Garage Sales---You must play the neck part and make sure it is well-worn and not some cheap shit...It is all in the action on the strings vs. yer fingers...especially if your new to playing...Even low cost Wal-Mart guitars are A-OK if the neck action is decent...

I recommend the brand Seagull. They simply have the best tone for the buck in my experience. I personally have 3 of them - one classical, one six-string, and one twelve-string - and love them all. They range in the area of $500, but have the tone of many guitars I've played that cost around $1200 or more. As far as garage sales go, it's entirely possible to find a great guitar at one. Just be sure to play it; something I stress very highly in purchasing a guitar is to try every string at every fret - just start at an open lower E and go all the way to the 12th fret on the higher E, a half-step at a time. If you hear a buzz, there's something wrong with the action on it. It may need adjustment, or it may need something more. A good luthier would be able to tell you. The thing about acoustical instruments is that they mellow with age and use. They're one of those rare items that actually increase in value with time. I've often recommended acoustical stringed instruments to my friends as investment pieces - provided they actually play them. A major part of the mellowing process is actually the vibrations from playing the instrument, so if you don't actually play it, it's not going to increase in value very quickly, if at all.

What's your budget? That will help identify the best options for your price range.

If you want to buy a new acoustic guitar, I've seen some nice "Sunlite" guitars. This is an unknown brand made in China. I would normally not even look at something like this, but once I picked up a few and played them, I have been surprised by the quality of workmanship and the good sound they produce for such a low price. Many are under $200 or just slightly above. Epiphone and Fender acoustic guitars are also good, but they cost a little more than the Sunlite. If you shop carefully and have someone that knows guitars go along with you, you can usually get an even better guitar by buying one used from Craig's List, from a yard sale, or from a music store that sells a lot of used guitars. It might have some scratches or playing wear, but you might be able to find a nice guitar made in the USA, Japan or Korea, all of which seem to build better instrumjents that China or other countries. A lot of Korean guitars are built by Samick, a respectible quality guitar builder, even though they will have other names on them. If you find one with the Samick name on it, it will probably also be good. Good luck. Let us know what you ended up with!

I am not going to recomend a single manufacturer. I will however say that any guitar under $400.00 dollars is probably Chinese. This is not a bad thing though. They make some really nice quality guitars. My preference is Ibanez. I have yet to see another company that has their quality of neck. By the way, when you do get a guitar, make sure it has a good neck. IE no fret buzz or rough frets. Make sure it sound good and feels good in your hands. Bottom line is, play before you buy. Now I'll contradict my self here. Buying online will give you the best bang for your buck. If you decide to go online, I recomend Ibanez or Epiphone. Also, I would shop at "musiciansfriend.com" or any of the other 100 or so online companies. Buying from an out of state ".com" is good because you won't pay any sales tax. Most of the online companies are offering free shiping on guitars as well. Hey good luck.