i'm a big fan of yamaha red label guitars made in japan uo to 1973 , including the nipon gakki labelled ones. they can be really cheap but are well made and designed so they are worth repairing a bit.

the k.yairi's are also great as said. there were also s. yairi's that are excelent. i'm suggesting second hand guitars.

all the canadian guitars from seagull and the other quebec luthiers have their worth. i like the norman best--especially old used ones and they are often very cheap. the same family and thier friends made all these lines. simon patrick, art and luthiere lysthe real quebecois guitar), and seagull.even kamouraska and norman. if you are travelling to canada they are cheaper here.i found a black painted norman dreadnought for $60, to give to a friends kid. a great guitar . looked like hell but he was a teen and liked the hell look.(that's an unusaully cheap find)and i had a totally laminate art and luthierre from a yard sale for $50, that was the best cheapo i've ever had--gave it to a friend after his house burnt down--with guitars.

second hand stores and junk shops and even the local buy and sell are all worth trolling . i got a gibson j45 from 1956 out of my buy and sell for $800. its beat up like a canadian socialist at a tea party convention , but sounds like its got an amp with reverb.i will have to put some cash into repair but its worth it.

and the japanese lowdens occasionally still turn up and they were great. i have noticed that the odd ball lowden models aren't too expensive on e bay. the mahagony ones mostly but lowden made some of the best mahogony guitars ever made , i prefer them and bought one.

i think people get focused on the look of some woods and forget the sound.

so seagull, and the rest of their family, yairi's , old yamahas and for a bit more odd ball lowden models.one guy also mentioned goyas and levins. they are very rare in canada but well worth it as well. and check out hagstroms new models of aucoustic guitars. they have a model for about $400 that blew my ears off.