Hello everyone, I’m new to the forums, but have been reading for the past week. I was wondering if I could ask for some opinions on equipment for beginners.

My son, who is 11 years old, has expressed a lot of interest in learning to play the guitar (let's say bugging me everyday type interest). Since he has made a deal with me ;-) to do less video games and pick up another hobby, we have agreed that he will spend at least one year with lessons and he can decide whether or not he wants to continue after that.

He is a bigger kid for his age and is already about 5 feet tall and I feel he may outgrow a ¾ size guitar too quickly. Because I have an eclectic taste in music, he at this time has fallen into the types of music that I like as well. He loves the Beatles, Rockabilly music such as Stray Cats, Johnny Cash, Eddie Cochran, Elvis and even more contemporary Chris Isaac … he also likes newer bands such as Batmobile and even the Black Keys and White Stripes (I think the album Magic Potion by the Black Keys got him most interested in the sounds that a guitar can make) and throw in some Led Zeppelin, The Cult, Muse, Social Distortion and Dick Dale and well, you have a pretty eclectic kid who wants to learn.

I used to play keyboards myself, but knowing nothing about the purchasing of guitars I was hoping to get some feedback on what might be a good guitar or package to buy. I have been browsing some of the package deals available and they all seem to be hovering around $250 - $400 in price. But I have a little better budget … say I could go up to $1000.00 or a little over and knowing that if things went a different direction and he decided he was not that into it, I could get a decent return value on the equipment …

Sans Led Zeppelin, White Stripes and Black Keys, I know that a lot of rockabilly and punk is/was hollow body guitars such as Gretsch. What would you guys do/purchase, with the type of music as described above and a budget of around $1000.00?

By the way, for 1K I was hoping to get a complete setup (not just the guitar)

And I want to say thanks to everybody for your feedback!

Welcome to MGR! As you've no doubt discovered already in researching, it might be difficult to find a beginner's package that has a semi-hollowbody guitar. That's because probably 80% of players use Strats or Les Pauls or their clones, but that doesn't mean a semi-hollowbody can't sound good in a rock setting, as you've discovered with Stray Cats/Brian Setzer. And of course George Harrison and John Lennon as well as Paul McCartney used primarily semi-hollow Gretsch or Epiphone in the Beatles.

One thing to keep in mind is that a semi-hollow may be prone to feedback at high volume, but that shouldn't affect a beginner. Given your price range, I'd look at some of the guitars listed below, then look for an amplifier separately. You may be able to talk a local shop into giving you a package deal.

The Gretsch G5120 Electromatic is a dual-pickup, single cutaway model that resembles the one used by Brian Setzer. The Gretsch G5122 is a double-cutaway version that looks like the Gibson ES-335 or Epiphone Casino. They each sell for around $700 without a case.

Epiphone offers the Casino for around $400 -- I saw McCartney in August and he as well as Brian Ray and Rusty Anderson used the Casino, which sells for $600. Limited Edition Riviera Custom P93, a three-pickup dual cutaway, for around $500. The Epiphone Dot series two-pickup models are even cheaper and come in a variety of colors.

If for some reason your son isn't drawn to the hollowbodies, Fender makes several solidbodies that are very familiar, well-made and reasonably priced. The Standard Strats sell for $500. Unfortunately, Gibson Les Pauls and SGs start around $2500. But Epiphone offers a few Les Paul models for between $400 and $700.

Yamaha and Ibanez also make decent starter guitars in your price range.

As for an amp, if you think your son will be playing in even a small band, you'd be best to get something other than a 15 watt practice amp. Almost all amps now come with a headphone jack for silent practice, so you won't have to worry about having too much power for home use.

Fender offers a few reasonably priced combos in the Frontman line that sell for less than $350. Line 6 also offers effects-equipped guitar amps that sound great. The Line 6 Spider IV has 75 watts and digital amp modeling and effects and sells for $300. One of the guitarists in my band uses this amp and it sounds really good, plus it keeps up with the band, which is rather loud.

Best thing to do, if you can, is go to a store and try out a few. If your son can't play, get one of the sales people to demo and show you a variety of sounds.

I think getting your son involved with music is a great idea and offers social possibilities that video gaming doesn't. Let us know how you make out!

Being a fan of the hollowbody sound, I'll second the Ibanez notion and add that the Ibanez Artcore series is absolutely fantastic. I've played with many professional rock and especially jazz players who still use them even though the guitar may have been their very first instrument. At around $300-$500, they're absolutely fantastic for the price.

Here's a link to what I'm talking about:
http://www.ibanez.com/HollowBodyGuitars/Series-artcoreCustom

And one from a dealer whom I continuously recommend:
http://www.nstuffmusic.com/p-1955-ibanez-ag75bs-ag-series-brown-sunburst.aspx

My Bias: I love Telecasters.

With that being said, may I suggest a Tele? Your budget for the package is well beyond the normal beginner price, so you can definitely afford a well made, versatile guitar and amplifier.

A Tele can produce a broad range of tones to fit with almost any style. Jimmy Page recorded the first Led Zeppelin album (and the "Stairway to Heaven" solo) with a Tele and a Supro amp. George Harrison used one for the album Let It Be. Joe Strummer! Muddy Waters! The list is quite long and covers almost every style of music.

Being a rockabilly musician myself, I know the pressure is to have a big fat hollow body. Mine stays in the closet in favor of my Teles. And, if you really look at the players in authentic 50s music, they all have Telecasters.

I'm partial to Teles myself. Fender is offering a few with dual buckers, too, but I like the single coil sound.

I had a G&L Tele made several years back that has a humbucker in the bridge position. It sounds fantastic, if maybe a bit too aggressive.

Nothing wrong with a Tele at all, although I'm personally partial to the fuller sound that comes from a Tele with a Bucker in the bridge. I heard a band called Renae whose guitar player had a Tele retrofitted with a Gibson single coil in the neck and an EMG in the bridge...It was actually really smooth, almost didn't sound like a Tele anymore except for subtle hints of that BITE/TWANG that still remained. It was a great sound overall.

I'd personally recomend something like a Cort or perhaps Washburn - very versatile and built with high quality woods and hardware for a smaller price than its competitors such as ESP and Schecter. I personally would say that packs arent worth bothering with. Line 6 Spyder's make for decent affordable begginer amp option.