As for the other brands, I have tried some of them at the eight local music and guitar stores I've been frequenting. I've come to the conclusion that a dreadnought is uncomfortably large. As I mentioned in my initial post, I don't much care for the sunburst finishes, I prefer a more traditional style guitar without a cutaway, and I'd like to find something for under $500. If I get back into playing, I may not mind spending more down the road, but to restart, I'd like something I'll like playing for awhile. Given those requirements of "my" guitar, I'm somewhat limited in selection. Last night I put together a list of possibilities in the $300-$600 range. I found 2 Alvarez, 2 Blueridge, 2 Breedlove, 2 Epiphone, 1 Norman, 1 Parkwood, 2 Simon & Patrick, 2 Takamine, 2 Taylor, and 4 Yamaha (no Ibanez). I've probably overlooked a few. Today, I visited two of the stores and found two of them in stock, one at each store. They had other "folk" guitars for upwards of $600, but very little in the way of anything I'll be comfortable with in my price range. I have to assume that dreadnoughts sell better than most other sizes, so most stores stock and sell more of them. The point being that I'm not ruling out anything, but I'm not finding a lot to choose from locally. Sooner or later, I may have to order based on recommendations and hope for the best.
When it comes to North American, I'll say this. If it were to come down to an Asian import or a North American (or European) guitar, all things being equal, I'd pass on the Asian import. I'm not saying I'd never buy an Asian guitar and I'm not saying I'd gladly spend more to get one made here. I don't have a good argument for that position and it's evidently not popular, but I'd just have a better feeling owning a guitar made by someone who is more likely to have played this western instrument than someone who is only following directions.