For me, needing to spend a significant amount of money on an item, when I have no idea what I’m doing, makes me feel completely overwhelmed. Just imagining needing to get my car fixed for a tick/cough/sputter makes my blood pressure rise.
You may find yourself in this situation when purchasing your first guitar or a guitar for your child. (Don’t worry! They are not nearly as expensive or as complicated as cars–**phew**) I recently came across a well written article on just the subject I’d like to share:
www.activitytree.com/blog/2010/nov/24/buying-your-childs-first-guitar/
The article gives several specific guitar recommendations, but they are all electric, so I’ll add in my picks for first acoustic guitars:
Plan to spend $250-$400 for a beginner acoustic guitar. I like Martin, Fender, and Alvarez acoustic guitars. The guitar I recommend for beginners is the Fender CD-60. I own one and have had a student buy one for himself, and both of us are pleased with the purchase! The caveat with acoustic guitars is that for younger “rockers” a full-sized guitar may be more than they can hold and play comfortably. In this situation, I recommend a 3/4 size guitar or thin-body guitar. I really like the Baby Taylor guitar for smaller students. Bigger guitar stores should have several models of these, and, as with electric guitars, going in and testing it out is the best way to tell if it will physically fit your student.
Good luck! Let me know if we can help in your search!