Umm, well... what are you going to be running - a PT rig? If so, you have little choice in A-D converters, unless you go for an ADAT-output external unit feeding a Digi interface. If you are running non-PT, you have lot more choices. FireWire interfaces are probably the way to go, and it depends on how much you want to spend. Examples: low budget: RME FireFace 800, mid-budget: Lynx Aurora, high-budget: Lavry etc

But this all begs a lot of questions. Have you got a properly-treated acoustic space separate from the control/machine room? How are you proposing to set and monitor the levels? Are you aiming to track the guitar and vocals separately? Why do you allocate $2K for a vocal mic and only a fraction of that for an "acoustic mic"? What about capturing studio ambiance?

This project makes me nervous.

Well it doesn't make me nervous since it's not my money, but in your short post if doesn't come across as a well thought out plan. Instead of a project studio designed to make one guitar and one voice sound good , it looks like a list of equipment designed to impress clients (and perhaps as an added bonus - be usable by lots of different clients). All good stuff on the list, but will it really sound the best with your guitar and your voice. Instead of a list of gear that looks like a pro studio you want (if I read you correctly) two signal chains. And I'm concerned that it looks like you are planning a mono signal chain for the guitar. Mono may be fine, but you should at least be prepared for recording the guitar in xy or Blumlein which would require two matched channels. Is there some reason you are buying three preamps for two mics?

What platform/DAW will you be using? What sort of interface?

I'm using Cubase.

And no, i don't plan to use Protools.

as an interface i have right now an M Audio profire interface that i can use as the ad converter.

Honestly, i made that list of gear because i'm not sure what I "need". If i get a 2 channel pre i would need a 2 channel compressor. that would be more money which i thought i didnt have to record in stereo, i could just make it like that in the mix? no? if i wanted to.

I thought getting the api and great river and avalon pre's were a good idea because i've used the avalon 737 at a studio before for my acoustic and the acoustic sounded great to me - eq section is great on it along with the class a pre. for vocals? sounds a little hi fi so that wouldnt be my primary for vocals. unless i change my style along the way lol who knows.

the api512c pre will be for vocals (how do i know it will be best suited for me? i have no idea - plus i'm not sure what type of mic i should get yet.) but from what i've been researching in the last 6 months, i know it's not a bad investement to get one.

the great river pre, well i guess i dont need to get that.

I guess i need a little direction.

I know I'll be getting the UA 1176 compressor. so that's a good start. api 512c pre as well...

well i'm been thinking and researching more...

so i know it's a good idea to be prepared to record stereo for acoustic..i'd like to do that for sure..

for now though...to start with...

for vocals and acoustic guitar --> pre amp:: 2x API 512c

compressor --> universal audio 1176LN (is this a limiter AND compressor?) ** in the future i'll buy 1 more 1176 so i can record stereo for acoustic guitar.
in the meantime i can just use 1 channel from api to 1176 to my interface right?

next is the interface/ad converter...how about an Apogee Rosetta.

next question - since i'll be using api 512's, my voice is probably suited for a mid size diagraphm - so should i look at a non tube mic since i'm not using a tube pre amp?

i was looking at Blue mic's..any other suggestions?