children's guitar

[tc4b]

I was recently given a small guitar that had been in the back of someone's closet for who knows how many years. It's extremely crappily built, and I know it will never be a tone monster, but I'd like to get it to stay in tune, which it currently won't do for more than 30 or 40 seconds. I want to replace the strings, but when I was about to I noticed the tuning pegs (not the machines, just the pegs) are plastic. Would it need new tuners to hold tune? Plus, the strings I have a re d'adario mediums (phsphor bronze) and I'm worried they might break the poor little thing. Is it a lost cause? Thanks for any help. It would be mostly for novelty, or for my boy if he feels like learning.

It's a Mark II Student Guitar, model # msg-30

 

[Obi-Wan zenabI]

There are numerous cheapo guitars that will stay acceptably in tune.

A squier for $99.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-Mini-Strat-Electric-Guitar?sku=510421

rogue drednought $80

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/prod...511192&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=26041079

$30 accoustics:

http://www.rondomusic.com/acoustics.html

investing in an old plastic tuner toy makes no sense when you can get "decent crap" for someone to learn on for so cheap.

 

[pohaku]

If you really want to string it, I'd look at nylon and not steel strings. It doesn't sound like it would take steel strings at all, much less mediums. I bought my daughter LaSiDo Ami, which is a parlour size guitar. It's well made, sounds decent enough and ---- it comes in colors (perhaps its most important feature for that age set). @ $150. Decidedly NOT disposable.

 

[tc4b]

So, I guess I'll try some nylon strings and forget replacing the tuners. I wasn't in the market for a shitty little guitar, mind you, just fell into my lap and wondered if it was salvageable. I'll probably just hang onto it in case this happens again and I can use the 2nd guitar for parts and maybe swap the tuners, for fun.