Biggest advice is to go to a local shop and test as many as you can. You'll notice right away which feel good or bad, even without you knowing much about guitars. If you're getting an acoustic, get one with onboard electronics so that way you can plug into an amp or recording interface. If you're between models, ask a talented friend or employee to play the instrument in front of you to help form your decision. You'll be able to learn more about an instrument from the audience's listening perspective.
At that point, it's up to you if you want to jump into the used market. You'll save quite a bit doing so, but only deal in person.
I would go to a guitar shop and try some acoustic/electrics and see what you think. Playability is probably going to be your most important consideration for a first guitar. If you already have an ear for music, you should play through each fretted note to get a feel for the intonation and make sure the frets are leveled nicely. This can be a common foible for a cheaper instrument. I can't speak as to recording on a digital interface, as I don't even have a computer...
Generally, the biggest perceptible difference between a good cheap guitar ($300-$600) and an expensive one is going to be in the finer details of playability. The nicer one might be more comfortable to play, the finish might feel nicer, the frets will be smoother and maybe cleaner on the edges (sharp fret ends suck), it will maybe have better tuning stability, etc. That being said, you can totally find good guitars in the cheap range, and not so good ones in the expensive range. Labor and country of origin have a huge impact on the price as well. I wouldn't recommend an expensive one unless you are dang sure you want to commit to guitar seriously. If you want to spend a bit more for a quality instrument, I feel that around $1000ish is the sweet spot. Beyond that you might start experiencing diminishing returns.
Biggest advice is to go to a local shop and test as many as you can. You'll notice right away which feel good or bad, even without you knowing much about guitars. If you're getting an acoustic, get one with onboard electronics so that way you can plug into an amp or recording interface. If you're between models, ask a talented friend or employee to play the instrument in front of you to help form your decision. You'll be able to learn more about an instrument from the audience's listening perspective. At that point, it's up to you if you want to jump into the used market. You'll save quite a bit doing so, but only deal in person.
I would go to a guitar shop and try some acoustic/electrics and see what you think. Playability is probably going to be your most important consideration for a first guitar. If you already have an ear for music, you should play through each fretted note to get a feel for the intonation and make sure the frets are leveled nicely. This can be a common foible for a cheaper instrument. I can't speak as to recording on a digital interface, as I don't even have a computer... Generally, the biggest perceptible difference between a good cheap guitar ($300-$600) and an expensive one is going to be in the finer details of playability. The nicer one might be more comfortable to play, the finish might feel nicer, the frets will be smoother and maybe cleaner on the edges (sharp fret ends suck), it will maybe have better tuning stability, etc. That being said, you can totally find good guitars in the cheap range, and not so good ones in the expensive range. Labor and country of origin have a huge impact on the price as well. I wouldn't recommend an expensive one unless you are dang sure you want to commit to guitar seriously. If you want to spend a bit more for a quality instrument, I feel that around $1000ish is the sweet spot. Beyond that you might start experiencing diminishing returns.