The Fox and the Taylor are both at 12th fret.

I have heard an unsubstantiated rumor that Charles Fox is no longer building guitars...hmmm.

For those of you that don't recognize the name, A. Lawrence Smart is one of the luminaries of the mandolin-building world. His instruments are easily comparable to Gilchrists, Nuggets, Gibson Master Models, and in my opinion (I have played a whoooole lotta mandolins) they are superior due to their accesibility by those of limited means. His mandos sell for $6800, and are worth every penny (Gils are $20K with a 5 year wait, Nuggets are $16K with a 2-3 year wait, and alot of master models are spoken for at $10K or so)...But I digress. Smart is an exceptional luthier, but I have never played a guitar of his, so I have no idea what they are comparable to, tonewise.

Gee aint it fun shoppin for wires n wood? Before you decide, check out Charles Johnson's page, he has a Tony Rice, a new Lowden, and a Taylor 814 custom for sale, all less than $2500. He is a great guy to have looking for an instrument, he got me a great deal on a D-28