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If I had to start over again I'd forget tab existed.

It's much harder to read notes once you're used to tab because tab will show results almost overnight. The downside is you'll only learn how to mimic existing riffs/songs. You'll hit a road block very fast and in the end you'll think "uhh, ok so I can play my favorite songs but I have no idea what I'm doing".

The actual mechanics of playing the guitar is not difficult. Knowing which notes to play is the hard part.

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I beg to differ. You can reach the very highest standard of rock/jazz/blues etc, guitar playing without ever learning to read a single note.( ie tabs and playing by ear as opposed to sheet music)

However, the important thing is to learn the theory of contemporary music at a very early stage. By this I mean learning chord structures scales and modes and fully understanding. IMO, there is no substitute for getting a real teacher for this learning stage, even if it is just for a short period of time. I had these types of lessons during my first year of guitar, and six years down the line, I really appreciate the great extent to which it was beneficial, and I really feel on a higher level to the majority of guitarists Ive come across.

You Tube actaully has tons of lessons now, and obv for free. If you're looking to build rock technique, I highly recommend Paul Gilberts, Intense Rock 1 and 2, as well as Guitar From Mars 1 and 2. Both of which available on Youtube last time checked.