ditto what hixmix said.
I'd like to add, if you pick up an old beater to fiddle with, you'll be using if for a hat rack when ya come inside before long. You'll be disappointed in the sound and it'll be hard to play.
You get what ya pay for and if you get a good quality git your gonna be making an investing in it for your future.
I have two old cheap guitars that I can hardly play anymore because the neck has bowed over and over again after having the neck adjusted. I don't mind though, cuz I lower the tuning to open cuz I play delta slide blues. Even a junker has a use.
$600 sounds like a lot, but if your going to do some recording, song writting, (you'll never know how far a fine instrument will lead you down new paths) just fiddle around or what ever, get something thats made well, sounds sweet and plays with ease. You'll never regret it.
If you plan on letting someone record with your new guitar, one of the things I've learnt is to start right off with good equipment. It's hard to mask the twange of an cheap git and when you do it'll sound fixed. Ya want good sounds, start with a good instrument.
As far as a guitar to recommend.
No can do.
Everyone has a different sound in their head as to what a guitar should sound like. I have several fine instruments, all for a different sound.
The best thing you can do, imho, is when you have nothing pressing you for time, is to go to a music store and spend a few hours playing various brands and models of acoustic guitars. Play the different price ranges too. You'll then see what I mean.
If the quality guitar is outta your price range, here are a few things I look for on an inexpensive git.
1. Some guitar bodies are made of laminated wood, others use one sold piece for the face, the back and the sides. The bodies with out lamination sound better, has better tonal qualities. One way to check is to look at the edge of the hole under the strings. If you see layers of wood, it's laminated. It's really hard to tell though if the body has been painted. The plus side of laminated guitars is they are tuff. They can take a banging on the corner of a coffee table and not ding like a soild wood.
2. Look inside the hole and see how well (in your opinion) the structure and bracing is inside. If it looks sloppy, move on to another guitar.
3. Moving up to the neck. Look for a plate on the head with screws for access to a truss rod, or look inside the hole around where the neck is joined to the body for some kind of bolt looking thingie. If your neck becomes bowed or twisted, this truss rod can fix it in most cases.
4. Hold the guitar up and, from both the head and body, site down the neck as you would a rifle barrel. What you want to look for is a twist or bow in the neck. Most music shops will fix that problem before they are put on the rack, but if you buy from an individual, or a pawn shop, this neck problem may be present.
People get sell their old stuff for more reasons than one could guess.
5. Check the frets, if it's a used guitar. Do they look worn? Dirty?
This can effect the sound of the git.
6. Give the bridge a good eyeing. Bridges come in all shapes and sizes. Look for anything that you think could be a problem in the future. If your in a music store, look at how the various guitars are made, the bridges, tuning heads, all that stuff. Then if you find a guitar in the private sector, or a pawn shop, you'll have a better idea what to look for.
7. Don't worry about what the strings look like. If you purchase your guitar from someplace other than a music shop, go to the music shop and tell them what you have, and what strings they'd recommend. To complicate things even more for you, there are several kinds and gauges that will fit on any guitar. Get some good strings, no matter what kind of guitar you buy. The lighter the guage of string, the less tension there is on the neck.
The strings make the sound. Good strings sound better.
The guitar resonates the sound, amplifying it in the body. The quality and kind of wood used will make a difference too.
8. If you get a used one. Check the tuning head, cranks, to make sure they turn easy, but not sloppy loose. Firm but not tight. Make sure they don't pop and wiggle around in the holes as the tuning keys are turned.
9. One more thing. Unless your ear has perfect pitch, I also recommend an electronic tuner. Even a junker will sound better when it's in tune.
10. Another one more thing. If you buy an inexpensive used guitar, one way to prolong the life of its neck is to tune the strings down a half step. That'll relieve some of the tension on the neck and the loose string will be a bit easier to play on. Then when your ready to record, either pop a capo on the neck or retune to standard.
Hope this helps a bit.
Good luck in your hunting and purchase.
