My son has recently taken up playing guitar, and he's actually picking it up and getting better fairly quickly, using an old Hamer Studio I had collecting dust. He wants me to buy him something pointy for his birthday, but I'm making progress on convincing him to go Strat, as long as it has a wang bar.

Which one? I'm leaning toward a MIM Standard HSS, probably an 08 model that I can get a good deal on at the Guitar Center blowout sale this weekend. I want something that will stay in tune, feel and sound good, and have tonal versatility. I also don't want to spend a ton of dough on MIA, since he is just learning. MIM Standard HSS Strat a good choice?

He will either like it or hate it..... kids are very unpredictable...

Sounds like a good choice to me. I was dying for a Strat when I was 11.

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I told my 12 year old son he could have my black strat, which he used for a bit, but he REALLY wanted a BC Rich Warlock, he kept looking on Craigslist, and eventually found one and we bought it. I am so happy that he loves playing guitar! Hopefully in time he will become a Strat man!
Yes, I think a MIM HSS is a good choice. I wish I had one!

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1994 Standard Strat, Blue
2000 Standard Strat, Black, with GFS block, and GFS Lil Killer pickup.
2004 Standard Telecaster, Black
1971 Gibson SG
1985 Kramer Baretta
1986 Kramer Vangard
Carvin X60B
Marshall 50 watt 2x12 combo

Yeah, a shred metal type Ibanez was my second choice back then. But in the long run I'm glad I got a Strat instead.

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If he's just wanting something stylish, then the Jackson JS series are pretty much all within the $300-$400 range. I suppose they're decent, but trust me...you'll want to try out each and every one of them...they either sound really really bad or fairly decent...

Otherwise, I'd say the HSS Strat would be a great alternative! I know sometimes I'd kill for an HSS config, although I can never bring myself to alter my own Strat.

Sure thing, but you may want to try a standard strat FIRST. You can always add stacked humbuckers later on instead of the Single Coils: they fit right in. I have a MIM that is actually HSH: Hot Rails at the neck and JB junior at the bridge. It sounds great. I also have a G&L legacy tribute series and it sounds even hairier -- it SSS configuration, but great pickups. Hard to find at GC, though because they don't distribute through them. List is about the same as an MIM Strat. Why not set a limit and take the lad down to GC with you? You may be surprised at what he picks out.

Thanks for all the replies, folks! If I leave it to him, he'll pick the guitar with the most points on it - the Warlock was one he definitely dug!

On the one hand, I want him to play something he truly likes. On the other hand, my gut tells me to get something a bit less genre-specific. A Strat is timeless and works well with metal, rock, pretty much anything, imho.

He really likes the way David Gilmour's looks - black and maple! I do, too!

As much as i want another strat, and we all love em, I have to tell you to get him the guitar that excites him.

Remember he's 12, the metal image is huge for him. he'll get older, and probably want a more versatile guitar, that's when he'll be ready for a strat.

Why don't you go to guitar center for his birthday and have him try out a bunch of different guitars in our price range. That way he'll be able to get what he wants and he'll have an idea of what kind of guitars are suitable for him.

Make him play a bunch, at 12 he might not have experience with different guitars. he might not realize how different they can sound from brand to brand, and model to model.

Maybe he'd like a Les Paul? They're suitable for just about any kind of music, and probably more suitable for metal than a strat. Even though I think that eventually he will end up liking strats (how can you not?), get him the guitar he wants, even if it's pointy.

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Get him a Fender Mustang, or a Jag-Stang. Both are really nice guitars.

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Devon

'08 Standard Telecaster
'80 Gibson Sonex Deluxe
'95 Standard Stratocaster ('63RI)
Hot Rod Deville 212

This is just my $.02 worth so please take it at that, but it's been my experience that "kids are kids" and if your son really doesn't want a Strat, no talking in the world is ever really going to make him happy with it. Honestly, I remember my very early years on guitar...I had wanted to play the kind of music my older brother listened to (which at the time was stuff like The Beatles, Shocking Blue, etc...early rock), so my folks bought me a 3/4 sized nylon string classical acoustic and took me to lessons to learn stuff like "When The Saints Go Marching In", "Little Brown Jug" and "Dueling Banjos"...needless to say I finally quit because it wasn't what -I- wanted...you can only play Little Brown Jug so many times before you actually go insane. It wasn't until I was 17 and had my first job that I went out and bought an electric guitar ("to punish my ma" LOL) and started playing that stuff that -I- wanted to play...and here more than 20 years later, I'm still doing it.

Seriously, if you are intent on getting him a Strat, I would suggest just going with a sub-$200 Squire first and see if he really likes the Strat and then move up to an MIM or something nicer later. Otherwise, I would suggest just getting him "something pointy" like he desires as this is going to give him more inspiration and a greater desire to play than even a top of the line Custom Shop Strat. In time he'll learn to appreciate quality over aesthetics but for now the important thing is to keep him inspired...and that's simply a matter of getting him what he wants and not what you want or think is better.

Again, just my $.02 worth,
Jim

What he may want is the Fender Stratocaster with the Floyd Rose Tremelo. Most Rockers/Metalheads who like to dive bomb like those for their stability. Plus they have a Humbucker, Single, Single coil pick up configuration that if he wanted to he could mod to a HSH config.

Overall, I love Fender Straocasters. I was one of those "pointy" guitar entheusiest when I was younger, but always wanted a Fender. Now I have a Fender Stratocaster and never want to see another pointy guitar again.

My last 2 cents: When you go to the shop, have him play all the guitars in your price range. Just because it is made by a cool company does not mean that particular guitar is the same as another from that same company. Have him focus on sound and feel of the guitar over looks. He will know which one is right for him.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head