Tell you what: look around at pawn shops. That's where I got my guitar (an Ibanez RG270), and I've seen MANY other great guitars at pawn shops. Keep your eyes peeled for brands like Fender, Ibanez, Yamaha, Dean, Squier, Epiphone, etc. Don't buy a real s#|++y guitar, like a Drive, or a Galveston, and whatever you do, DON'T BUY THE GUITAR PACK AT WAL-MART!!! lol