Can anyone help me buy a steel string acoustic guitar for my son?

[PhoebeMcPeePee]

DS, 10, decided he wanted to play the guitar last year after being given on old cheapy nylon string guitar by a neighbour. He absolutely loves playing and is getting quite good and now wanting to upgrade to a steel string. He's played a friends and has an electric guitar but plays solely with a pick thingy (sorry can't remember the name!) - is this an issue? He's been saving for months but I suspect still a long way off anything half decent so we'd like to match his money as a reward for his hard work & practise especially as he's been teaching himself until recently and now paying for his own lessons .

I've had a brief look online and can see anything from £80-£500. Will £180 buy anything half decent that will see him over the next few years until he's big enough for full size and if so, any recommendations?

[Ferguson]

He will probably need an electric guitar, and small practice 'amp'.

Does DS also want to play 'finger style' as well using the plectrum?

£180 should certainly be enough, but I would also advice listening to as wide a range of music as possible, and learning as much music Theory as possible:

www.justinguitar.com/

www.brianmay.com/

martintaylor.com/

(Martin Taylor is THE best for finger style.)

[PhoebeMcPeePee]

Thank you that's really helpful especially the links. Sorry I wasn't clear in my op - he has an electric guitar & now just looking for steel string acoustic !

[Ferguson]

Steel strings on an acoustic could put quite a strain on the instrument I would have thought, and might make it harder to play; an electric guitar has a lower action I think; more about it here:

thehub.musiciansfriend.com/tech-tips/tech-tip-how-to-get-the-best-guitar-setup

thbecker.net/guitar_playing/guitars_and_setup/setup_page_01.html

(You need to follow all the pages of this second link, to get all the information I think.)