Guitar buying help!?

NO NO NO! Do NOT buy a guitar from Target or WalMart or TJMaxx or any other department store.

It may cost you 10 or 15% more, but go to a music store. I would recommend an independent store over Guitar Center because independents tend to take much more care in helping you with your selection and are MUCH more responsive if something goes wrong.

It is MUCH better to try out the guitar before you buy it. Is this guitar for you or for somebody else? Either way, the person receiving the guitar should have an opportunity to try it out ahead of time. If you want it to be a surprise, just tell that person ( a child perhaps? ) that you are going to go to the store "just to look". A lot of places will rent guitars or have "rent to own" packages, but your best bet is to get a good quality used guitar. If you look around you can find some decent electric guitars used for around $200. If you don't know much about guitars take someone with you who really knows a lot about guitars and will pick a guitar that is suitable to the size of the hands of the person receiving it, and also the style of guitar. I own "a few" guitars and without knowing who the guitar or guitars are going to my best advice is to find a person who really knows guitars and have them assist you in picking one out. Also, there are guides to picking a good one on the internet, on Ebay, etc. If you can't decide on a good used guitar, give a gift certificate, or rent a guitar that can be returned for something different later on. By the way - the guitars in Target may say "Gibson" on them but they do NOT compare to the stuff actually made by Gibson in the USA - you would be much better off to get a used Gibson in good condition than those foreign pieces of... wood... know what I mean?

If I understand your Q, you are buying a guitar as a gift for someone else to learn on. If that's the case, you'll do better to go to a music store that sells guitars. There are several brands that are great to learn and make your rookie mistakes with. I used a Fender Squire series that was under $150. One caveat about Guitar Center, they pay their salespersons on commission and there is a lot of pressure on them to make sales. Some of these are not always in the buyers best interest. Better to find a small place where the people really give a damn about their individual customers. Happy holidays!

Sadly, the guitar world does work in the fashion of "you get exactly what you paid for". If you're going to spend 200 bucks for a starter guitar and a starter amp, the quality will be ...so-and-so. I can understand not wanting to dish thousands into something that might not live after the initial joy.

I've heard good things about low end Ibanez and Yamaha gear, perhaps those are good options.

Heheheh, you find me a $200 honest to god, real Gibson guitar from Target, and I'll buy it. Hell, I'd buy all of all of 'em at that price!!!

Buying from actual music stores can have advantages -- including the ability to talk down the price. Also, if you have problems with it later on, they may be able to help you out, whereas Target definately would not.

take my advice and dont buy the guitar from target. you will honestly regret it. if u save up for a fender strat or something of the sort at guitar center or sam ash, you will benefit much better.

buy a cheap name brand guitar from guitar center

Go for the $200 Gibson, they sound great, very good distortion, and great quality. Cheap ones are very rusty sounding. and are not good at all.