The Babble Review: iPlayMusic Kids Electric Guitar Bundle

Guitar Hero and Rock Band are all right for family game
nights, but banging a bunch of plastic buttons in time to music is
nothing compared to learning a real instrument. Priced around what
you'd pay for one of the aforementioned insta-band kits, the iPlay Music
Kids Electric Guitar Bundle includes everything your little dude or
dudette needs to start shredding — except ability, of course, but the bundle even gives you a head start toward that.

Clockwise from L-R: an electric guitar, amp, picks, strap, cable, tuner and instructional DVD all come with the basic kit.

Thankfully, iPlayMusic hasn't skimped on the most important piece of the bundle: The included 3/4-size junior electric guitar by Stagg may not be world-class, but compared to similarly marketed instruments (say, the junk you can buy at Toys"R"Us), it's actually built to last. The action (i.e., how high the strings sit off the fretboard) is low enough out of the box that kids won't be cramping up while trying to fret "Mary Had a Little Lamb"; the tone is more than decent (especially on "clean" amp settings) for a beginner's instrument; and the solidly built, Stratocaster-style body offers the look and feel of a grownup axe.

The kit also includes a Stagg practice amplifier that includes five easy-to-understand knobs for EQ, volume and overdrive — and you'll want to watch the little ones' ears with those last two settings, 'cause despite its small size, this one still gets loud. The headphone jack allows kids to practice in solitude while also sparing Mom and Dad's sanity, and the MP3 input lets them plug in an iPod to jam along with Hannah Montana, the Naked Brothers or whatever else is rocking their world. (Again, we're thankful for those headphones.)

Of course you'll also want to keep the guitar in tune, and the included basic digital tuner makes it easy to keep those strings where they should be. Picks, a strap, and a cable for connecting the guitar to the amp also come with the bundle, and if buying the lot blows your budget for lessons, don't worry: iPlayMusic also throws in a virtual teacher to get the kids started.

Beginner Guitar Lessons Level 1 is an entry-level DVD course that aims wide but doesn't overreach: There's no condescending instructor or cartoonish behavior (though if you're buying for a very young child, iPlayMusic also has a fun, Muppets-style instructional DVD you might also want to consider), and the song selections (from the Beach Boys to Willie Nelson) are a bit more fun to learn than, say, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." The karaoke-style instructional segments feature scrolling lyrics and notes, so if your kids are already used to tapping along to Guitar Hero's fast-moving note combos, they may have an easier time than most keeping pace.

The Kids Electric Guitar Bundle is available for $199.95 from the iPlayMusic store. If you're not quite ready to spring for an electric guitar, or if you'd rather your kids worked their way up to an electric, iPlayMusic also has a $79.95 acoustic bundle aimed at kids. Either way, the bundles are a great way to introduce little ones to the fun of playing an instrument.