i got a Gibson maestro I LOVE IT and it didnt kill the bank either

try an Ovation.

Well I wouldn’t worry so much about brand in the beginning. A good second hand guitar is probably best. There are a lot of good inexpensive brands out there. Keep in mind you may not stick with it and it may not be your thing. Don’t invest a lot of money. You want something that you can play. How big are you hands? That’s the first question. If you have little hands I really recommend Daisy Rock guitars. They are designed for women (and guys with small hands). If the neck is too thick you’ll have trouble with things like barre chords later. Next is a good set up. Here you will need someone that knows a little bit about guitars to help you. Is the neck straight? If it is bowed anywhere its not going to be playable. Are there any dead spots (frets that don’t produce a note. Some guitars do have places for whatever reason where you sound the note and you literally get a “thunk”). How is the action set up? Are the strings too high or low on the neck for you? Finally, does the guitar hold tune further up the neck. This is called intonation. It is usually adjustable. Many times a lot of the problems I’m talking about are correctable by a reputable guitar shop. Just beware of dead spots in the neck. If there is a fret where a note won’t sound that usually indicates a life-long defect and may not be correctable. If you have someone familiar with guitars that can go with you and knows what to ask you might try looking for a good used one at a pawn shop or off of craigslist.org. If not, buy from a reputable dealer like Guitar Center or a local music store where someone can help you pick out the right instrument for you. Keep in mind, it may not be to your advantage to buy the cheapest thing you can find. At the same time, you don’t want to buy an expensive pro-level instrument when you are only beginning. Good luck to you!