Well I'm going to suggest buying yourself a American deluxe stratocaster so you can play anything your little heart wishes, However you couldnt go wrong with a Telecaster either as they are superb too

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A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. ~Leopold Stokowski~

if ur budget is 1800$ i would definitely recommend going for an american deluxe strat.but as said above try to play as many strats as u can,and see which suits u best.i am also planning to buy a strat in abt 2 months or so.

if budget is not a deciding factor go for an american deluxe model.but as said above try to play as many strats as u can and see which one suits u best.

My only real advice is not to rush into anything. Just play as many different Fenders as you can and see what works for you. You've said you don't have any gear - but one thing I do when I try out a new guitar in the store is to play it through the same kind of amp I have at home (or the closest equivalent), or even through a smallish practice amp. If it sounds great through a small practice amp, it'll sound great through a bigger, better amp.

Nothing like jumping in with both feet..I think i would try to steer you away from spending $1800 on your first guitar..For the simple fact is you have no idea of what you want out of a guitar yet...At the same time it always helps to start with a good quality instrument as im sure you know from the other instruments you play...
With that said you can get a good mid grade MIM H.S.S Strat for around $400 to $500 that if well taken care of you should be able to get the majority of your money back out of if well maintained and you decide guitar isn't for you..
An H.S.S or Fat Strat as most call them is a very versatile guitar that you can get the majority of the tones you are looking for..
The biggest thing though is how do you know what you really are looking for isn't a Les Paul or Ibanez..That is why im saying start off with a moderately priced quality instrument and as your playing and experience grows you will know exactly what you want out of a guitar and can make a better decision later on..