When deciding on a new guitar, I'd ask yourself what kind of music do you want to perform. A Les Paul standard fits most anything, easy to play and affordable. They are associated with most styles of rock. A Fender looks and feels more like a certain kind of rock that's bluesy or jazz fusion. Then there are the PRS, Shecter, Gretsch's and many more brands and models according whether you want to play metal, rockabilly or whatever. These cost a little more and are for having a guitar that doesn't look boring. I'm not saying that a certain guitar is for a certain style but the guitar is also a fashion accessory that many people take seriously. For better or worse, having a guitar that looks good makes others take you more seriously, but you better be able to play it! This is not a rule written in stone, I've seen crappy looking guitars played in a way that makes you forget what it looks like. This is probably the ultimate fashion guitar statement. For now, get a boring guitar, learn to make it sing a little, then get a higher quality one. Some will say getting the higher quality guitar before you can really play it will make learning easier and I can't argue with that. If your budget can afford it, then go this route but starting out more conservatively helps you decide what's best for your needs as your style and ability improves. Get yourself a decent amp too, Fender, Vox or Peavy make good affordable amps with modeling to experiment with your sound.
