I purchased 10 used guitars in the past 4 years: 5 "beginner" electric and acoustic, 2 mid priced, and three 60s/70s guitars. All played like crap. No wonder they were being sold.
I took them to Elderly for set up and most all of them play fine now. Not all the necks could be made great. Most all are usable, a couple are good only below the 12th fret.
Three could not be fixed. The 60's Tulip needs all frets replaced. One acoustic is now set for slide, with a raised nut. The last needs some internal bracing repair.
My favorite to play now is the First Act m305. Cost me $25 and $70 for setup which included shimming the neck. (Also, I split the coils, added selector switches, and polarity switches. Way fun.)
Setup is imperative. Especially for kids' fingers. Light gauge strings help as well.