Playing all my life :) tried every kind including the famed Aria acoustics. My 10 cents - a Martin is gureat and loud. A Gibson is nasal and welll you either love em or dont't. I played a Tak and thought it adequate but great value, Yamaha is hahahaaa - right they oughta have tried to make a new sound - I mean why copy? I once played a Fylde (England) and I loved the crisp sound. Ovations are good road guitars :) Fender acoustics suit an accomplished player and believe me they can sound very very good. Also noticed they they tend to be easy on the left hand so xplians the popularity. Seaguls never payed much attention but they sound pretty good. Taylor - could be a great one like Mossman if there were more lying around for guys like me who like to pick and 'cut up' all the time. Picked one once which was just dead ( probably because it's owner did not play it) Last my *Star* newbie for the 90's Washburn - I know they have been around for a long time but they are underrated so sometimes passed over for lesser instruments. They are gurrreattt but you gotta work on 'dynamics' moving the pick around to get that sweet sound. Probably the most impressive Guitar I ever had (sadly bent neck ) was a 194something Harmony(cost me 25 bucks in 1991) made of mahogany. The warmest and sweetest lil thing ever - used it for backup on some recordings it was excellent. Lost this one during the big D a few years ago. I miss it lots. My present is a Gibby 1953 - man who sold it me said it was a honky tonk guitar. Rings like a bell :) yet can be tender and sweet. It is too small for ma big paws so I'd gladly trade it off for a Galagher or Martin ( Never owned either but played lots and love em) Playing em does help the sound - or keeping them near a hi fi (pref analogue)