I'm quite partial to my Running Dog, made by Rick Davis of Richmond, VT (http://vtguitars.com/). I have the Jumbo model in sycamore (Rick prefers American woods, such as cherry, walnut, sycamore and maple, so even mahogany is an upcharge), but his other models are well worth checking out, too.

As the others have said, once you reach a particular level, you start looking for instruments that "talk to you" in individual ways. I like the tone and feel of the Running Dog, but others might prefer the Froggy Bottom or the Apollo (Nick does make some sweet instruments, I'll agree). Even the custom shops of the bigger makers, like Martin, turn out some honeys, and with the bigger makers, you do have a little more name-recognition when you find something nicer and have to sell the first to get the second.

Whatever, good luck. It is a never-ending search, you know.

Ed