Middle School Guitar Class

[skyblue314]

Originally Posted by phydaux

So stay with Yamaha, stay in budget, and get the advantage of shorter scale by going with the Yamaha JR2.

...or better yet, the Yamaha CGS series is also available in varying sizes.

[Mirosh]

You'll want to have a person to set up the guitars when new and do maintenance, string changes, repairs small and large, etc.

This could be a local luthier, but there may already be someone in the school system who could do a lot of that work. Maybe you can take this on as part of your job.

I was a middle school teacher with prior experience in bicycle shops. From time to time the PE teachers would ask me to do some work on some of the school's bikes; usually it just meant 15 minutes after school and a tweak here or there. From time to time I needed to buy a part and they reimbursed me from petty cash, with maybe a little extra.

For quality/price Yamaha gets my vote - but even a Yamaha will be a better sounding, easier to play instrument if given a close look and probably some adjustments when in its new environment.

I admire you for teaching this class and wish you the best.

[pszy22]

You may also want to budget for tuners. It's a good idea to teach the kids how to tune their guitar and it relieves you of the chore of having to tune them all before class.

[Jimi2]

Originally Posted by skyblue314

Nylon string guitars don't necessarily mean "classical" and are much more comfortable to learn on for absolute beginners, thereby encouraging them to practice more. It's just that we in the US have been more conditioned to steel strings.

Yes, my nephew is in a middle school guitar class, not focused on classical, and they have them playing nylon string guitars for the added ease on the finger tips.

[Macpage]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

Yup. IÂ’d say the Yamaha FS800 I believe itÂ’s called.

First, let me say I applaud you for the work you are doing in bringing music to youth. I know this never happens without a lot of above and beyond from folks like yourself. Great job.

The Yamaha FS800 with solid top is one of my standard recommendations as well and the least expensive. It is also a pretty good guitar. The 1-11/16" nut, moderately thin neck, and tighter string spacing should make it easy to play for the majority of beginners if properly set-up. I also like that it has a shorter scale (25") but not as short as some of the even smaller bodies. At this age and with natural variation, you will do doubt have some kids with wider fingers. I find a scale that is too short makes playing with my slightly pudgy fingers a chore.

Yamaha also lists the F1HC which is a solid top dread with a hard case, which would be nice in your application. It used to list right at your price. However, it is a larger body and full scale making it somewhat less beginner friendly to some. I do not know if these are still available. There is also the Yamaha Fsx315c which is a smaller body/scale with cut-away and electronics. This is an all-laminate guitar at your price point that might arguably be a bit more damage resistant and less environmentally sensitive. However, all these Yamahas are reported to be pretty durable in real world use.

Thanks again for your efforts and enjoy the good time exploring music with the students.

Best,

Mac

[AZLiberty]

There is a reason that Guitars4Vets uses 800 series Yamahas.

That's because they hit the sweet spot for price/quality in quantity.

So, my answer is going to be Yamaha FS800. These are around $220 new. I would call around to some the the larger or mid-size dealers and ask about a discount for multiple purchases or educator discount.

You will also want hard cases though...

[birdsong]

Congrats on your grant award, and thanks for doing this for your students.

I've found this topic interesting over the years and read different articles when I can. And from those, I've read where teachers were successful at either nylon or steel string guitars.

Perhaps you try one now (e.g. Yamaha) and add on some with nylon strings later on. Yamaha offers nylon ones as well and if they are indeed still offering support for guitars-in-schools program, then over time you might try both.

But again from the articles I read, you can succeed with either one.

John

[rstaight]

There have been some great suggestions here. You may also check with the music store the band deals with to see if they can help out.

Even if they just deal with band instruments such as brass and woodwind Yamaha is heavy into those types of instruments also.

[Stonehauler]

Probably not a recommendation you would expect on AGF, but have you considered electrics with practice amps at all?

Since hollow/semi-hollow are outside your price range, maybe either a Strat type or a Les Paul type?

Maybe even a mix? Acoustic, Single coils and humbucker electrics?

My reasoning...you are talking about 11-13 year olds. They bang things around, knock into things, etc. Even the most careful student will be likely to bang up a guitar. Especially a school owned guitar. (just ask me how many times I put a dent in my trombone..and I was trying to be careful...I really was) An electric will have thinner strings, which will be easier for developing fingers. It will also be more in line with what they listen to on the radio (let's face it, not many 7th and 8th graders listen to folk/country). If you do go with acoustics, I would HIGHLY encourage you to go with durability over sound and get a laminate wood guitar (some call it plywood)..Maybe even a laminate top instead of a solid top. As many have mentioned, the Yamaha 800 is a good series, but it's 219 by itself, so you will probably want to work to see if you can get that price down.

Will students be taking the instruments home with them, or leaving them at school?

Finally, look into a local store that might be willing to work with you on a larger buy. Some stores might be willing to give a discount for you buying 10 guitars, especially if you are willing to work out a "sponsored by" XYZ store. Make sure they can do the repairs and that the repairs are at a reasonable rate. Ensure that your school district will let you pass on the repair costs to the parents.

btw, have you budgeted for strings? It's a small cost, I know, but even small costs can add up.

[Stonehauler]

Originally Posted by pszy22

You may also want to budget for tuners. It's a good idea to teach the kids how to tune their guitar and it relieves you of the chore of having to tune them all before class.

smart phones have apps that can act as a tuner. I would encourage you to use those vs adding in additional costs

[mr. beaumont]

I recently got to do the same thing-- for high school, and I went with Yamaha-- couldn't be happier. They sound good, play in tune, and they're well made.

[edgrissom]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I recently got to do the same thing-- for high school, and I went with Yamaha-- couldn't be happier. They sound good, play in tune, and they're well made.

I have a local store who can get me the FG800 Yamaha in my price range. I thought it played really well.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by edgrissom

I have a local store who can get me the FG800 Yamaha in my price range. I thought it played really well.

Ed, the FS800 is a slightly smaller version of the same guitar that might be preferable for some students. Just throwing it out there.

https://instrumentalglobal.com/yamaha-fg800-vs-fs800/

[musicman1951]

I would suggest Yamaha FS800 guitars. They sell for around $220, but I would expect a better price for a school purchase of 10 instruments. Make a few calls.

Classical guitars are certainly an option, but they do have pretty wide string spacing, which might be an issue for smaller students.

Tuners are probably a good idea, but please do give a quick lesson on how to tune without one.

You can probably live without straps if you must, but get a pile of cheap picks and extra strings. Put the whole ball of wax in a package and get quotes from some of the big vendors - and try some local vendors who might appreciate some free advertising in some school program.

Have fun.

[dnf777]

I would at least give Breedlove's entry level models a look. short scale, top-quality build (IMO) and within budget. Plus, with domestic customer service, you may get a bulk or educational pricing. I've owned a few Breedloves, and always thought their cheapest guitars were darn near as good as their most expensive.