Well let's see.. If you go with Fender electrics you can't go wrong because they are versitile for any genre of music and they can be upgraded pretty easily for little money. Then again the Epiphone line of of electrics are really good also. Both brands are pretty affordable starting at around $400 and the Fender Squire is even cheaper and still is a pretty good begginer level guitar. The most important things are the materials they are made of and playability because the electronics can always be replaced later on. I would find what feels the best in my price range and go with it until i could justify spending more on one. I'm sure there are more brands to be seen but these are some of the best bang for buck guitars there is including Ibanez they all have good acoustics as well. Happy hunting and if you need help making a decision let me know.

- twang