As Brian reported yesterday, once kids have started playing guitar hero they are ready to move onto a real guitar.  And while your kids may be young to really understand this now, a real guitar provides a lot of advantages over Guitar Hero.  For starters, I’m not sure how many guys have gotten girls by playing Guitar Hero while playing a real guitar can even make Michael Cera seem cool.  If I had spent more time on the guitar and less playing Intellivision in my youth, things might have turned out differently.

The acoustic guitar is a good one to start.  It isn’t too loud, doesn’t need to be plugged in (i.e., environmentally friendly) and doesn’t require an amplifier (a frightening word for parents).  Also, while it is tempting to get the cheapest kid’s guitar available at Amazon, the cheapest option won’t stay in tune and will probably warp at the neck - raising the strings and making it unplayable.  Accordingly, we’re focusing here on steel string guitars in the $99 to $299 range that will last over time.  We want your kid to be an acoustic guitar hero.

So, just in time for the holidays, here is our list of the Top 5 Acoustic Guitars for kids.

1.  Yamaha JR1 ($129.99 Street)

Yamaha is known for making good quality instruments at affordable prices.  We like that the JR1 has a spruce top (which is the most popular wood for adult-size acoustic guitars) .  In our tests, the tuning machines worked well and the guitar seems able to hold its tune over time.  We also like the natural finish on the guitar.  The guitar is actually of such good quality that some adults use it as a travel guitar.  At under $150, we also think the price is right.  The Yamaha JR1 is available from Amazon and Musician’s Friend.

2.  Taylor Baby Taylor ($299 Street)

It could be that we are brainwashed, but when we think of acoustic guitars we always think of Martin and Taylor first.  This is Taylor’s starter guitar, but it doesn’t lack for quality.  We like the *solid* sitka spruce top and we have long been impressed with the sapele wood that Taylor uses on its lower end guitars.  It’s 1 11/16″ nut width is consistent with what you would see on most adult-size dreadnoughts.  This guitar does have a weird hump in the back.  We’re sure there is a reason for this (comfort maybe?) but it still strikes us as odd.  Still, this is an excellent choice.  The Taylor Baby Taylor is available at Amazon and Musician’s Friend.

3.  Taylor Baby Taylor Mahogany ($299 Street)

This one is just like the Baby Taylor but with a mahogany top.  Also a really good choice.  In the words of Taylor, this will give the guitar “a dark, attractive complexion and a mid-range boost” compared to the standard Baby Taylor.  The Taylor Baby Taylor Mahogany is available at Amazon and Musician’s Friend.

4.  Martin LX1 Little Martin ($299 Street)

Once Martin gets you playing this guitar, it is just a matter of time before you feel ready to upgrade to a D-28.  For starters, it also has a solid sitka spruce top (just like a D-28).  We’re particularly impressed that Martin went with Gotoh nickel tuners - which is very good quality for a starter guitar.   We also like the use of mahogany on the back and sides.  Mahogany has a nice sound for those just getting started.   It also comes with a nice padded gig bag.  The Martin LX1 Little Martin is available at Musician’s Friend.

5.  Fender Squier MA-1 ($99 Street)

If your budget won’t let you go past $100 (we know how you feel having been in the market recently), then we like the Fender Squier MA-1.  It uses a less-expensive agathis wood but otherwise it is a well constructed guitar.  Very good value for its price.  The Fender Squier MA-1 is available at Amazon and Musician’s Friend.

All of these guitars will give your little Jack Johnson (or Kirk Hammett) just what he or she needs to get started with a real guitar and ultimately go from playing Guitar Hero to being a guitar hero.