I tend to to be the type of person who will spend for something nicer. It's a curse I tell you. The only thing here is that I have found that as you begin to learn how to play, you may not have a clear picture of what you want. You may want to start out basic and discover all the possibilities. I originally thought my dream guitar was a Mark Knofler signature strat. Now that I have been playing a $350 Squire for two years, I am stalking a Gibson ES 335. My point is that what I thought I wanted when I was starting out has completely changed. Spend wisely my friend and enjoy.