Forget Les Pauls of any variety - IMO, they just do not do country. G-260 is a great guitar and very flexible - blues to rock and is my normal recommendation in the price bracket - it completely blows the Squer Strat away.
From your tastes in music the Tele is the way to go. It covers a lot sonic of territory and if you are an acoustic player, you will find the acoustic tonal qualities and fairly unforgiving playability (although still a lot easier than an acoustic) pretty much home. Older Dylan (post '61 anyway - the infamous "Judas" incident) is Tele territory as is the Blues.
I would however balk at a Squier Tele. In your position, I would get the smallest amp that could do the job - the Roland Micro Cube (which is a really cool little practice amp by any standards and surprisingly loud) and spend the money saved on a better guitar. If you can, grit your teeth, gird your loins and get at least a Fender Standard (Mexican). The quality difference is quite big. Then later, when you need more volume for playing in a band, look at upgrading the amp. Actually, being me, I'd probably blow my whole budget on a Fender Classic Player Baja Tele and play it unplugged until I could afford an amp (but that's me - I'm weird like that).
I know this is a bit "guitar snobbish", but I firmly believe that its better to get a good instrument (which is after all the thing you have to put your hands on and play) and lesser amp than downgrade both and have to upgrade them both later.
If any guitar player laughs at your liking country music, play them some Hellecasters, Brad Paisley or Albert Lee, then feel free to laugh as their jaws hit the floor. It's a fact that most country guitarists can smoke most rock players.
From your tastes in music the Tele is the way to go. It covers a lot sonic of territory and if you are an acoustic player, you will find the acoustic tonal qualities and fairly unforgiving playability (although still a lot easier than an acoustic) pretty much home. Older Dylan (post '61 anyway - the infamous "Judas" incident) is Tele territory as is the Blues.
I would however balk at a Squier Tele. In your position, I would get the smallest amp that could do the job - the Roland Micro Cube (which is a really cool little practice amp by any standards and surprisingly loud) and spend the money saved on a better guitar. If you can, grit your teeth, gird your loins and get at least a Fender Standard (Mexican). The quality difference is quite big. Then later, when you need more volume for playing in a band, look at upgrading the amp. Actually, being me, I'd probably blow my whole budget on a Fender Classic Player Baja Tele and play it unplugged until I could afford an amp (but that's me - I'm weird like that).
I know this is a bit "guitar snobbish", but I firmly believe that its better to get a good instrument (which is after all the thing you have to put your hands on and play) and lesser amp than downgrade both and have to upgrade them both later.
If any guitar player laughs at your liking country music, play them some Hellecasters, Brad Paisley or Albert Lee, then feel free to laugh as their jaws hit the floor. It's a fact that most country guitarists can smoke most rock players.
