I just bought a 1947 Gibson LG-1 on ebay. The LG-1 is a small- bodied 12-fret guitar (very similar to the one in the famous Robert Johnson photo). I paid 750 bucks for it, and then another $280 to get it all fixed up to recording specs. The "LG" stands for "Ladies Guitar", and is an excellent first guitar for anyone. I actually dont have it back yet from the luthier, but it's going to be terrific. Also, it will never lose it's value, and in fact will increase in value as long as I dont destroy it. Maybe you could do something similar? Or you could buy a new Gibson Blues King, which is a similar, small- bodied guitar. It really really depends on how much you want to spend.