re: Advice from a guitar semi-newbie to any others on this board wanting to learn.

I cannot stress enough. Something I never did and really wish I did. Hire a teacher. I am still undoing years of bad habits from being self taught. While there are far better resources available now than when I started, nothing can replace being hands on with a teacher that can teach you all the tips and tricks that could literally take decades for you to discover on your own.

Just in my personal opinion, focus alot in your first few months on developing finger strength and getting your fingers used to awkward positions. While it may be tedious and boring doing the 1-2-3-4 exercise, it will pay huge dividends. It doesn't need to be hours on end of drilling either... just use 1-2-3-4 for 5-10 mins as a warmup & finger strength exercise. Once I finally addressed my finger weakness (especially my pinky), it opened up a whole new world for me.