The man said low to medium price range.

A Yamaha will always be workmanlike but only a few are better than that, and as you go back to the classic made in Japan red labels they get expensive and the actions iffy.

I have been very impressed with Seagulls, but it is wise to play before buying.

I had a godlike Mugen THE 78/12 - sweet and mellow, not that nasty jangly sound of so many 12s. I paid £300 and then had the frets stoned (they were like sea waves) and a setup and a Headway snake put in it. But it split both the inner and outer bridge plates and when the (also godlike) BRodgers put it back together the mellow had gone and it jangled. I gave it away.

I am aiming to get a Daion THE 82/12 sorted soon. I'm hoping it will give me some of that mellow back. Again I paid £300 and the same needs doing and some work on the finish too.

It should be possible to make each course play exactly in tune. This WILL need intonation for each string in the course. You will need a GOOD guitar fettler.

OTOH, the round-shouldered 12-string Washburn of the late Pete Hicks (also originally in the same price range) was louder than many banjos (buit about as subtle). A definite plus! I am not a Washburn fan - my D10 was the nastiest sound I ever owned, and I have heard others of the same model that sound worse.