This thread has caught my attention after having bought 4 guitars in the last few months. Ask the shop assistant to use their headphones to try out the guitars - there's usually so much racket going on that no one will take notice anyway.
Don't lock yourself into one type of guitar and try out all types as mentioned above. I was very close to buying an American Fender Stratocaster but paused when they would not throw in an effects pedal at a discounted price. So I tried some other guitars and soon realised the Strat was not for me after all as I couldn't accept having the pickup located directly where I normally strum/pick. I also didn't like the neck and feel - I could of sworn it felt like an old Squire. But that's just me - the Strat is legendary and is popular with many. The single pickups are great for allowing each individual note to come through with pure clarity, a la Mark Knopfler.
Having always used a Les Paul, I thought I'd try the Studio version but didn't like its non-lacquered finish. I tried the PRS Paul Reed Smith guitar and felt instantly comfortable with it and loved its neck feel and speed. It's got EMG humbucking pickups that can be switched to single coil pickups, creating a sound exactly like a Stratocaster if you like. If you can't find a PRS, try an Ibanez as thy have a similar neck and feel.
Be careful if you decide to buy online as the market is now being bombarded with cheap knock offs from China. Many look identical to USA guitars and come complete with the famous logos, "Made In USA" stamp and they even have the cheek to punch in serial numbers!
In the end I bought the PRS. Prices start from around $700 and can go all the way to 25,000!
