)
I just bought a Taylor 814ce last week and I love it. I had no intention of spending that much money. I spent several weeks playing Taylors, Guilds, Martins, and Larrivees at my local stores. I tried a few Gibsons and Takaminis as well. I planned to spend less than $1,500....ooops...should have never picked up the Taylor 814ce
If you're going for a straight-up acoustic with no electronics, I think Larrivee is the best bang for the buck. Handcrafted guitars with fantastic build quality and they're made either here in the US or in Canada (03 series). I loved the Larrivees, but felt the electronics weren't as good as the Taylor Expression System. To me, the Larrivees had WAY better build quality than the few very expensive Gibsons I played.
If you're on a budget, the GAD series from Guild are quite nice. I know I'm a crack-pot, but I have a personal preference to avoid products made in China (when ever possible). That being said, the GAD's were extremely well made guitars and sounded quite good -- possibly the best in their respective price range.
