1st Guitar: Acoustic vs. Electric

Don't forget, many guitar shops have used stock. The pawn shop is not your only option to buy used. And you might wanna look at some other local mom and pop stores, too. Not just guitar center.

Back to your main question: You'll find that there are some pretty good advantages to learning on an accoustic vs. electric. Accoustic will build up finger calouses, hand strength, and hand endurance faster than an electric. And when you finally do buy an electric everything easily transfers over because of the easier action. Also, the temptation to use distortion won't be there with an accoustic. Distortion can hide mistakes in your playing, accoustics are less forgiving when it comes to technique. And the final advantage is financial. With an accoustic you're free to spend more money on the actual guitar and don't have to set aside part of your budget for an amp.

Of course, all of these mean about nothing if you're not into accoustical sound in music. If you're just out to be a hardcore metal thrasher then you're probably going to lose intrest in an accoustic. So I would recomend that you wheigh all of what I just said in before deciding which to start with.

As far as specific models, all of those look OK for starters. Though, if you are going to be buying accoustic and your budget is $200, look for one that's around 150-170ish. Buy used if at all possible, and buy with your ears. Go read this article: https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=78 and remember one or two cords, and try them out on your prospective axe in the store.

I agree with Metaellihead in that there are many advantages to learning on an acoustic. If your budget is somewhere around $200 I would scrape together another $100 and buy a Seagull S6. I recently played a friend of mine's S6 and was blown away at how good the guitar sounded for $300. I regret not knowing about this guitar when I was buying my first axe.

Shop around and TRY BEFORE YOU BUY.
I have a Crafter D7 acoustic that I absolutely love. I looked around and the cheapest I found it anywhere was around $300. I found a small shop near work that had one for $212 including setup and new strings.
Check around the deals are out there.
PS: Target has that Gigmaker on sale this week for $88 (don't know if it's any good but with an extra 10% off because my daughter works there I might just grab one)

I started with an acoustic and very soon afterwards I bought a cheapo electric set.

You need to see what you 'take to', so both is good. Yes the acoustic demands you become a better player but the electric is good for when your fingers are ready to bleed from trying to fret strings on the acoustic.

You also need time to learn and figure out what you like in the type of guitar you decide you like better. Buying an 800 dollar guitar doesn't mean you would like using it. You gotta decide for yourself what you like in a guitar, be it action or body size or many other factors. I think price is not the best decision for buying a guitar. You could spend 2 grand for a martin and it will sound like crap for a very long time anyway because you have to learn to play.

I started with a full size dreadnaught and decided I liked the acoustic but it was too bulky for me in the beginning, so I wound up with a Dean for $400 with a smaller body and easier neck to fret strings with and I like it but I had to start somewhere to know I would like that guitar before spending a lot of money. The Dean is comfortable for me and makes it much easier to play and learn on. Later on I will trade up to a Takamine, all part of growing with it and enjoying the ride.

Starting with a cheap guitar gives you the fun of learning more about them and shopping for your next one while you are learning to play at the same time.

And for my cheap Johnson electric.....I paid $159 for it with a bag, amp and gear.....I change the pickups, changed the pick guard to a brown tortoise shell guard and sold the guitar for $175 on ebay a year later and kept the rest of the gear, including the amp and had fun working on it to improve the tinny sound to something much better. So, there is a market for all guitars.

I'm definitely not trying to step on anyones toes here, especially the experienced people, just offering my way of looking at things. :wink:

Thank you all so much for your honest, yet kind, responses. I am so used to sites where newbies are ridiculed and shunned until they have registered 6 months worth of posts. You guys are great at making a new member feel at home. I certainly appreciate all of your advice.

I have a nephew who is a good guitar player, but he has been steering me toward MUCH more expensive models. I think, however, the best advice may be, "Starting with a cheap guitar gives you the fun of learning more about them and shopping for your next one while you are learning to play at the same time." I have decided to go the acoustic route to learn on, and since I'm new to this, I won't blow a load of cash. I'll get a cheaper model for now and I will upgrade to something that I can appreciate better once I've learned to play a bit.

Thank you all for your awesome advice!

I think that's a sound decision, but you've just reminded me how much cheaper guitars are in the States than the UK...