This is a question that I am frequently asked. It is usually framed in such a way as “should I start on an acoustic or an electric guitar?” The answer is invariably a “yes”.
If I were to answer “buy an electric guitar”, then it might appear that I have an agenda to teach electric guitar techniques, and that I am trying to funnel the student’s energies into that, and that alone; contrary wise, if I were to answer with “buy an acoustic guitar”, well, I think you now get the general gist of where I’m going with this.
My only agenda is to help people to achieve their goals. If that means that the student comes to the lesson armed with a very expensive Gibson or Fender (or any other brand name you can remember), then I’m fine with it. If they turn up with a cheap and cheerful acoustic guitar that they bought on eBay, I’m equally fine with that too. It does not always follow that the more money you spend on an instrument, the better you will be as a musician.
What actually matters is the sense of single mindedness that you come to the lesson with, and not so much the instrument itself. You can change your guitar easily if you feel that you have made a poor choice; however, the attitude that you come with is not quite as easy to change.
Simon Faulks Music Tutor 