[LWJ]

Ok. I have a room full of music junk and a son who plays. Some random thoughts:

I bought a 1962 reissue Japanese grey market strat in 1985. I had a pro set up.
That thing was magic. Of course I sold it and regret it.

Why do I mention this? You can buy Japanese made strats on ebay or similar still. They have a lovely build quality. Strats by design are modular and made to swap out parts if needed. The Japanese strats are worth looking at.

I also have a nicer Mexi strat at home that is nothing to sneeze at. Similar cost to the Japanese one.

Another idea is to build your own? You can buy nice bodies and necks. Custom nitro paint with Reranch. Spec your hardware. That could be a KILLER option. It will cost more. But it would be something to do with the kid. Projects are great.

I would discourage you from US vintage guitars. Higher cost. Many years are awful. Although, if I win the lottery, I did promise my son a Lake Placid Blue 1962/3 strat...

Fred, unfortunately, you have opened an almost unanswerable question. Keep us posted and congrats about your son!