Try ebay. That's where I bought my Blueridge. And it didn't cost me $555.00. There are a lot of music stores that turn to ebay to sell their overstock, and the best part about this is that you can usually get a warranteed guitar by a dealer on ebay at a price of your choosing. And of course, you cannot do this though a retail shop! If your kid still loves the classic boomy sound of a Martin, you may want to simply try buying him a martin. the low end DXM and DM's sell for under $500.00. In fact I've bought DXM's guitars on ebay for under $300.00 without a case. and they sound every bit as nice as the fancy $4000.00 D-41's abalone inlaid models. I don't like the yamaha's personally, but I believe this is due the fact that I am biased against their looks, and not because they do not have competitive sound quality. Takamine's are a mixed bag, some are great, others are really cheap. Washburns have terrible clumpy necks the shape of which are perfect for bowhunting. Applause guitars are 100 percent plastic and make great boat paddles for canoeing! Good Luck in your search! (I'd go for a Blueridge if I were you!)

Dewey