The most important things when buying a guitar:

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1. Get something that is not too large!​ Buying very large guitars is a very common mistake, leading to bad posture. 

2. Make sure the instrument is set up so it is easy to play! This is very important, and it is the chief advantage of buying your instrument at a guitar store, not online (or even at a general music store). Unfortunately, most music stores do not set up instruments for easy playing when they sell them. Due to the pull of the strings, and changes in weather, guitars need to be set up about once a year (see photos below).

3. Buy a solid-top instrument if you can, not a plywood-top instrument (also called "laminated top"). In my opinion, buying a solid-top guitar is much more important than buying a guitar with a built-in pickup, because solid-top instruments sound better. (A pickup can easily be added later if you need it.) Most music stores have lots of fancy-looking plywood guitars with built-in pickups, but they usually do not sound as good as solid-top instruments. Solid-top instruments will sound better and better as they are played over many years. This is another advantage of buying at Eric Schoenberg Guitars: they do not sell plywood-top instruments (except for some of the entry-level ukuleles).  Please note, Eric Schoenberg Guitars is closed Sundays and Mondays, except for teaching.