For learning to play, you need to choose something you'll want to pick up everyday, if only for just a few minutes. I reckon some guitars look good, some sound guitars, while others feel good. You can imagine the venn diagram, where the ones in the centre of those three overlapping circles would be the expensive ones. But I think for learning, one of these qualities is much more important than the others, and that is how the instrument feels in the hands.
Hear me out...
Only if it feels pleasant to play will you want to return to it day after day, devoting the time and energy to practising. The sound of an instrument doesn't matter so much when you're not performing. The looks don't really matter at all. All that matters is that you must want to pick it up and have a go at playing every day. And so I'd recommend a learner looks for the most 'tactile' guitar they can find. Exactly what that means is up to you, but as someone learning the instrument, when faced with a choice of guitars, I'd choose the one which is the more enjoyable to handle.
For me 'a tactile guitar' means a few things:
- a slim neck - I find a slender neck easier to wrap my left thumb around - when I'm trying out a selection of acoustic guitars I often come back to Yamaha guitars for their slim necks
- machine heads that are pleasant to touch, broad and that turn smoothly - tuning the instrument should be enjoyable, not requiring too much force
- a matt finish on the neck and ideally the body too
- an instrument that is not excessively heavy - because you're going to be propping it up on its edge on your lap
- strings not _too_ thick - a light guage is less work for the left hand
Strings are of course replaceable and so you can choose something that suits you. I really like ribbon wound strings as they are smooth, without ridges, and easy on the fingers.
That's my list of criteria. You'll have you own. And your list may change as you gain experience.
So you should try various guitars / bass guitars before you choose one to buy. The only practical way to do this IME is to visit guitar shops and spend a long time trying instruments (or at least some time handling them). A guitar or a bass really is an item that should NOT be bought online because you have no way of testing how the instrument feels.
I'm someone who has messed about with guitars for 30 years, has spent many many hours in guitar shops, owns too many instruments, and has bought some that are no longer played, as well as some that are. There is a bass in the collection.
