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?

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.)

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 !

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.)