I am partial to the RG series (especially since my inspiration brewed in the 80/90's with Vai, Satch and Eddie.) Some of the recent lower end ones made in Korea play nowhere as nice as the Japanese Prestige, but are a great bargain.
A used guitar, but not too used (like an RG 500 series) would be the way to go though IMHO. You can find a what used to be an $800 guitar for around $450. That way you won't outgrow your guitar because you settled in your purchase because of price. Fender is always a good choice of course, just get out there and play them all... then go online and get a better deal!
