At his age, you may want to "test the waters".
String to fret distance is the only thing he might worry about. Cheap instruments are plentiful and the strings are very high above the frets.
Find someone on ebay or craigs that has already run their course with this. You can probably get by with $75.
Once he is committed, he will ask if he can get a better instrument...then you can shop for a Fender or Gibson. If he tries it for a year and then drops it, you are out $75 and not $300.
Just a piece of advice with two sons past this stage.
