Ive had a lot of help from friends of mine who are in various bands and have a lot of experience. We've gone to a couple music stores and ive done a TON of research online (probably sounds familiar) and here is what Ive learned:
Go to a music store with some friends who know about guitars and then just play! Look at what the store has, pick guitars that look good first, then play them until you find one that fits your style. *my main criteria was how easy the size of the neck/frets made it for me to play faster songs* your friends can help you with the tech stuff. And if you dont have any guitar friends just ask a salesman. As for amps i recommend a Roland Micro Cube - if you can find one. There pretty popular because of how cheap they are for their quality.
As an end note I chose a Schecter C-1 Shedevil and a Micro Cube. I wish you luck in your search!