[font=trebuchet ms]The thing to bear in mind here is that you're looking at entry-level gear which by definition is not going to be top-flight stuff. Another consideration is that it will all be from the same company.

Based on those two points, I would recommend Yamaha. No, I've never played one of their beginner packages, but I have played a lot of their guitars, my stereo is a Yamaha, and for that matter, both of my motorcycles are Yamaha. From my experience, they're a company that does everything well.

The best advice for an experienced player looking for a new piece of gear is to try things out with their eyes closed, and their ears and mind open. This ensures that choices are made based on sound, playability, and feel, instead of the brand name. Obviously, a beginner doesn't have the experience needed for that kind of assessment, so you could browse through the user reviews on the Harmony Central website. Unless this is intended to be a surprise present, the novice should be included in the selection process. At this stage of the game visuals and brand name are unavoidably important, and the more enthusiastic he is about the new gear, the more likely it is that he will persevere through the frustrations of the early learning process.[/font]