale is 23.2 inches, a standard 3/4 classical length.

Steel strings for ages 8 to 11

Stagg SA20D 3/4 dreadnought

The Stagg SA20D 3/4 ($130.99) is the steel-string choice for this age, in natural or black. It also comes in left-handed models: natural and black, each $135.99.

For older kids, teens and travel

Crafter HM250 mini 3/4 acoustic

The Crafter HM250 ($182.99) is a 3/4 mini acoustic with an Engelmann spruce top, mahogany back, sides and neck, a rosewood fingerboard, a compensated Tusq saddle for better tuning up the neck, and D'Addario EXP16 strings. It suits a 10- or 11-year-old who wants a "grown-up" guitar, and it's a favorite for teens and adults as a couch or travel guitar. Also in a brown sunburst ($227.99).

Left-handed kids

A left-handed child usually strums with the left hand and frets with the right. Some lefties learn right-handed happily; others find it much more natural the other way. If your child picks up a toy guitar or a tennis racket left-handed, consider a left-handed guitar. In kids' sizes, we carry the Stagg SA20D 3/4 left-handed acoustic ($135.99) and the Stagg SES-30 3/4 left-handed electric ($156.99), a three-pickup "S" style with a 22.6-inch scale.

When to move up a size

• Re-do the arm test every birthday. When the arm reaches the tuning pegs with a deep bend in the elbow, it's time for the next size.
• Watch the strumming arm. If the guitar body looks small under their arm and they reach "around" it, they've outgrown it.
• Don't buy big to "grow into." A guitar that's too big now makes practice hard now. The money saved isn't worth a child who gives up.
• Hand it down. A good small guitar passes easily to a younger brother or sister, a cousin or a friend.

What to add to a kid's guitar

• A tuner. New strings stretch, so tuning often is normal for the first weeks. The 3/4 guitar pack includes a clip-on tuner, or use a free tuning app.
• A bag. For lessons and school, a bag protects the guitar and makes it easy to carry. The MBT 3/4-size gig bag ($23.99) is made for 3/4 guitars.
• A footstool or a low chair. Classical guitar teachers often raise the left foot a few inches so the guitar sits at a comfortable angle.
• Spare strings. Kids break strings. A spare set saves a trip and keeps practice going.

Frequently asked questions

What size guitar should a child get?

A 1/4 for ages 3 to 5, a 1/2 for ages 5 to 8, a 3/4 for ages 8 to 11, and a full-size guitar from about 12. Height is a better guide than age: about 3'3" to 4'3" for a 1/2 and about 4'3" to 4'10" for a 3/4.

What size guitar for a 6-year-old?

Usually a 1/2-size. A small 6-year-old under about 3'3" may still fit a 1/4.

What size guitar for an 8-year-old?

Usually a 1/2 or a 3/4. Under about 4'3", choose a 1/2; taller than that, a 3/4. Do the arm test if you can.

What size guitar for a 10-year-old?

Usually a 3/4-size. A tall 10-year-old near 4'10" may be ready for full size.

What size guitar for a 12-year-old?

Most 12-year-olds fit a full-size guitar. A smaller child may be more comfortable on a 3/4 for another year.

Is a 3/4 guitar good for a beginner?

Yes, for children about 8 to 11, and for small adults and travel. It has a shorter neck and closer frets, so chords are easier to reach.

Should a child start on nylon or steel strings?

Nylon strings are the usual choice under about 10, because they're soft on small fingertips. Steel strings give the bright pop and country sound and are a fine choice for a child who wants that sound.

Should I buy a bigger guitar for my child to grow into?

No. A guitar that's too big is hard to hold and hard to play, and that makes practice frustrating. Buy the size that fits now.

When should I order a kid's guitar for Christmas?

Order by December 15 for delivery before Christmas.

Shopping for a young musician? See our musical Christmas gifts for kids by age, our ukulele buying guide, and the full music gift guide for Christmas.