How big should a guitar be for an adult?

Question

I'm buying a cheap acoustic guitar for my boyfriend and I've looked online and all the ones that are 36 inches say they are "Children's" guitars. How big should a guitar for an adult be?

I know nothing about guitars so any help is welcome.

Answer 1

Look fort an acoustic guitar style called "dreadnought" It's made for an adult player.

Answer 2

I don't know what stores you are looking at, but real guitars for adults are never sold in "inches".  

They are sold with no labeling at all referring to size OR they may be "3/4 size" for children.

Do NOT buy a cheap guitar from a place like Wal-Mart or Target for like, $100.  They will be awful to play.  They are hard to play because of the cheap construction of the neck and bridge, and they cannot be tuned.

I'm not joking.  They are made so imprecisely (the location and spacing of the frets on the neck), that they will always sound out of tune.

Having played guitar as a serious hobby and in a few bands for the past 30 years, let me give you some honest advice.  Expect to pay about $300, for an acoustic guitar that is at least playable, meaning the strings won't be absolute agony to hold down, it will stay in tune, and will have a pleasant sound.  Anything cheaper is total frustration.

If you are looking on-line, you can look at Musicians Friend or American Musical Supply (google them, they are easy to find), and look for something in the $250to $350 price range.

I have bought from both of those on-line places before, and they have always been reliable, even buying instruments through the mail.  If he is serious about playing, it is much MUCH better to go to a local music store where you can try out the guitars, because there is a lot of variation in what you'll get for your 300 bucks.  

(Of course, if your budget is bigger, you'll get a BIG jump in quality if you can get into the $700 guitars, and still other big jumps at the $1200, $1600, and so on, level.  Yes, good guitars really do cost that much, and with good reason).

If you have a choice, TRY to get ones with a SOLID top (not laminated).  Unless the description SAYS it has a solid top, it doesn't, believe me.  Next up, you want solid back and sides (again, it will say if it has this).  But now you are getting up into the $700 and up range.

Brands in $300 price range that make decent instruments, that I have actually tested out, are Guild, Yamaha, Ibanez, Takamine, and Epiphone (there are others).  I have NOT been pleased with Fender's acoustic guitars, so I'd stay away from them, despite their well-respected name in amplifiers and electric guitars.

The really good stuff, like Martin, Taylor, Seagull (cheaper than the other two!)   are $800 - $3000.

Oh, and for historical information, my first guitar was an Ovation (I don't care for them anymore, but they do still make fine guitars).  It cost $200 in 1978, so today, it would be

$750.   Next was a Seagull around year 2000 that cost $600, and just recently, a BEAUTIFUL Taylor that cost about $1700.

Answer 3

Great question.

Fitting a guitar to oneself is a lot like fitting for new shoes.  You have to be comfortable enough with it so that you can wear and play it long enough to break it in.

I help students of all ages fit themselves to guitar and I have found the following method to work best.

You have to try out a guitar.  First start in a sitting position with both feed flat on the floor.  Sit up straight and place the guitar in your lap with the back of the guitar against your body.

You should be able to reach the top part of the neck comfortably with your left hand and be able to reach over the top of the guitar to reach the strings comfortably with your right hand.

Hope this helps,

Cliff Merrill

Are You A Toneslinger?

www.toneslinger.com