John, I think the key in your original post is that your son has been looking at a particular guitar. If you can afford that guitar get it. Buying anything else in the same price range or maybe even more is not respecting his choice. If you can buy it somewhere he can return it if he wants something else then that might be a good idea.

At about the same age my son had his eye on a black Fender acoustic that he was going to spend his own money on. He discussed it with me and I said I thought there were other guitars that would be better in the long run. He bought the Fender anyway and traded it in on a better guitar a couple of years later for one of the guitars I had suggested. He enjoyed the Fender for a while and out grew it but he got what he wanted at the time and that brings its own satisfaction.