Cheap Amazon Beginner Guitar Review - 'Mad About' 1/2 Size Guitar

For this blog post I am going to review the Mad About 1/2 Size guitar which is available on Amazon UK. Is it worth buying a cheap guitar for your child to start learning on or is it a waste of money? Lets find out!

To view the guitar on Amazon UK follow this link - GUITAR

Small Guitar, Big Rockstar Energy

This little guitar is basically an ideal beginners first guitar.

Perfectly sized for kids, it’s light, easy to hold, and doesn’t feel like you’re wrestling a piece of furniture just to play Twinkle Twinkle. The nylon strings are kind to small fingers which means more practicing and fewer dramatic "my fingers hurt" moments.

It comes as a full starter pack, which is a huge win, open the box and go, instant musician. The carry bag and the guitar looks great, feels sturdy enough for enthusiastic beginners, and actually sounds pretty decent for its size. There are also a variety of colour options available.

Is it a concert-grade masterpiece? No. Is it an excellent first guitar that makes learning fun and exciting? Absolutely.

Me holding the guitar!

This size guitar is designed for children around 6–8 years old as a beginner’s guitar. The 1/2 size body and shorter scale length make it comfortable for smaller hands and easier to play than a full-size guitar. The downside of the nylon strings is that they can easily be bent too much making playing in tune harder and they do need a bit of extra stretching and tuning to start with but with good practice it will not be an issue. It is always a good idea to ask a music teacher or a guitar shop to help with this.

Big is not always better when it comes to guitars either. Even the pop star Ed Sheeran uses a 3/4 size guitar rather than a full size.

What you get for the price

• It’s a complete starter kit with the guitar, bag, strap, pick and spare strings included — not something all cheapest guitars offer.

• That means you don’t need to buy extra gear just to start learning.

Decent guitar case

Verdict

⭐️ Great for its price point — solid value if you want:

• A playable guitar that feels good for a young beginner.

• A ready-to-go kit without hidden extra costs.

• Enough quality to keep a child engaged without overspending.

Short- to Medium-Term Lifespan

Good for the first year or two of learning, especially for younger beginners. These guitars are budget-oriented entry instruments built mostly from laminated woods and basic hardware, so they aren’t designed to be heirloom quality.

Tips to Make It Last

✔ Keep it in its case when not in use

✔ Learn basic tuning and string care because well-stretched nylon strings settle and stay in tune better

✔ Replace strings when they wear out, that alone can extend its life and sound

Bottom line: Great starter guitar that can last a good while as your child learns — but don’t expect pro-level longevity; you’ll probably upgrade later as skills and size grow. 🎶

Something else to consider is that this guitar package also comes with some online music lessons for free! I have no experience of this but do know a few students who are doing it so I will update this blog as and when I learn anything new.

Check out some beginner guitar books - HERE

Having a good quality music stand at home, greatly increases your chances of wanting to practice. Check out my Kraftgeek blog where you can get 15% off all their products.

This blog post does contain some affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Thanks for reading! ❤

Mark Glover

4/2/26