Guitar Building for Parents and Kids

There’s no denying music is a powerful force.

Its ability to heal and elicit positive emotions are well documented. But perhaps an even greater attribute of music is its ability to bring people together. 

This is perhaps, even more, the case when it comes to family.  

Sharing music, jamming with family members or teaching your son or daughter how to play only serves to strengthen existing bonds. 

But there’s another aspect to the ‘unifying power of music’ that you may not have considered, and that’s building a musical instrument together. 

While this would normally be well beyond the capabilities of most of us (most musical instruments are complex, after all, and require specialist equipment to build) DIY kit guitars help make this dream a reality.

Anyone that has assembled and finished their own kit guitar already knows how special that instrument feels to them. I have several DIY guitars that will always be more valuable to me than their far more expensive counterparts.

So it makes sense that building a kit with a son or daughter will result in an instrument your child will cherish.

The process will also create a lasting impression and help teach your child valuable lessons such as:

The ability to follow instructions

The importance of applying attention to detail

The power of creativity, (especially when it comes to finishing the guitar).

Thanks to the availability of custom guitar kits, all the difficult work e.g. carving a body and neck, ensuring a tight-fitting neck pocket and carrying out delicate inlay and fretwork is already taken care of. Everything you need to build your own dream guitar comes carefully packaged and ready to assemble.  

Ideal Guitar Kits for Building with your child

Depending on the age of your child, if you really want them to feel part of the project e.g. making sure they are involved in every step of the process you are well-advised to start out with a less complex build. 

STE Guitar Kit

You can always move on to something a little more challenging in the future. Guitar Kit World offers a huge range of DIY guitar kits and a range of custom options. 

While the majority of kits are simple to put together when it comes to assembly and finishing, some of our DIY kits such as the TE, ST, and SG models are the most age-appropriate for a couple of reasons.

TE style guitar kits

ST style guitar kits

SG style guitar kits

For one, the electronics are simpler to complete thanks to the large open cavities that contain much of the electronics. 

Secondly, with the exception of the ST which has a minimal 1–2 contours (for comfort) the bodies are mostly flat, making preparation e.g. grain filling (if necessary) and sanding much easier.

Sanding a Guitar Kit

When it comes to selecting child-friendly custom options, consider the neck joint and having the bridge pre-drilled, both options currently offered when purchasing a kit from Guitar Kit World.

Set necks are typically more difficult to get right than bolt-on necks and you run the risk of affecting the scale length of the guitar if the neck is not perfectly aligned or the bridge position is off.