One thing perhaps to add is that cheap guitars have got a lot, lot better in recent years. Bit like cars and bikes, manufacturing costs have dropped and companies have combined, so most guitars are now made in 2 or 3 mega factories, meaning there's far less difference between the quality of different brands.weeksy wrote: ↑Fri Dec 01, 2023 10:53 am There's a guy who has a couple of HB that isn't too far away.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305294513213 ... R76xitCEYw
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item= ... ssn=robc71
So while looking at 2nd hand guitars from the major brands is definitely worth doing, I'd be more cautious of doing the same with the budget brands. That's not to say those one you've linked to are bad (I have no idea about older HB stuff, or whether those are even old or not), but some of the entry-level guitars from 10+ years ago were pretty awful.
There's really no substitute for going to a big shop and having a play around though. It's tricky when starting from scratch without knowing what you like, but he's already competent on acoustic then he'll know what feels good to him. Go to Anderson's or somewhere similar for an hour or two and if nothing else then it would help narrow down the style of guitar he likes best. You won't be able to try things like Harley Bentons of course, but it might help point you in a specific direction.
Edit: Just read the surprise bit. Oh well
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