If you like electric guitar, your starter can be an electric. Fender strats are good for beginners. You will need an amplifier and cord, too, unlike with an acoustic guitar.

If you love the acoustic, choose well between classical and folk guitars. Classical guitars sound good with classical music, hence the name. Spanish and other world music also play well on classical acoustic guitars. If you want to strum with a pick and play louder, a folk acoustic guitar will be the best choice for you.

Have a medium price range, and buy from a local or specialty store. Cheap guitars sound bad and will discourage you as a new player. Expensive guitars are a gamble--you may find you don't even like it. Have a budget and ask the guitar salesmen to show you the best in your price range.

As for strings, they come in different weights. Ask for light strings. These will be thinner and easier to hold down for your virgin fingers. Playing guitar will hurt at first, but your fingers will develop callouses if you keep playing, and you won't feel a thing.

Ask for light picks, too. They're easier to handle and make the guitar sound brighter.

Your first priority with teaching yourself guitar will be learning chords.

Chordbook.com has been the best chord-finding site I have found. It displays the chords so you can find a specific chord and see AND HEAR how it is played. The audio function (click strum to hear the chord) helps when trying to tab out a song by ear, too. To go to the Chordbook.com, click here.

Don't let strum patterns discourage you. Even people without the best sense of rhythm can learn to strum. Start with up-down-up-down. Listen to the rhythm of songs on the radio and try to copy them on guitar.

Start with a simple song, but something you like so you have motivation to learn it. Many rock and country songs are simple for the guitar, and websites will have them "tabbed" for you.