I have never played and am looking to start. ( a tall order as I am 65)
I am looking at a couple of deals:
First
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/663581034662991?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A05126033-b111-4fa9-bb12-5d7d63b56ede
Yamaha eg 112c with amp
Guitar and amp
$150
Second
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1116006772479560?ref=marketplace_profile&referral_code=undefined
Fender star caster
Obviously I would need to buy an amp
Fender Starcaster electric guitar w/ case, cable, whammy bar
$100.
Any advice is appreciated
Don
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Unless you have a specific taste and know what amp you like to have, otherwise I’d suggest to go for Yamaha with amp. You can update anytime in future after you play more and know what you like.
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Hello Don and welcome to the community - plus your exciting start of guitar journey.
Without wishing to dampen enthusiasm, truly, frankly, bluntly, neither of the above.
A Yamaha ERG is a bit of a dog at the best of times. Without doubt the Yamaha brand have consistently put out decent quality budget guitars for years … down to and including the Pacifica line of electric guitars.
The ERG is a step down from that and is the sort of guitar you usually see advertised at dirt cheap prices with batters and scuffs and in horrible condition because teenagers have destroyed them.
Even without such maltreatment they are not well built and a setup is not going to make it a very good or enjoyable instrument to play. Plus it has been in storage - whatever that means. If not in temperature controlled conditions of consistent humidity I’m thinking wood warp on the neck perhaps? And the amp is one often seen pushed at beginners but is an outdated, never was very good sounding amp. Both look filthy and the package is overpriced.
The Starcaster is a million miles for being a Stratocaster. They just share some letters in common. They are, without exception, pretty darn awful bargain basement guitars. Avoid.
Is $150 your budget limit?
The used market is absolutely the place to look
You should easily be able to find a Yamaha Pacifica plus others that would be better overall.
A few examples on a quick scan …
[$150 Pacifica] Redirecting...
[$100 Epiphone Les Paul Jr.] Redirecting...
{Epiphone Les Paul + Peavey amp $150] Redirecting...
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You could do worse than heed the words of @Richard_close2u . He’s guided a fair few of us safely through the minefields of ignorance 
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I would maybe stretch your budget a bit, you would get a lot more for a bit extra. If you’re not confident about buying a used guitar watch this - I can vouch for the Donner brand I have quite a few of their products (including Ukuleles) I don’t have a guitar of theirs (yet) but I don’t think that you could go far wrong based on what I do have!
I think that Yamaha looks pretty decent. there pretty good guitars… I would say the price is about average(for the U.S. not sure where you are). I just got a Monoprice Indio classic telecaster(they sell strat style too) off Amazon for $100 with shipping. It turned out to be a really nice guitar except had to do a little work on the fret ends. pretty heavy too if weight is a issue. Good luck with your journey!!!
Dave
My guess is the Yamaha and the amp were bought as a “beginners bundle” like this >>Yamaha EG-112GP Gigmaker Pack with Amp, Tuner and more | MUSIC STORE professional
Yamaha are generally a good guitar BUT this particular model is the lowest of the low and I guess the thing is you can have a MUCH better Yamaha by spending just a tiny bit more… a Pacifica 112J (if they still do them) or better still a 112V tends to get you that bit better guitar. They are never going to be your final guitar BUT you need something good to start on.
From an amp perspective you are probably better trying to pick up a good second hand amp. There will be plenty who have moved on from a smaller bedroom amp to something a bit better/bigger. It’s all the usual suspects really Fender Mustangs, Boss Katana 50s, Blackstars or a number of other decent brands.
Thanks Guys. Much appreciate all the feedback!!!
I’ve found the old adage, “buy cheap, buy twice” to be true with guitars. Amps too for that matter.
I think @Richard_close2u has some good suggestions. Used market is definitely the way to go. You want something that sounds good and is easy to play. Cheaper instruments are setup horribly out of the box and you’ll need to pay to have it setup properly. Which is probably another $50-$100 out of pocket. So keep that in mind. I’ve been loving Reverb a lot lately and you can filter for used gear. Buyer protection there is great.
But before doing any of that, I would highly recommend going to a few stores and browse around. Even though you can’t play the associates there would be happy to demo them for you. They can tell you what they like and don’t like. The different between cheap and expensive models. You’ll learn about the instruments at the very least.
Buying online can be tough unless you have experience and know what questions to ask.
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