Long time player here.

I buy local when I can. Take him to a nearby shop, give him a budget, and let him pick what feels and looks good. Your first guitar is a stepping stone to learning that you don't know that you don't know.

We are super-spoiled these days with quality instruments at <$500.

One option is to buy from Sweetwater. Order one (or more), let him pick which of the two he prefers, and send the other back. You're only out the cost of return shipping.

Here is a link to a Sweetwater filter.

No matter what you buy, he'll need to have the guitar serviced periodically by a tech (in the beginning). A properly adjusted nut/neck/bridge makes all the difference, and it's not very expensive.

If you can bump up your budget just a little bit, you're into the PRS SE territory. They are one of the best bang-for-the buck guitars on the market.



Edited to add:

If you're settled on an SG, then I won't dissuade you. If that's the guitar that sparks the fire, then rock on. I don't care for them due to the neck dive and tuning stability issues. I consider them a "one trick pony". If that's the trick you're looking for, they fit the bill. But I think there are far more versatile guitars to be had that don't have the problems inherent with a Gibson headstock.

I appreciate your additional comments. At this early stage, where he knows nothing, it’s all about aesthetic, feeling and emotion. If this choice is what trips his trigger I am not going to apply the antiseptic of reason for fear of killing his vibe

quote:

If you're settled on an SG, then I won't dissuade you. If that's the guitar that sparks the fire, then rock on. I don't care for them due to the neck dive and tuning stability issues. I consider them a "one trick pony". If that's the trick you're looking for, they fit the bill. But I think there are far more versatile guitars to be had that don't have the problems inherent with a Gibson headstock.

I don’t understand this criticism. I have a Gibson SG, ‘61 Reissue. No issue with the infamous neck dive—at all. Tuning issues? More than any other Gibson design with a Tune-o-matic bridge? No. If the nut (especially) and bridge are setup for the string gauge you prefer, it holds tune very well. A well as a Tele? No, but nothing else seems to hold tune like a Tele. When the comet hits, all that will be left are cockroaches and Telecasters, and they’ll be in tune.

I had a Gibson ES model that I just never took to. I brought it down to Wildwood Guitars in Louisville, Colorado. I felt like there were some QC issues with it, and I had listened to YT videos complaining about Gibsons. I started to badmouth the company, but my sales guy was having none of it. “You can’t dismiss one of America’s oldest guitar builders, and maker of some of the most iconic guitars in music history like that,” he said. I played an SG and loved it. I love it still. I’m more of a Fender guy, but you need a double humbucker guitar to fill that sonic hole. I felt most LPs were both too expensive and too heavy.

I’ve got a NGD fast approaching. It’s a custom build and I’m anxious to show it off. After that…a P90 guitar.

quote:

Originally posted by Ryanp225:
And while the Squire classic vibes are nice they wont be able to produce the hard rock tone your son seems to be after. Humbuckers are a must.

Somebody should tell Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen that.

I kid, I kid, if you're going for general hard rock/metal, a Stratocaster with single coils is probably not the place to start, but some great guitarists have made do.

Made a deal, it’s on the way….

The SG has some critics, but it's an absolute classic and the favorite of a lot of big names. Angus Young (AC/DC) comes to mind. Off the top of my head, I don't think I can ever remember seeing him play anything else.

I don't have one, but I like them, and I find them a lot more comfortable to play than Les Pauls.

Looks great, Jim! He’ll be really happy with it, I’m sure.

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:

quote:

Originally posted by Ryanp225:
And while the Squire classic vibes are nice they wont be able to produce the hard rock tone your son seems to be after. Humbuckers are a must.

Somebody should tell Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen that.

I kid, I kid, if you're going for general hard rock/metal, a Stratocaster with single coils is probably not the place to start, but some great guitarists have made do.

Really, with the pickups you can get today, you can make just about anything sound reasonably close to anything else. Single coil size humbuckers, humbucker sized P-90's, splittable humbuckers, etc. Not exactly the same but close enough.

One of my favorite guitars is a 3 P90 Hamer USA Artist Korina semi-hollow. Switching is a 5-way rotary knob. I put Harmonic Design VP-90's in it that are wound specifically for each position with a RW/RP middle for hum cancelling in the in-between positions. It can do just about anything, and the pickups really clean up by rolling off the guitar volume. All you need is a non-master volume tube amp turned up, use the guitar volume to fade between clean and crunch, and an overdrive pedal for leads.

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
Looks great, Jim! He’ll be really happy with it, I’m sure.

And just like guns, you can never have too many guitars, this is only the first one....

Congrats on the SG! Nice looking top on that one, too.

As for the snubs on SG's, at least just say you don't prefer them. Back before it spawned a whole new generation of guitars, it was heavily favored by Carlos Santana, and yes, Jimi Hendrix before he died. I know, heresy to say he liked anything but Strats, and Fender marketing wouldn't let you believe it, but it's true.

Tuning issues can be greatly alleviated with a proper setup, and critically, proper re-stringing technique with enough wraps on the capstan. Critical. Neck dive can be awfully dependent on the individual guitar, and those prone to it benefit from leather straps that tend to grip your shirt, rather than seatbelt nylon type straps that slip and slide.

quote:

Originally posted by TXJIM:
For an amp, I am thinking the Boss Katana MkII 50. Several places have it rated #1 for beginners and it has a headphone output for our sanity….

Excellent choice. No personal experience with it, but one of my favorite YouTube guitarists, Ola Englund, highly recommends it. He's generally right on the money.

Nice guitar! Congratulations!

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:

quote:

Originally posted by TXJIM:
For an amp, I am thinking the Boss Katana MkII 50. Several places have it rated #1 for beginners and it has a headphone output for our sanity….

Excellent choice. No personal experience with it, but one of my favorite YouTube guitarists, Ola Englund, highly recommends it. He's generally right on the money.

People do seem to really like them.

The Yamaha THR series is also worth a look in that amp category.

Have not read through every posted response, but can tell you one thing for sure… go with Ibanez guitars and you will get more “bang for the buck” than anything else out there!

I have played guitar for over 40 of my 60 years on this planet, and my current choices are Fender for electric, or Takamine for acoustic. However, the majority of my last 20+ years playing has been bass guitar, and I quickly learned just how amazing Ibanez guitars really are! Serious gear on a budget price!

I started on Ibanez bass guitars right at 20 years ago, and while I did try other brands over a year or three, I switched back to Ibanez and have never looked back. My current bass is from their “Premium” series, and is most likely the LAST bass guitar that I will ever buy! It is freakin phenomenal to play, and at a fraction of the competition in price!

Nice one!

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:
The SG has some critics, but it's an absolute classic and the favorite of a lot of big names. Angus Young (AC/DC) comes to mind. Off the top of my head, I don't think I can ever remember seeing him play anything else.

I don't have one, but I like them, and I find them a lot more comfortable to play than Les Pauls.

Angus played a Gretch like Malcolm's in the Jailbreak video.

Man, there are a few things you can ALWAYS debate over, guns and guitars. Lots of good juice here, hopefully not to blind you with too much info. Get into a store and play as many as you can. I know Covid….

Sweet water is a GREAT place to order from with excellent service and return policies. Sometimes you need a little more time away from the store to really FEEL out an instrument. Best of luck..and have fun!

Now you need a Fender Mustang Micro.

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
Now you need a Fender Mustang Micro.

Already on its way from Amazon with a pair of studio headphones.

Nice looking guitar. Congrats to the new player and a dad that supports him in all the right ways.

Very nice SG!

Make sure he gets one of these:

Learning to play in-tune early can head off some things you have to unlearn later. If you ever want to play music with other people, you need ear training, and I can't stress enough how important it is to learn to play in-tune.