Reply #36: Different advice: Don't buy a guitar at all!

[ArmchairActivist]

Seriously!

Especially not with an eye towards teaching youself. Borrow one instead (you've gotta know somebody that will loan you even a cheapo) and then take a class at a community college and see if you like it.

Then after a quarter (and what's ten weeks of classes anyways, in the grand scheme? Plenty of time to buy later...) you can see if the bug bites you or not.

Then if it does bite, you'll know a little more when you do go shopping. And if it doesn't, then you won't have plunked down a bunch of money for something that winds up gathering dust.

And be patient and dedicated in the class, if you can. (If the bug bites, there won't be any problem with this!) It really takes a good while before you can do much of anything with the thing, unless you're some kind of prodigy.

Oh yeah, and like others have said, definitely watch out for those salesmen. A lot of those guys can make a lousy instrument sound pretty damn decent...

-AA