View source for Guitar Choice - What to Consider

== What to Look for in an Instrument ==
No matter what type of guitar you choose to begin on, there are certain characteristics that you should look at.  Guitars are best evaluated by an experienced guitar playing friend (or guitar teacher if you have one), and not by the in-store salesperson - as they are generally just trying to make a sale regardless of whether it's the best choice for you, don't let their standard-salesperson "knowledgeable best friend" act fool you! (not to imply that they all know nothing - it's good to have them on-side, especially when it comes time to determine the final price, or discounts - but just be aware of their generally commission-based motivations)

In terms of bargaining/discounts, a general rule of thumb is that you can expect (but may not necessarily always get) about 10% of the RRP on new gear to be bargainable, either as a price reduction, discounts on other gear, or more often as freebies such as cases/strings/etc thrown in with the deal.  For example if you buy a $500 guitar, ask for a gig bag to be thrown in.  If you buy a $1000+ guitar, you may be able to get a hard-case thrown in free.  Don't expect these kinds of deals if the gear is already on sale of course.  And if you strike up a repeat-customer relationship with your local music store, you'll probably get even better deals in future.

=== Build Quality ===
A quality guitar is made out of quality parts.  The guitar should be built solidly and free of any obvious manufacturing defects.  It should feel like it can take a beating and still play well.  

A few things to look for:
*scuff marks and other minor physical damage
*quality of detail and finish
*badly finished frets (uneven or with sharp edges, etc)
*check that knobs, switches and input jacks (where applicable) all work well and free of noise
*the height of the strings above the fretboard (referred to as the "action"), compare against other guitars - lower is easier to play
*buzzing noises when notes are fretted on a particular string(s) - this is related to guitar quality, setup, and action
*it should come with new strings if it's a display model (unless you're getting a discount for that very reason)
*many guitars come with a few small maintenance accessories such as allen keys - be sure to ask about these when you purchase

=== Neck Relief === 
[not generally a concern for a beginner buying a reputable guitar new from a retail store]
The neck of a guitar should be straight, or very slightly bent down (when looking at the guitar from the headstock down towards the bridge).  Too much bend in either direction will cause the guitar to play badly, or to have tuning issues.  Normally a problem seen more in used guitars that have been stressed in some way (age, climate, physical duress for example), but it can't hurt to check as best as possible before buying.  

The straightness of the neck can be checked several ways, including 'by eye' (it's generally considered best to look from the bridge down towards the headstock to get the most unbiased view of the neck) - be aware that it can be difficult to correctly judge the neck's straightness using this method, especially to an untrained eye - or by using one of the strings as a reference straight-edge and comparing the neck to that either by eye or by use of a measuring device.

=== Intonation === 
[not generally a concern for a beginner buying a reputable guitar new from a retail store]
Many cheap or used guitars do not have good intonation.  Intonation refers to the individual notes along a guitar's neck being at the correct pitch (not a little bit sharp or a little bit flat when fretted), and is influenced by (among other factors) the length of the string between where it contacts at the bridge saddle and where it contacts at the nut.  The positions of the 6 individual bridge saddles are adjustable a small distance backward and forward which adjusts the length of the string and hence intonation.  Intonation is best tested with the aid of a digital chromatic tuner (a simple matter of moving up the neck fretting notes while checking that each note is "in tune" on your tuner). A quick test is to compare the pitch of the 12th fret natural harmonic to the pitch of the 12th fret normally-fretted note, if they match exactly then it's a reasonable indicator of decent intonation.

Note: Many guitar issues can be rectified by a guitar technician. How well the issues can be rectified depends on the severity of the problem, the original quality of the guitar, the quality of the technician (or luthier), and how much you are willing to spend.