By this time, you will have decided which style of music you are beginning to gravitate toward. With that in mind, remember there are three types of guitar to consider: classical, acoustic (and acoustic-electric) steel string, or solid-body electric. What you buy largely depends on the kind of music you are listening to and learning to play.

If you've decided you want to learn to play a number of styles, you should always have either a classical or folk (acoustic) guitar in your guitar arsenal. A classical guitar uses nylon strings, which are a little easier on your left-hand fingertips (assuming you're right-handed), though the neck is a little broader than a folk guitar. A folk guitar has steel strings, which are a little tougher on your fingertips at first, but it has a narrower neck. Most styles of music incorporate an acoustic guitar, so having an acoustic or classical guitar is always a good choice.

There are lots of different types of guitars built for the many different kinds of music you can play. If you go into a music store and say you're looking for a guitar to play Eric Clapton—like rock blues, the salesperson will show you a solid-bodied electric like the Fender Stratocaster or a Gibson Les Paul. Say that you want to play jazz guitar like Emily Remler or Johnny Smith, and the salesperson will bring you an F-hole, hollow-bodied guitar like the Gibson ES-175 or a lesser-name brand guitar of similar quality.

For blues and rhythm-and-blues, there are several axes that will do the job, such as the Gibson ES-335 or ES-355. If your second instrument is for acoustic music, go for a Takamine or a Walden guitar for the mid-priced quality purchase, and a Martin, Taylor, or an Ovation on the higher end. If you want to play classical or flamenco, start on a nylon-string guitar from the aforementioned acoustic manufacturers.

The kind of acoustic guitar you buy depends a lot on the kind of music you want to play. Here are some styles of playing and the best guitar (s) to play them on:

Rock/alternative rock: Six-string steel, twelve-string steel

Funk: Six-string steel

Folk: Six-string steel, twelve-string steel, classical

Fingerpicking style: Six-string steel, twelve-string steel, classical

Blues: Six-string steel, twelve-string steel, resonator

Jazz: Six-string steel, twelve-string steel, classical

Brazilian: Classical

Flamenco: Classical

Bluegrass: Six-string steel, twelve-string steel, resonator

Flatpicking style: Six-string steel

Country: Six-string steel, twelve-string steel

Classical: Classical

Slide: Six-string steel, resonator

The truth is, though, that you can play anything on any kind of guitar. What counts is not the kind of guitar you have, but what's in your head. The best advice is to keep it simple. Remember, even rockers like Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, and Steve Vai played acoustic guitar as well as they could play electric.

Expense

First things first: money. Buying cheap is not necessarily the best idea, though you don't have to spend thousands of dollars on an instrument and equipment either. Don't put yourself into debt, but be aware that you should think in terms of spending at least $200 to $300. You could easily spend $1000 or more if you're not careful.

Call a music store, or check out manufacturer catalogs for models of instruments and prices. For example, a Gibson Les Paul sells for approximately $2,500. A Fender Stratocaster costs around $1,000, and a decent factory-made nylon-string classical guitar can be bought for as little as $300 or so.

The more expensive the guitar is, the better (and more seductive) it seems to be. You need to try to balance the “new toy” syndrome with a realistic understanding of what you can afford, and what you need to learn to play well. Play a really expensive guitar and compare it to a much cheaper model. What differences do you notice?

Unless you are working as a musician and you're buying yourself a new tool of the trade, don't spend too much. It won't be worth it.

Used or Second-Hand Instruments

Is it a good idea to buy a guitar used or second-hand? Certainly. While a new guitar has to be broken in and can take up to six months to “wake up,” a used guitar in good condition is “alive” and could be a bargain. You can expect to pay as much as 40 percent less than list price for a used guitar (unless it's a classic of some sort), depending on where you get it. Compare the prices in music stores, pawnshops, and newspaper ads, and gather as much knowledge and information as you can.

Aesthetics/Appearance

A blue guitar does not inherently play better than a red or blonde one. Of course, what your new “partner” looks like is important in terms of your desire to spend a lot of time with it. Still, never buy a guitar on looks alone. There may be a lot of guitars from the 1980s with really fancy graphics on them. This was a direct result of the dawning of the MTV era. These particular instruments may be more fun to look at than they are to play.