Best Electric Guitars For Small Hands

Choosing an electric guitar with a short scale size can be a great move for players with small hands.

Whether child or adult, it is important to feel comfortable playing your instrument.

If you’re having a hard time fretting chords or running scales on a standard size guitar, check out this list of the best electric guitars for small hands.

Top Rated Electric Guitars For Tiny Hands

Ibanez GRGM21BKN 3/4 Size Mikro Electric Guitar

Ibanez, a leader in the electric guitar market endorsed by greats like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eddie Van Halen, delivers a mini shredding machine in the Mikro series.

The Mikro’s durable and fun to play design is perfect for children or entry level players on a tight budget.

Construction

Ibanez’s Mikro series are scaled down versions of their full size GRG models. The GRG package includes a solid basswood body, a maple neck, and a fretboard made of jatoba with sharktooth inlays and 24 frets.

Everything is built tight and secure; no shaking of loose tuning machines or pickups like you might expect in guitars that cost as little as the Mikro.

Tone

The Mikro comes outfitted with Ibanez Infinity pickups, which are, let’s say, not the worst you could ask for.

While the basswood body can guarantee a balanced quality tone with the right hardware, the Infinity pickups leave a lot to be desired for the player who wants a true full-bodied electric guitar sound.

You can bear with it, or mod it yourself with some better pickups to really get the most out of the Mikro.

Playability

I’ve always found Ibanez fun to play, and the short scale length of the Mikro series adds to the pleasure of pretending I can shred like Satriani.

This guitar is so easy to play, it voids the excuse of “It hurts my fingers.”

Short scale guitars will often need the action properly set up and can benefit from a switch to lighter gauge strings.

Although a common and easy problem to fix on entry level guitars, the Mikros tend to ship with sharp fret ends.

Bottom line

The Ibanez Mikro is a great instrument for heavy metal kiddos, hobbyists who love to modify and upgrade electrics, or those just starting to learn electric guitar who feel they need a smaller model.

Jackson Dinky Minion JS1X – Best Electric Guitar For Players With Small Hands

• Chunky full sound
• Available in range of popular models
• 2/3 body size

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Maker of some of the most recognizable guitar models in metal music history, Jackson has consistently held an electric guitar spotlight through the endorsements of players like Randy Rhoads and James Hetfield.

The Minion series offers a chance for everyone to try their hand at shredding some sick riffs.

Construction

Jackson Dinky Minions are a solid small guitar. The super fast satin finished maple neck is bolted to the solid popular body in an axe 2/3 the size of a standard guitar.

I’ve seen Jacksons take a beating and still play great, so if you’re looking for a starter guitar for a rambunctious young rocker, the Dinky Minion is a great choice.

Tone

Jackson outfits the Dinky Minion series with Jackson High-Output Humbucking pickups, which bring big tone through the small solid body.

With the right amp, you can get a lot of crunch out of this little monster and pull off some raging squeals in the high end. Some might say it sounds dirty – I say it sounds metal.

Playability

The low action of Jackon guitars might make the Dinky Minion awkward for a beginner learning chords.

Bottom line

I have a nostalgic affinity for Jacksons – they were the guitar of choice for the guitarist in my high school metal band, and I always thought his guitar sounded great and was a lot of fun to play when we weren’t practicing.

Among these small guitars, the Dinky Minion stands out as my favorite.

Squier by Fender Mini Strat

• Clear, crisp, balanced tone
• Sounds good for many music styles
• Slim, short neck

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Fender has been such an iconic name in electric guitars for so many decades, when you picture an electric, odds are it’s one of their original models that comes to mind.

The Stratocaster debuted in 1954, and this scaled down version of the Bullet Strat series carries the essence of vintage rock in a low-priced and dependable starter instrument.

Construction

Mini Strats are made with basswood bodies and maple necks in a bolt-on assembly.

With a scale length of 22.75 inches, it is the third smallest guitar in this list. 20 medium frets with a slim neck profile make this a great guitar for a beginner who plans to transition to a standard sized instrument later.

To the detriment of the Stratocaster reputation, many people have complained of tuning instability in the Mini Strats.

Tone

The Mini Strat’s tone is a perfect sonic illustration of “you get what you pay for.”

You’re paying for a fraction of a Stratocaster, and with it is a fraction of the full Strat sound. Everything is balanced well in this guitar, lows to highs, and it sounds good across many genres and playing styles. It’s just a bit watered down, so to speak– the essence of what a Strat can sound like.

Playability

The fret spacing and double cutaway Stratocaster body shape allow for perfect access to the highest areas on the fretboard, so there’s no part of this guitar that’s difficult to play.

Slipping tuners will always be an impediment to perfect playability, but remedy that issue and you will have a great entry level guitar.

Bottom line

With a balanced, bright tone that sings well through rock, country, jazz, blues, and more in a small package reminiscent of the origins of rock and roll, the Fender Mini Strat is a great guitar to get anyone started on their musical journey.

Fender Mustang

• Well-constructed
• Great balanced tone
• Almost 2” shorter than most electric guitars

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The Fender Mustang has a long history as a popular electric guitar, put to use by rock legends like Jimi Hendrix, Adrian Belew, and Kurt Cobain.

Construction

Mustangs are made with bodies of solid alder, a medium density wood that facilitates a great range of tones. 22 frets over a 24” scale maple neck are all wide open to the fretting hand. Everything is solid and stable in this true rocker of a guitar.

Tone

Alder and maple are a great tonewood pair.

Alder brings in the thick lows and full mids but can fail a bit in the highest registers. Maple’s bright upper register and overall sparkle fill out the tone of the Mustang.

Crank up the volume with the dual Fender Mustang Single-Coil pickups, and you’ll see why this guitar and other similar Fenders have been the preferred guitars of so many greats.

Playability

From rock to pop to jazz to funk to country, the Mustang is a smooth play.

It features a slim “C” shaped neck that players with small hands rave about. Alder is not a very heavy wood, making the Mustang lightweight enough for children.

Bottom line

For its price, the Mustang could be either a high end entry level guitar, or a low end professional instrument.

For the beginner, it’s a perfect guitar for learning any genre and style.

And for the seasoned pro, it’s a great project guitar, ready to show its full potential through a couple upgraded pickups.

Other Considerations

There are several other guitars with shorter scale lengths that I could write about, with Fender offering a few of the best.

PRS commonly uses a 24.5 inch scale, but become irrelevant when considering their wide and fat neck builds.

Scale length is pretty standard among electrics, 25.5 inches being the most common. 24.75 inch scale guitars are abundant, but often have wide neck profiles and less than 24 frets, not being specifically suited for players with small hands.

These are some of the smallest, best electric guitars for small hands on the market.

With enough practice, finger stretches and exercises, and determination, I believe you can play any guitar with any hands.