My son has had a few (like 2 or 3) guitar lessons and likes it. He has been spending a fair amount of time "practicing". I've borrowed a friend's guitar for the first month, but need to think about getting him one. (He is 16 and fairly big if guitars come in different sized-shows how much I know)
I don't even know what the prices are but using a knife analogy, I'm thinking Spyderco, not William Henry or Frost Cutlery.
He is currently using an acoustic and hasn't mentioned anything about wanting an electric.
Thanks.
For the money, you can't beat Yamaha, either acoustic or electric. I've played on some of them that out-perform some of the high end acoustic guitars simply because the owner added a custom made compensated bone saddle for $25 USD which changed the sound of the lower-end guitar (both tone and volume) to that of a good quality mid-range guitar! :thumbup:
You didn't mention which country you're in, but this too will impact your decision. Takamine and Morris are excellent mid-range guitars if you are on the western side of the date line, while Yamaha and Washburn are the best buys on the eastern side. Regardless of which brand you buy, remember that the quality of sound coming out needs to be equal to the amount of effort going in. If your son is working hard to learn to play, but his best efforts result in poor tone because the guitar is cheaply made, he won't have much encouragement to play.
As you don't know about the ins and outs of what makes a 'good guitar,' buying a used guitar can be dangerous unless you have a knowledgeable friend to go along with you to check out the intonation at the 12th fret, neck bow, face or bridge rise, etc. A new guitar from a reliable shop will avoid all that. You do want a full size guitar. As for the decision to play acoustic or electric, today's composites are a good compromise. The cut-away models give access to the bottom of the fret board, the electrics can be used if wanted but still giving you an acoustic sound if you don't. They do, however, add to the cost.
Every guitar brand and model has its own distinctive sound, but at this stage of ability, you son won't know what it is that he really prefers. Don't spend a lot of money on a 'great' guitar (Martin, Guild, Fender, Gibson, etc.,) but don't buy a piece of junk either. You can find some nice sounding instruments in the $300-$400 USD range.
Stitchawl