[brgminicooper]

Telideli: First of all, I have not dismissed anything. I am definitely open to other suggestions. Thanks for letting me know about the Yamaha. I guess I hadn't thought about them because my first steel-stringed acoustic was a cheapo Yamaha. I never thought about their "better" offerings because I have equated them with entry-level stuff for many years now. Clearly, I was wrong, because the one you suggested fits the bill pretty closely, though I would rather have an A/E guitar. Something tells me that Yamaha makes that one in an A/E version, though.

For the record, I would be willing to consider any acoustic guitar with at least a 1 3/4" (or larger) nut width that has a solid top and can be had in the $500 - $650 range. I would prefer that it be A/E, but I don't think that's a deal-breaker for me since I could always add a pickup at a later date. I also like the idea of a shorter scale, but this isn't a deal-breaker, either.


Otterhound: Even before you mentioned a Martin, I thought about selling my Schecter PT and Kustom Double Barrel so that I could spend a little more and get a higher-quality acoustic. If I'm going to own an acoustic, I might as well quit screwing around and get a good one so that I don't find myself selling and buying every year or two. However, I know that if I get rid of my Schecter/Kustom combo, I'll regret it and want to spend more money trying to acquire an electric and amp. Maybe it's best to leave well-enough alone and stay in my current budget.