anyone know how to buy a good electric guitar?

There are many levels of good guitars. Some can be as much as 1,800 dollars. But you can find a lot of good stuff at pawn shops, craigslist, or used instrument store. I would say expect to pay at least 400 dollars. Look for good pick-ups, the neck should be straight, and the string knobs shouldn't be to loose.

I am also planning to buy an electric guitar. I admit that buying an electric guitar for the first time can be intimidating because there are so many different models and you don't know which one is right for you. I walked into a music store and I was baffled by so many models that I eventually walked out of the store without buying one because I didn't know which one to buy. However, after researching the Internet, I recently found a great site where I found a great buying guide for a beginner who wants to buy an electric guitar for the first time like me. The site is http://www.musiciansfriend.com/buying-guides. There you can find a general guide on how to buy an electric guitar. You can even find some specific model guide such as Fender Stratocaster/Telecaster and its cheaper models (Squier) and also the Gibson guitars and its cheaper Epiphones. You can also browse the prices of different guitars there so you can find which one that meets your budget.

Buy only guitars with known brand names like Fender, Gibson, Washburn, etc. Never buy guitars with unknown brand names. Better buy expensive ones and not compromising to lower quality ones.

When choosing a low cost guitar always look for good quality wood and atleast reasonable workmanship. Here are some good ones you can choose from. Squier Fat Stratocaster - offers pretty good product for reasonable price. Epiphone G-310 SG - Moddled after the expensive Gibson Guitars, they keep they cost low by using chearper hardware. Squier Affinity series telecaster - Guitarist like keith richards, albert lee etc favour the telecaster. Yamaha PAC012DLX Pacifica Series HSS deluxe - Here is another guitar for great valuse of money. Best of Luck!!