How young is too young?

Go look at the Art and Lutherie Ami Parlor, or the Washburn FS-150.

Both are nice sounding, well built and under $200.

My youngest student this year is six. Most kids that age aren't ready... but a few are.

Realize that he'll outgrow this first guitar in the first 3-4 years. Look at 3/4 size guitars... if he's really tiny, go with half size (but those get tuned up a minor third, to G-C-F-Bb-D-G - use a capo on yours to play together with him). Get someting with a playable action, but don't worry so much about overall tone - if the neck is straight, and the guitar functional, he'll be able to use it to build a foundation.

I start most beginners on nylon strings if I have input into the first guitar - it's easier to fret. The downside is the wider neck. Steel strings aren't as comfortable to play, but the six year old already had a guitar - a 3/4 size steel string - and he does fine with that.

Thanks, NB. I am worried about the "not being ready" part more than anything else. The boy does love music, and like I said, is pretty sharp. So maybe he is, but I will not know for sure until we get him started with a teacher. Part of me is tempted to go ahead and get a Baby Taylor, since it would also serve as a good travel guitar for me, or for something for my wife to play as well, but she would probably have a cow if I went and dropped $250 on another guitar after having just bought the Seagull M6 for myself. So, I am probably better off to be conservative on this purchase, gauge his interest, and get him something better later.

My grandson started at age 7, I'd say he's about average in size. I discussed this with our instructor before he started taking lessons. Typically our teachers youngest students would be 8, but he agreed to evaluate my grandson's progress to see if he was ready. After just a few lessons, it was apparent to both of us that he was ready.

He's 8 now and is doing quite well, and loving it.

One of the things I try to do with students to get in the right frame of presentation: I think about what they do in school. High school kids and older are used to factual presentations, so I just do what I do. Kids who are under about 11 or so have their education packed with more 'fun' stuff - field trips, film strips, group projects and all that. I don't really teach riffs to adults; I do teach riffs to kids 8-11 as part of the overall lesson to break things up (favorites seem to be Iron Man, Smoke on the Water, Kashmir, Sweet Home Alabama... the classic rock stuff)

Kids under 8 have a school day that's mostly fun. Finger painting, guessing games - the educational stuff is presented differently. At the six year old's first lesson, his mother seemed a bit uneasy with my approach - she's a violinist. I didn't start with tuning, or anything musical. I asked him if he'd ever been to the zoo. I asked him what the biggest animal he saw was. He told me a giraffe... I asked if he'd seen an elephant, and if that was bigger than a giraffe. Yes, he said. Do you know what letter elephant starts with?

We then talked about the biggest string on the guitar - the E-lephant string.

During his first 30 minutes, we spent perhaps 10 on actual guitar playing - an adult first lesson will run about 20-25 minutes of hands on the fretboard. At the end of his first lesson, he could get a clean tone on a single note with any of his four fretting fingers, knew the names of all six strings, and his mother no longer seemed concerned.

A good teacher will find a way to 'get through' during a lesson. A far better measure of the maturity needed for guitar: how much time will he practice between lessons? (for a 6-7 year old, I'd shoot for about 10 10-minute sessions per week)

Noteboat: I wish you were closer as I would have you teach my daughter, but that tirp there and home would be a killer. My daughter turns 9 next week. She expressed an intrest in guitar and we took her to the local music store to look. Owner picked out a nice 3/4 folk guitar with nylon strings but she was not that intresed, not cool enough. She wanted on like mine, electric. We got her the mini Squire strat and she is happy with that. I have given her a few easy lessons and she is doing very well, better than I did 6 weeks ago when I started again! She knows the notes on the 1st string, E, F, G, A and can do a few songs off the Hal Lynard book. She also know the strings, EADGBE. She hasd trouble with using all 3 fingers to make the notes on the fret. She is sliding the first finger down. I am trying to get her to use all 4, but the pinky is a major reach, is there a way to explane that with out being an overbearing Dad?? There are no slots open in either music center right now. We are hoping spring time people will slow down and we get an opening. Helping her is also reinforcing what I know and making sure I can do what she is doing.
TIA

Yeah, I guess Virginia to here would be quite a commute, eh?

Playing with that pinky is a hard thing for kids. It's great that she's learning to read from the beginning... and the first three fingers are all she needs for open position in C (for single notes) up to the G... I'd skip over pieces that use the high A, and let her learn the notes on the other strings in open position.

You could also give her some chromatic drills for using the pinky, but start her much higher on the neck - maybe the 9th fret or so. That'll help develop finger strength without stretching too far.

It sounds like she's doing great!

Yes the distance is a wee bit, 855 mi ~ 13.5 hrs
I want her to read the music, that is the mistake I made many, many years ago. Now 30+ years later I am learning. Ok on the cords. I showed her C and Em, & E Saturday evening. I was going to reinforce some reading tonight and do C & E cord again. I will have her work on the 9th fret tonight and try some scales, both of us!
Thanks :D