Play a few before you decide, but in the $500 and under range there are a ton of new and used guitars that are really quite excellent. Gibsons and the Gibson clones have a warmer, mid-rangier tone, and a shorter scale, on the whole, while fenders and all their clones tend to have a brighter tone and a longer scale, with a narrower nut width. I would personally go to a store and play a bunch, then scope out your local craig's list or a Facebook page for selling musical instruments in your area. You'll pick up a nice used instrument for around half price pretty easily. I personally have both fender and gibson clones (Godin and a Epiphone) and a real old Gibson Melody Maker.
I would submit that a good Squier Jazzmaster would be an excellent choice - but decide if you want a whammy bar or a stop tailpiece first.
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Brian Evans
Around 15 archtops, electrics, resonators, a lap steel, a uke, a mandolin, some I made, some I bought, some kinda showed up and wouldn't leave. Tatamagouche Nova Scotia.
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