If you have no idea about guitars, it is going to be hard to give you any type of advice, since the terminology will mean nothing to you. And several things to pay attention to also require some experience for you to detect them. So if you have a friend and relative that plays guitar or even a guitar teacher, ask them to come with you to the store. Their opinion might be useful,


A general rule would be to go into several stores and try as many guitars as you can. Just hold them, if you can't play them. Ask the guy at the shop to play them for you, same tune every time. Try to find a guitar whose sound or/and feel you like more compared to the others.

I assume you are not going to spend too much on your first guitar. In that case, do try a few more expensive guitars. It might help as a standard for comparisons.




That said, you would get more specific answers if you told us how much you plan to spend and what type of guitar you want (electric/acoustic) and what type of music you would like to play...


EDIT:
Ok, I re-read the post, it seems like you're buying an electric guitar?


For strings I would suggest D'Addario. They, sound good and cost less. Later on you can experiment with brands and more fancy stuff.

And don't let the sales man talk you into something worthless

don't go buy a les paul as the weight of it may put you off playing, unless of course you like it a lot. I would suggest something like a strat (with a case and stand to protect it when not in use) and get something that is quality because it'll inspire you to play more. same goes with an amp although you don't need to go out and buy the latest Marshall stack, something like a Peavey Classic 30 would be good, nice and small with a big sound. strings are not overly important when you start cos it'll all hurt when you start playing anyway.


Have fun

Here's my general rules:

-Don't fall for the "You're just a beginner, get a beginner guitar" bullcrap. You shouldn't be required to start out on a crappy instrument. If you do, you'll just be limiting yourself. There are plenty of cheaper guitars that play well and sound good (MIM strats / teles, ibanez, epiphones, yamaha pacificas). Try some out and see for yourself which one you like.

-Strings are a matter of personal preference. The real issue with strings is tone vs playability. Some guys like 12 gauge strings for their tone, but sacrifice some of the playability that 9's or 10's give you. 9 or 10 gauge strings are easy to play on, but lack the thick tone that 11 and 12 gauge strings get. It's a balancing act and you just have to experiment to find what works for you.

-Amps are also personal choice. Do you want tons of sounds that you can choose from? Then get a modeling amp. If you want just a few sounds that sound GREAT, get a tube amp. Peavey classic series amps are a good place to start in the tube amp world. If you're looking for one with a bit more gain to it for a rock sound, check out Peavey Ultras (they're discontinued, so you'd have to look on ebay).

-I'd steer clear of effects until you get your playing skills hammered out a bit. Even then, I would only suggest distortion / overdrive / fuzz and perhaps a delay.

Hope this helps