The Aztek can work with lacquers-they're made from a plastic that doesn't melt from lacquer thinner...I've soaked the tips in lacquer thinner to clean them, they DO NOT MELT!
It's a good, easy airbrush but it's easy cleaning/changing tips is bad in that they are sealed and you can't completely clean the needle.
Best overall workhorse airbrush? Badger 175 Crescendo. Get a good compressor early in the game...the air cans are expensive.
Latest issue of Scale Auto has a good article on simple single-action airbrushes that are easy for beginners to learn.
Other advice about learning how to paint in the first place is appropriate. The airbrush is a tool, it's not going to mask poor technique. You have to get the basics down first.
There's a really good book called "How to use an Airbrush" by Kalmbach/Robert Downie. Check it out. The author is very familiar.
He goes by the name of ZoomZoom on the forum...