Hohner HAG250P Review – A Decent Guitar, Not a Toy!

Everybody has to start somewhere, and a small nylon-stringed guitar made specifically for little hands is a pretty good place to start. Today we’re looking at the Hohner HAG250P, which is one of the most popular classical guitars for kids aged around 5 to 8 years old, with a sub-$50 price tag that will certainly appeal to parents. Let’s check it out!

Body & Neck

Unless your child is adamant they want to learn on an electric guitar, a classical is perhaps the best choice, as the nylon strings are a little easier on beginner fingers. The Hohner HAG250P offers this platform although, naturally, some compromises are made on materials and craftsmanship to keep the price so low. The HAG250P features a traditional non-cutaway style that’s used for 90 percent of classical guitars out there – it looks good, with black binding and even a little black pickguard! It’s a 1/2 size guitar, so is perfect for children up to around 8 or 9 years old. The body’s top, back and sides are made from laminated agathis, with a mahogany neck and a generic hardwood fretboard. Joined at the 12th fret, this neck offers a full 18 frets, which is more than enough for beginners. It’s very much mass-produced, but feels quite sturdy, and is light and comfortable to hold. So far, so good.

Hardware

The hardware is perhaps where the Hohner HAG250P is let down a little. It comes fitted with a set of six open-gear tuners with plastic buttons, which are fine to use although aren’t great for tuning stability. When tuned, they do hold the tuning for a period of time, but after prolonged use and idle periods, the tuning needs tweaking. It’s not a huge deal, especially if you know how to tune a guitar, but worth bearing in mind. As for the rest of the hardware, the HAG250P comes with a basic hardwood bridge and a plastic nut. Not great, but very much expected at this price.

Sound

As you may have predicted, the sound on offer with the HAG250P is quite basic – but certainly not bad. Providing the guitar is in tune, the sound is audible and clear, and gives beginners exactly what they need in terms of projection and tone.

Conclusion

We’ve established that the HAG250P isn’t perfect, but despite the wallet-friendly price tag, this is a decent little guitar, and certainly not a toy. Of course, there are better quality child-friendly classical guitars out there – but for the super-low price, as long as you aren’t expecting a hand-crafted masterpiece, the Hohner HAG250P is a good, inexpensive introduction to the guitar. For more info about the Hohner HAG250P, click here. For more acoustic guitars for kids you might like, click here.