I play an Ibanez S370 through a Line 6 Spider amp. I'd recommend you start with accoustic, especially if $$ is an issue. A decent electric with a decent amp can be prettyexpensive. Start off by learning a few chords, then bar chords. Start to learn the pentatonic minor/major scales (don't worry, once you learn the minor, the major is basically the same). Maybe take a couple lessons. I like videos because you can watch them over and over without paying more. You'll be jamming along with songs on the radio before you know it. Have fun and good luck!