As a hobby guitarist/songwriter/and sometime performer(three piece acoustic band) I woud tend to agree with the thread that commented on who buys the top end guitars. It seems according to that thread, its mostly rich persons that like to acquire things and don't truly play anywhere near enough (if they play at all) to get the full pleasure and the supreme joy out of hearing a truly fine instrument. I really have trouble with guitar magazines and stores that target these folks while the rest of us just make do with 700 dollar mediocre guitars. Gibson and Martin found that if they charge outrageous sums like 5,000 dollars for their top end acoustics, they can make money from the older upper -upper income James Taylor or unplugged Eric wannabes. I believe that it is possible for someone to make a 1000 dollar guitar that could blow away a Martin (heresy say you?) D-35 . Gibson Humming bird. I think that person would become a billionare, but for the popularity and the established markets of those companies. I do like Gibson and Martin instuments; infact I bought a Gibson triple pickup Les Paul custom for 150 dollars thirty years ago. But I just feel that they have left the rest of us in the dust. Nuff Said.

I bought a Martin Shenendoah about 10 years ago and thought it was the best sounding guitar that I heard after spending about 5 hours in a music store practice studio trying out Guilds, Epiphones, Gibsons, etc. As I remember., it cost about 650 dollars.

Then I started playing with this acoustic band and a woman in the band played a Taylor that she bought about 5-6 years ago for about 1400 dollars. Price notwithstanding, I though it had some much wider ,even , sweet , sound. It was a reall joy and pleasure to my ears and of course changed my feelings about the sound of my own. So I guess my vote would be with Taylor, although I haven't played ( but would like to very much to ) a Santa Cruz, or a Larrivee, Collings.