[brgminicooper]

Let me preface this by saying that I'm a bit of a noob, but I do know that I will need to play a guitar and put hands on it before I buy it to know if it will actually be "the one" for me.

Having said that, I am getting rid of my current acoustic (Epi EJ200CE) and looking at purchasing a new one that doesn't have a laminated top. I have narrowed my search to Seagull and Taylor for a couple of reasons:

1. The Seagull guitars seem to offer a level of quality that simply can't be found in other North-American-built guitars at this price. I also like the wider fret board (1.8") and shorter-length scale (24.8"). I have short, fat fingers, so those features are appealing to me. Further, I can probably get an A/E dread with case for right around $625 from a local store. I tried one out yesterday at the store and it felt pretty good when I was strumming chords and playing harmonies...

2. A good friend of mine has a Taylor that simply sounds great. I believe it's a 110 and none of the three acoustics I have owned sounded anything like it. While the Taylor's neck is wider (1 and 11/16ths) than the guitar I currently have, it is not as wide as the Seagull's neck. The scale is longe,r too: 25.5". However, I have spent some time strumming my friend's guitar and definitely like the feel of it. Unfortunately, they are a little pricier (not much though). I think I could get a dreadnought with electronics for right around $650. That one would come with a gig bag while the Seagull would get a hard case. To upgrade to the hard case would be maybe $100 extra.

So, keeping these things in mind, I am leaning toward the Seagull. However, I'd like to hear from the veterans here regarding anything I may be missing. Is there a glaring reason to buy one of these guitars over the other? What do you all think? Please understand that I know this is subjective and can't be settled scientifically, so I welcome both subjective and objective comments from people who own or have owned either or both of these brand names.