Best 1/2 Size Guitar – Especially Designed For Kids

1. MUSIC ALLEY MA-52

Let me start my list of best 1/2 size guitar with a stylish guitar. The Music Alley MA-52 comes in the colors of blue and pink. The body is built of basswood that has been considered by many as an exceptional tonewood. It has been used in several high-end guitars for decades. The plastic neck of the guitar felt dubious to me initially.

Then again, the use of plastic along with basswood makes this guitar lightweight and thereby suitable for children aged four and above. I mean, what is the point in owning a guitar if you cannot carry it? The model comes with a carry case and a strap so that the child can travel with it effortlessly and show everyone what an adorable rockstar they are!

This 6-stringed guitar uses nylon strings which is ideal for a child’s sensitive skin. These strings are less painful to press down than steel strings. Moreover, nylon strings are convenient since they do not require a pick to play. This advantage can motivate your child to learn different guitar play techniques such as finger picking and flamenco. After a while, change that nylon strings into metallic strings to learn hardcore picking techniques.

The gears of the tuning knobs are made of metal so they offer some durability, although I must admit, the chords do not stay tuned for long. The strings require a lot of stretching to be in tune and can seem slightly flimsy. It also does not come with a truss rod, so you have to purchase it separately. Overall, it is a good guitar for beginners and can be a thoughtful gift to give to children during holiday season!

2. YAMAHA GL-1

A few years back, ukuleles took the guitar market by storm, and you would probably know what they are, considering that a fair amount of people cover popular songs using ukuleles. But have you ever heard of a guitalele? It is what you get when you combine a classical guitar and baritone ukulele. Yamaha is a household name, and they have been producing instrumental masterpieces.

The Yamaha GL1 looks elegant and stylish, although cheaply made. Its back and sides are carved from meranti wood, and its top is made of spruce. Meranti is known for its strength, not for its tonal properties so do not expect improvements in timbre quality. Your child can be a bit rough with it but still not cause much damage to it.

Being a six-stringed guitar, the Yamaha GL1 needs to be tuned like any other standard guitar and has an arrangement of A-D-G-C-E-A that goes from low to high. This implies that if you play a tune on this guitar, it will sound the same as a standard guitar, but slightly higher. It has nylon strings that feel a bit feeble.

This is not an issue if you can manage to replace the strings with a higher-grade option. The sound is nothing extraordinary but does better as a ukulele than a guitar. It is affordable, and your child would love to jam with this guitar since it looks cool and it delivers adequate performance for beginners.  

3. STRONG WIND ½ SIZE ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Next in our list of best 1/2 size guitar comes the Strong Wind acoustic guitar, which is an underrated little gem. Built on a ½ size and 30” frame, it is an ideal starter kit for children who want to learn to play the guitar. It comes in full size, 18 fret dreadnought body made of basswood, which will enable kids to hold a comfortable posture for a long time.

The tuning pegs are of professional-grade and can turn smoothly. The electric tuner comes free with the guitar and makes tuning effortless for your child. Strong wind is strung with steel strings. While this might intimidate a lot of children, steel strings offer an advantage of retaining their tone for a longer time than nylon strings.

Moreover, playing the guitar with steel strings is essential for those who want to learn to play the guitar seriously in the long run. It lets your fingers form calluses faster and makes playing the guitar less painful in the long run. Steel strings also sound crisper and bolder than nylon strings, making it suitable for all genres of music.

The best part of this brand is that it offers tons of accessories for such an affordable guitar. It comes with a guitar bag, extra strings, a cleaning cloth, and a 360-degree rotatable electric tuner which you can clip to your guitar. If you are looking for something affordable yet offers everything your child needs to play the guitar, I would highly recommend this model. You can refer our dedicated article for more details on the different acoustic guitars types.

4. HOLA! MUSIC HG-34GLS

The Hola! Music HG-34GLS is something I would love to own, both as an adult and as a child. You might not have heard much about the brand, but this underdog is on its way to shine! You will rarely see budget level guitars being made of solid wood but Hola! Music features a spruce top and mahogany back and sides.

This best 1/2 size guitar Mahogany wood makes a beautiful tonewood for guitars since they give off a warmer “woody” sound and a bold bass effect. Children might not care much for tonal quality, but if you teach them about the importance of tonewood, they might learn to appreciate the intricacies of music.

The brand also boasts of its hardware which I must admit, is not all words. Equipped with a walnut bridge, TUSQ nut and saddle, the guitar feels highly premium. The instrument comes pre-installed with high-quality Savarez Nylon Strings which stays tuned even after not playing it for some time. You even get a built-in truss rod attached to the neck of the guitar.

The truss rod can be adjusted using a Hex Key that comes with this product. Additionally, you will receive two months of free live video lessons from experts. This best 1/2 size guitar is one of the best entry-level guitars that will let kids experiment with their first instrument to the fullest extent.

5. YAMAHA CGS102A

Most half size guitars either have a mediocre sound quality or a bad design. They are okay as toy guitars to play around with, but if you are choosing a guitar for kids who want to pursue playing the guitar seriously, then Yamaha CGS102A is probably the best option for them.

This best 1/2 size guitar is a classical style guitar equipped with nylon strings. Built with a spruce top and a meranti body, it has a clean-cut design. It is the smallest model out of the Yamaha CG series with a scale length of 21”. It is better than its ¾ counterpart since it is much lighter and easier to handle.

This 1/2 guitar does not have the best sound quality, but considering that it is a student-level guitar, the sound is pretty crisp without much buzzing. However, as in the case of all nylon string guitars, this guitar needs constant tuning. It does not come with an option of attaching a strap, but you can fix this yourself easily. All you need to do is take it to a music store and get the strap knobs attached.

The fretboard of this guitar is a bit wide, which is cumbersome if the child has tiny hands. In a nutshell, I would highly recommend this guitar to anyone who wants to learn guitar seriously and not just play around with it.

6. CORDOBA MINI II MH

The Cordoba Mini II is an MH model that is both a kid-friendly and a travel-friendly guitar. It is a beauty, built with laminated construction layered with mahogany on the back, sides and top, completed with a soft satin finish. It has a defined cutaway that will help kids reach for the fretboard with ease and rightly holds a place in best 1/2 size guitar list.

It has a solid mahogany fretboard with a 22.8” scale length comprising 19 total frets. The brand claims to offer a sound that is more guitar-like than that of a ukulele and lives up this claim. It sounds mellow and warm, just like a standard classical guitar.

The guitar does not offer a free gig bag which is a drawback since it is difficult to find a well-fitting bag for such a design. But if you want your tiny tot (or yourself) to enjoy playing the guitar that is light and yet sounds mellow, go for this.

7. CNBLUE 30 INCH ACOUSTIC GUITAR

If you are looking for a guitar for a child who is testing the water, then this is what you might be looking for.

This 30-inch acoustic guitar is dirt cheap. Despite its small stature, it has a dreadnought body. Made of basswood, it produces a bright and rich sound, which is ideal for music genres such as country and folk.

The appearance is sort of clumsy, but can you expect a lot from a guitar that is less than 70$? Strangely enough, the guitar is 30” with a 20” scale, resembling more of a 1/4 size guitar than a 1/2 one. The tuning does not stay for long, the action is low and causes buzzing when strummed, but aside that, I am glad that it is playable which I did not expect coming from a guitar this inexpensive. You get a guitar bag, so that is a nice perk

8. OSCAR SCHMIDT OGHS-A-U

Oscar Schmidt has been a favorite to many folk musicians. Its dreadnought design, along with catalpa sides and back, tech wood bridge, abalone accent and mahogany neck, gives it a beautiful, handcrafted feel. It comes with a fully adjustable truss rod, steel strings and chrome diecast tuners.

The sound is not that great, although it might be fun for kids to play and sing along on a campfire trip. The drawback is that it does not come with any gig bag. But I cannot complain because it does not cost much and offers features that are way superior to toy guitars.

9. OSCAR SCHMIDT OGHSP-A

Oscar Schmidt OGHSP-A is an adorable looking dreadnought style guitar with a high gloss finish. The fretboard and top are made of ebony while the neck is made of maple. This best 1/2 size guitar is a well-known fact that ebony is a very dense and thick wood and therefore serves as the perfect material to ensure durability.

The pink shade provides a lovely touch to it. The brand also offers a lifetime warranty, free of cost! The sound is good for the price, and I would highly recommend this if you want a well-built guitar without spending a lump sum amount of money.

10. ORTEGA R121-1/2

Lastly in the list of best 1/2 size guitar comes a nylon string classical guitar that has a mahogany body, spruce top, walnut fretboard, maple binding and coupled with a satin finish. It comes with a two-way truss rod and chrome plated tuners which will assist smooth tuning. A well-tuned guitar is a key to a successful practice.

The neck width is appropriate for small hands. The 560mm scale length is more than enough for children to master the elementary notes easily. The compact design and combined with the right hardware make it highly suitable as an entry-level guitar for children. The Ortega R121 also comes with a deluxe bag.