Firstly, it is advised that you go to an established guitar shop rather than buying privately - you will be much safer. And secondly, try to keep the sensible rule of "buying the best you can afford" in mind. As it's all too easy to end up with a cheap, unplayable instrument!
Here are some basic considerations:
- Play every note on the fretboard. Avoid guitars with excessive string buzzing as it is an indication of fret wear.
- Check to see if the fretboard/neck is not warped. Look down the neck with one eye, if it is bent the intonation will be incorrect.
- Ensure the action (distance between the bottom of the string and the top of the fret) at the 12th fret is no more than 0.2cm (1/12 inch). A high action on a guitar makes it very difficult to play. (See image below)
- Test all the machine heads. Avoid guitars with loose tuners, as tuning stability will be severely compromised.
- Plug the guitar into an amplifier to test the relative volumes of each string. If there are any major differences in volume, have the pickup heights adjusted accordingly.
- Adjust the volume and tone controls as you play, ensure that they work and there isnt any crackling in the sound.
- When testing a guitar in a shop, make sure that the amplifier effects (or separate effects pedals) are turned off. This is so you can listen to the actual guitar tone, and not the enhanced version created by an effect.
I hope that these simple, yet overlooked, tips help you to make a good purchase!
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