Choosing a Guitar
If you are going to choose a guitar for yourself, you need to do some preparation or else you and your wallet may regret it.
First, decide on your price range. Be reasonable. If you are moving up to a better guitar, a rule of thumb might be to expect to pay about double what it cost. Remember that twice the money does not necessarily get you twice the guitar.
Second, know your playing style. A guitar that sounds great when strummed loudly may sound awful fingerpicked. A real rockabilly twang may not sound so great if you play mostly jazz. For fingerstyle, look for a guitar with lots of nuance and tonal range. (What do I mean by that? Move your right hand up and down the strings 3 inches or so and see if the tone changes. It should get darker as you approach the neck, and brighter as you get toward the bridge. Try it!)
Third, try as many guitars as you can, both in your purchasing range, and above and below it. You may be pleasantly surprised to find a less expensive guitar that suits you better. That happened when I bought my Larrivee; it just sounded better than the others. Sometimes you will find a one-off that is a real deal. I once shopped for a Les Paul and found an Epiphone that blew away the real Gibson. But this is not ALWAYS the case. For example, my friend Joe has a great ear for guitars, and he found the exact Gibson model that suited him, after he was able to tell the fine differences between all sorts of models. When comparing, it helps to have your purchasing range in mind - otherwise you may be swayed by the sound of an instrument that really is out of your range. For now, not forever.
Finally, there is a chemistry between a player and an instrument that you have to experience to know. Think of Andy Summers buying a cheap Telecaster that had been modified a number of times until it sounded unlike most Telecasters anywhere. Somehow he knew that this was his guitar, and it went on to be his signature sound with the Police. A guitar should inspire you somehow. I think of George Harrison getting a Rickenbacker Fireglo 360-12 just before a Hard Day’s Night, and popular music has a new sound. The same with Paul McCartney getting his Rickenbacker 4000s and changing the sound of bass playing for all of us. (If you have not done it yet, listen to Sgt. Pepper on headphones, with particular attention to the bass. Incredible work.)
And have fun. Buying a new guitar is an exciting adventure that will take you into a new world of music. And remember that "new" can mean "new to you". With a well-cared-for used instrument, someone has already broken the guitar in for you!