Best tip: Go to a guitar shop try a few guitars (not just the name brands either) and find one that has a good feel to it, and more then half of the time, the cheapest guitars have the best tone.
I have a old beat up ibanez gio that i got at a pawn shop for about 70 bucks.
Basically, don't just go for looks and hype, take your time and pick one that will last you a while.