My daughter wants to play a guitar. We were searching through several websites looking for Acoustic guitars. The Daisy Rock is the one that caught her eye. All of the guitars are very pretty and purple and pink. I know color isn't everything.

So what can you tell me about the Daisy Rock brand? Are they good guitars? They are all around the $200 mark.

Thanks for the help!

You're paying mostly for the design and product placement. I know some of them have Hello Kitty and a whole bunch of other things on them (probably a Powerpuff Girls or Sailor Moon model too, somewhere). I'd say they did exactly what they were meant to do when your daughter pointed them out; they're eye-catching and glittery and all sugar and spice and everything nice, and that's really about it. They aren't BAD guitars, but they're nothing great. You can certainly get better for $200 by going with, say, Squier, or maybe a Washburn, or a used Ibanez. On the other hand, they're still a couple hundred steps up from anything sold at Wal-Mart or any of those department stores (Target, Best Buy, JC Penny, etc.).

No need to be afraid to buy used guitars, either. Sometimes it's a nice way to start on something decent.

I guess what I'm saying is that I wouldn't DISsuade you from buying your daughter a Daisy Rock, but I wouldn't give it a recommendation.

Wow, thanks! I'm sure that is what caught her eye, the glitter and cuteness of the guitar. She is the type that loves the glittery microphones that Carrie Underwood uses too!

I never thought about going and buying a used guitar. Where would I begin to look?

If you have a local music shop that sells used instruments, that'd be the best place to go first off. Once you get an understanding of brands and what guitars look/sound better than others, then you can take your search to craigslist. Instruments are first and foremost a hands-on thing.

You need to make sure the guitar fits her, feels good, and is in good condition. Depending on how young she is, you might want to consider getting her a 1/2 or 3/4 size guitar. That Daisy Rock might have been too big! I just noticed that you're looking for acoustic guitars in particular...

My biggest brand recommendation would be Yamaha. They have a solid reputation for building well-built cheap student instruments, as well as having a wide selection to pick from. After that would be Ovation or Applause. That's not to say, now, that if you both like something and it's within your price range, that you can't go ahead and get that just because it's not one of those two brands.

That said...there are several brands of which I think people should steer clear. They are often what music stores try to pawn off on customers. Jay Turser, Playmate (made by Dean), and Johnson, I think, shouldn't even be sold. Washburn and Rogue can be kind of less than top quality, but I will give Rogue a few points for being incredibly cheap and still building a useable guitar. If you just want to "test the waters" with your daughter playing guitar, a decent Rogue will only set you back perhaps $75 with a case. A Washburn would be only a few dollars more.

If you need any further information or have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! I hope all goes well!

Wow, thanks for all the information. We don't have a local music shop in my area, however there is one in the city. We will go check it out. Now that I know which brands to look for I feel better about going into the store. I don't want to go in knowing nothing and just having them sell me whatever.

Thanks again for the advice. I will post how I make out.

You could always have it airbrushed to please her. I know girls and they love the glittery stuff, at least my daughter and her friends do. My cousin's husband took their son's guitar and had it airbrushed and gloss coated to look metallic for him. He loved it and still has it.

Or if you wanted to get crafty...you can buy woodburners that can actually write (almost like pen) on wood. It's perfectly fine for the guitar as long as you don't press too hard. And you can make designs like this:

http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs25/f/2008/184/7/b/wood_burned_guitar_body_by_FlYGiRl118.jpg

or this:

http://www.wildfirecustomguitars.com/px/rosevinesblk1.jpg

Admittedly, the second one was painted after the woodburning, but you get the idea. And it's not too expensive either. A good woodburner will probably only cost you aout $20 at a local fabric store. They specialize in it, so while they may be about the same price or even sliiiiightly (but not much) more expensive than the department stores, they'll have much higher quality items.

Cool , never thought about that. You can buy a regular one and have it airbrushed. Wonder if that takes away from the guitar at all. We still have not been able to get one. Still looking- man she is picky!

It really doesn't change the sound much at all, not any that I've noticed. And it could be a fun craft for you and your daughter to do at home, eh?

I agree, and we really like to do crafts so it would work. I bet she would much rather paint her own then buy one that was painted.
Thanks for the tips and can't wait to start.