If I'm not mistaken, the original poster is an absolute beginner guitarist, and the pragmatist in me just can't encourage him to spend more than a couple hundred bucks on his very first guitar. Ok...lets say a few hundred bucks...

I started playing in my mid 30's at a point when I could have spent a little money on a guitar. I knew NOTHING about guitars and bought an old ALvarez off of a coworker for $100. I needed a neck reset and the action was ridiculous above the 5th fret, but I didn't even realize any of this initially. Turns out that 100.00 was sound investment. I started lessons and played that guitar for a year. At that time it was apparent I was gonna stick with it and I went to have the guitar looked at because I was wanting to move up the neck etc....I was told in no uncertain terms that given the condition/value...even a set of strings was an extravagance for this guitar...that set me off in search of a new, serious instrument....now here's the rub...

I went shopping with a frame of reference. I understood action. I understood neck comfort. I had a "baseline" for sound. I could now play maple/mahogany/rosewood and put it in context of what I was playing for myself, and make an informed decision.

We've narrowed it down to only a couple hundred models of guitars with our recommendations, and odds are the first one he gets will be fine, but...

I dunno, if money is no object, go for it, I suppose. Had I been handed a D-28 by my co worker all those years ago, I'd probably still be playing it.

My suggestion is to find a Washburn or a Breedlove or an Epi masterbuilt on craigslist for 400.00 or less...take a friend to look at it who can check the neck angle and the frets and look for a twisted neck etc....and play that for a year or two. When you know you'll be sticking with it, find a shop at some point when you yourself are a bit of a player and spend an hour moving from guitar to guitar, and find the one the makes you pause and smile and repeat again and again and again...note the materials etc and then when the time comes, you know what type of guitar suits you.

To me it's kind of like saying to a 10 yr old..."son, when you're ready, marry a size 2 blonde". Size 2 blondes are wonderful. No doubt, but maybe not for everyone. You gotta date. find out what works for you. Forgive the analogy but I think you get what I mean.