[lumberjim]

you can get a playable guitar for $150. you can get one that won;t suck for $300. the amp....start with a small practice fender amp $89.

when i first started playing, i got a washburn. my dad plays, and knew what he was looking at, so i had guidance. i think he spent around $250 for the guitar. it was white with a black pick guard, and looked about as generic as it possibly could. i learned to play on it, and after a year, traded it in on an acoustic, and bought a stratocaster.

get a chromatic tuner that has an auto-off feature ($35-$45 well spent)

get a full sized guitar. there are plenty of 5' rock stars. ronnie james dio, flea, the guy from .....holy shit.....who did 'shout at the devil'? edit...motley crue! duh

the big thing, though, is lessons. find him a good teacher, and make him practice.

this is a big money pit if he just wants to look cool with it slung over his shoulder, so stay on top of his commitment to it. start cheap.

i think i'd go acoustic and see if he sticks with it before i started spending big $$ on the gear an electric requires. taylor makes a nice 3/4 scale 'baby taylor' to learn on. ($300-$350) acoustic guitars are considerably harder on your fingertips.....you gotta develop and maintain callouses.

edit: i don;t think i've ever seen a more self contradictory and misdirected post. sorry

dude, you;re fucked. i don't know what to tell you.