@alice cheap instruments are remarkably good now! If you're looking in the $200 price range for a new one you're comfortably above the "possibly trash" tier. Here's one I found on Sweetwater

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FocusVT211SHP--kramer-focus-vt-211s-electric-guitar-hot-pink

You can definitely find something better used, perhaps on Craigslist, perhaps in-store at a Guitar Center if they're not bankrupt yet. But that does require some knowledge to make sure you're not getting something broken. I'd recommend it if you've got some time to do research

@alice

Go to a pawn shop or check Craigslist (if you're in the US).

@alice Knowing what little I know about guitars, those starter sets could be very hit or miss. It’s likely to be made of less than optimal materials, won’t be overly durable and overall may not be fun. Neck warping is a particular concern with cheap string instruments. I especially wouldn’t get it from Amazon, as their store appears to be rife with fakes and knock-offs these days.

If you have instrument stores in the vicinity and feel safe going there, I’d have a look - sometimes they deal in second hand instruments. They’ll be more likely to sell you a decent instrument that has been looked after, set up properly and will last a decent time.

@alice for learning guitar my recommendation is to focus primarily on what is cheap and easily available. i would not recommend focusing on color/style at this point because (1) you might find you don't really enjoy guitar and (2) your idea of what you want is likely to change once you've tried playing a bit.

my advice is to go to a music store or pawn shop and try their cheaper used guitars and settle on one to use for learning. developing finger strength and callouses will be hard no matter which you choose so i would not recommend prioritizing something that seems "easy" although if you find one that feels good that's great.

once you learn to play you'll be in a better position to know what you want, and you'll also appreciate the upgrade a lot.

@alice
I don't have as much advice as I might have back when I sold guitars, because I haven't looked at entry level stuff in a long time, but I think I have some points that still hold up:
Above the bargain basement, garbage-tier instruments, most entry level stuff at reputable guitar shops will be decent.

Avoid Amazon, or any other big box and stick to a musical instrument store. Independent would be better than Guitar Center. Not super familiar with the Seattle retailers, but I've done business with Emerald City and Thunder Road in the past.

Used is great. If you don't have someone who plays to help you along, those indy shops I mentioned are usually good about making sure things play as well as they can before they sell them.

If you buy something used from a pawn shop, Craigslist, etc, getting a setup done at a decent shop is worthwhile. There are a ton of adjustments on a guitar and having someone who knows their stuff go through them can make a HUGE difference.

It's less of a thing than it was in the past, but if you get a shop that's giving you a shitty misogynistic vibe, tell them off and take a walk elsewhere... Not that I probably have to tell you that. Still, guitar shops are one of those places where that kind of shit can hide with a largely male clientele.

@alice https://reverb.com is a great place to shop for used equipment

Also, you might spend some time in a Guitar Center trying out different models to see what feels good in your hands

My wife likes her Fender Mustang

@alice FWIW https://youtu.be/n02tImce3AE

The short story - literally any guitar can be whatever you want! The pickups* are the only thing that actually change the sound on an electric

*The strings technically do, but that's basically due to their size and their effect on the pickups field.

@alice I don't think they're super common, but on the off chance you happen on one in a used shop like I did, I quite like this:

https://reverb.com/item/91923547-used-ibanez-red-gio-gax50-electric-guitar

I have a more upscale Ibanez that I got later too, and while it is of course nicer, I still play this one a lot and think it compares better than one might think considering the price. Stays in tune, feels pretty good.

Not saying you should seek this out above all others or anything, just saying I like mine. :)

@alice Local indie guitar store or Guitar Center would be your best bets.

As a new player, brand doesn't matter. Look for the cheapest Stratocaster knock-off you can find (nearly all radio-played, non-country music in the last fifty years was played on a strat).

Get a tiny, $50 amp and whatever pair of headphones which are the most comfortable for you.

@alice
Can't help you with 2nd hand as too far away, but asked a guitar playing and - teaching friend and his reaction was "for the love of G sharp minor, tell her to not buy that crap, because it breaks by just staring at it. Detunes like hell, it should be forbidden to be sold. A good 2nd hand is her best bet."

Sorry that's all I have, but good luck hunting!

@alice

Yay, that's so exciting, what a lovely thing to do for yourself! I just bought a bass after wondering about it for like fifteen years 😁 my approach may not be your ideal but I'm happy to share.

I did read forums on what to look for, but I hadn't ever even touched a bass before so a lot of it went over my head. I went on ebay, and looked for adverts where the person wrote enough to convince me they actually played the thing and knew something about it. I didn't want anything that had been taken out of the box once and then sold on, because in buying from someone I was partly paying for their expertise in picking a decent bass, if that makes sense. Then I saw one I liked the look of and the seller had clearly played it a lot. I messaged him and asked for a short video of it being played. The guy was really nice about it, did it immediately, and my brother watched it for me and told me he didn't see any warning signs and it played well. I figured if there's nothing majorly wrong, I'm such a beginner I won't notice, so I bought it without worrying too much.

I don't know what prices are like near you but I paid so little that I could afford to just take the chance and see.

I'm excited to hear how it goes!