[spocksbrain]

Hi again Eagle,

The Fishmans are great pickups. Terry Clements and Gordon both use them and mix them with a mic on stage. Combine that with the rich sound of the Guild, and I say it's a good combination.

As for Taylors, I have owned one. I don't particularly care for a couple of things about them. All the Taylors that I have played sound thin to me. They come in many different price ranges, but I'd say that other brands, even some Epiphones, have a richer tone. I also do not like Taylor pickups. They are generally transducers and the upper end is not satisfying. John Fogerty is the Taylor posterboy these days, and his sound good on stage. However, I would venture to guess that his models have Fishman pickups.

My fincee' owns an original Gibson J-50 from the late 60s. It is a beautiful guitar and sounds amazing. One thing about guitars is that, if the wood is solid and good, the sound will improve with age. So will the price. Hers cost about $200 when her dad bought it. It is now worth about $3000.

I hope you have some good luck. People on this forum seem to know their guitars and give some good advice. However, I will say, don't go for a Martin just because good ole GL plays one. His instrument is probably up there in the $3000 range. Affordable Martins these days have dropped in quality. Many of them have laminate back and sides. It is a shame, but to sell more instruments, many manufacturers have dropped the quality and opened shops overseas. Even the Guild I have is made in China. Alas, American ingenuity sold to the overseas markets. Oh well.

Happy playing!