Re: I need a new acoustic.
I had a Blueridge (BR143), small '000' size body, all solid woods, and that was a very good instrument. I replaced it recently with a Guild GAD30, which is a similar guitar except the nut width/ string spacing is a little wider, which suits me better. Both these instruments are exceptional instruments, end certainly stunning value for money.
I think it helps narrow things down a lot if you know exactly what you want to do with an acoustic, i.e. will it be mostly for strumming, or fingerpicking? Solo playing or in group settings? Is the available volume important, or is good tone more important, regardless of volume? (I've noticed a lot of fingerpickers like myself seem to play smaller-bodied instruments and often need the slightly wider nut width string spacing, dreadnoughts seem to work and sound better for strumming styles and bluegrass flatpicking....but of course anything can be used for anything, it's a matter of personal taste).
I think it's Beandip who will probably recommend the Seagull brand, and i have played another Chinese brand called 'Trinity College' which were very very good (comissioned by Saga Music so i have been told, same as Blueridge). The TC guitars were my second choice after the Guild GAD's. I tried a few of the low-price Taylors and Martins, and was completely unimpressed, i found them to be a waste of time and certainly wouldn't waste my money on them.
Don't pass on the Guilds simply because it was the first brand you checked out, but maybe seek out a few more to play. They will certainly improve with age, and to my ear, they definitely have the 'Guild sound', which is subtle but classy and warm. I know some people can't get their heads around the idea of a Chinese-made instrument being any good (believe me, for decades i was one of those people, i never would have believed i would have owned and loved an instrument made there, let alone two....). But the facts are, they currently make some incredible instruments that equal stuff that costs several times more in 'western' countries.
