It is very important to find the best quality guitar possible within your price range, even if it is used. An older Yamaha will be within your budget and will be higher quality than many new guitars. In fact, a well made acoustic will get better with age. [br][br]

I started out with a new guitar of moderate quality and did not progress rapidly in my development. I then bought a used Yamaha FS-700 and was amazed how much better it sounded and how much easier it was to play. I also replaced the strings with Martin Silk & Steel strings, which had a softer tone and feel. The strings were much much easier on my fingers.

Buying a used guitar, that had been well maintained, made practicing easier and much more rewarding. Learning new chords, techniques, and songs was more enjoyable because the resulting music sounded so much sweeter. I would highly recommend finding a very good used guitar to start out.