What age should I introduce the guitar to my son? He's 2.5 and while I was shopping for a new acoustic I was checking out jr. sized models. I was thinking maybe a failry cheap used jr. sized classic guitar so he could just get his fingers moving without all the pain. I know he's too young now, just thinking ahead.

{Man, I heard an older guy jam fantastic on a Mandolin today, t'was cool}

when he asks you to.
my two cents.

well i certainly would not force him, but what i meant to say was what type of guitar would be appropriate for little hands if he were to show an interest, and is there an age too early? I'm not talking about building up some lil'prodigy here, just wondering since he likes plucking on my guitar even when I am not in the room.

There's a company called First Act that makes cheap-ish guitars, both electric and acoustic, just for little hands. You can usually pick up an acoustic for about $30-40 -- and it is possible to tune the thing and actually play it.

That said, my 6-year-old is just starting guitar lessons tomorrow afternoon and they really don't take them any younger than that. We bought his little brother a Spider-Man electric guitar last year (another First Act thing, and he was begging for it), and it lasted about a month before it was all banged up.

My advice is, if he's interested, get him a cheapie and see how he does. You'll be able to gauge when he's ready, I think. After all, he is your son. And every kid is different.

A family friend (who has far more money than we do) bought my son an fairly expensive acoustic for his fourth birthday. He accidently stepped on it three days later.

Go cheap until they're at least 6, probably 8.

thanks man, and yeah it is way too early, i was just thinking since I was in a guitar shop and saw those cool little ones

Shit, kids start on expensive violins at age 1 or earlier, and they're rocking by the time they're, oh, say 2.

It's retarded though, but don't underestimate the motor skills of any child. They are sponges, and now is the time in life when they learn fastest. I'd wait till he was 4 or 5, and you could go classical (problem is wider neck), baby taylor, martin backpacker, tacoma papoose (tuned in A, so you could play it too like a tenor guitar with 6 strings instead of the trad. 4), or you could go electric, the advantages being lighter action, the disadvantages being that you're in for an amp too.

I used to love to tune my dad's old classical guitar when I was like 5 and up. Developes your ear. Introduce him to it, then step away and let it take root.