[Christien]

Some good advice here already. Your first one should definitely be a cheap one, even if you're a millionaire, because in your first year or 2 of playing your tastes in what you like in a guitar (feel, tone, weight, shape, etc) will change remarkably, as you become more familiar with the subtleties of the instrument. Same goes for an amp, maybe even moreso. There's such a variety out there of both guitars and amps, and there's a good reason for that.

I've noticed a lot of music stores carry combo packages - a guitar and amp in one box, for about $3-400, which is a pretty good deal. Go for a Fender Squire (the Mexican Stratocaster) - cheap, but pretty much the same feel as a real Strat. Another popular choice is the Gibson Epiphone - Japanese (I think?) version of the Les Paul. The Strat and the Les Paul are probably the 2 most popular guitars ever made.