It a minefield of choice today isn't it?

Short KISS meat 'n taters no fail answer?

Pick [u]any guitar from Yamaha's acoustic range[/u] within your budget which fits [u]your special interest genre[/u] but most importantly, [u]fits [/u][u]your bodily characteristics[/u]. Can't go wrong.

Of course it doesn't have to be a Yamaha. Plenty of first guitar alternatives from Fender, Ibanez, et al. But KISS, that brand is a no fail yet affordable, dependable tool with decent quality components and tone at any chosen price point, and with wide resale appeal.

Elaborating

By fit I specifically mean torso & arm length, hand size & finger length and type. A guitar being comfortable to fret is in my view, the most important aspect of a first guitar IMV, as it will minimise frustration and encourage positivity facilitating progress. Watch Lisa McCormack's tutorial on fit.

The [u]objective[/u] of that first guitar is to facilitate progess and ease on the learning curve, as the novitiate path will present its own discouraging "how long does it learn to play" plateau once the novelty of newness and initial excitement fade.

Hence for many of us, their first guitar is the arguably the singularly most important guitar we will ever buy. But that doesn't mean it has to be expensive, the most prestigious brand or even near ultimate in tone. As we develop, our preferences will alter with that accumulated skill and knowledge when most of us will buy a second, frequently third or more instruments.