I don't actually own one, but I always heard good things about the Mexican made Fender stratocasters and telecasters. From what I've heard, they are well made, sound very good, and are under $500.00. Maybe someone else has heard differently, but that was what I heard. Whatever you buy, the key is you don't want to buy something that you can't tune or that won't stay in tune. Just make sure you play the heck out of the thing before you buy it. If it's inexpensive and stays relatively in tune after a lot of string bending and hard strumming, then that may suit your needs. Bring someone who knows a lot about guitars with you when you go looking. A lot of music stores pay their salespeople a commission on everything they sell, so sometimes it's nearly impossible to get a straight answer from them because they just want to make a sale.