tbh i think you should just go out and play a bunch! i had a martin that i loved (broken now :( ) but for recording it was way too bassy and certain notes overloaded the mic. Meanwhile I have been using my $500 Ibanez and it has been doing a pretty good job. Granted I'm no pro, but try and find something that's nice and balanced. You could easily do that for 1-2k. If you are looking for something more even and sparkly, I believe Taylor would be a good brand to check out.

I recently completed a project where there were two different Taylor acoustics used throughout. Mine and another. I have a 414CE. A 2000 model. It records better than any other acoustic I have experienced. The other was a Dreadnought with a cutaway(not sure the model)....it was good also but not quite the level of the 414. In my mostly acoustic bluegrass kinda band, we have a plethora of acoustics....two different Gibson Songwriters, a D28 Martin, The Taylor, a very old Alverez modeled after a Martin(probably a 'lawsuit' guitar), an even older Ibanez Ragtime, also a Seagull 12 string. The Taylor wins everytime. Its not a particularly good 'live' guitar, but its so even to record with that you rarely use much eq to get particular frequencies or particular chord positions in certain keys to 'stick'....

I use an X/Y SDC setup, a single LDC (mostly a Neumann), separate LDC's...one at the upper bout and one at the 12th fret, over the shoulder SDC, mainly any micing setup that works and this guitar delivers every time.

When I bought it I had the cash for a much higher range of guitar, but this one was the most even out of 20 I played.

I'm certain that the used market these days would get you something along these lines at your budget.

Again, its the even response across the entire guitar that makes it a GREAT recording guitar. Many other guitars sound better live than this one, but not in the studio.

The Seagulls are also very nice acoustics for the studio and not that expensive.

Of course nothing beats a pre-war Martin thats been well cared for.

Expect to throw in a kidney as well as a bunch of cash for one of these.

I have a Yamaha fs730s acoustic that records nicely.

You can find them new at guitar center for $300. Pick one up and if you dont like it just return it.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Yamaha-FG730S-Solid-Top-Acoustic-Guitar-519049-i1150361.gc

I like that Guild Acoustic, with a built-in active equalizer. The direct sounds great. The guitar sounds great. I have no problem putting microphones on the guitar and getting a wonderful tone. I oozed both pickups & microphones simultaneously and to 3 separate tracks. Then you'll get what you want. Putting a microphones on an amplifier for that can also be ended in. You might have to be concerned with some of the minor time delay differentials you'll experience from the direct in relation to the microphones in relation to the cabinet with the microphone. So a realignment in the timeline or some carefully selected time delay on direct feeds may be in order?

I know how good your songs are. I find it hard to believe you don't like your own acoustic sound? It really only comes down to microphone selection & placement.

Love your stuff
Ms. Remy Ann David

I love my Taylor concert series for recording just about any steel string acoustic sound. The smaller body makes it not as boomy when recording. SDC XY near where the neck meets the body, one pointed at the 12th fret, one toward the sound whole works well for it. More recently I recorded it with an SDC near the bridge, and a LDC 1 foot from the 12th fret. Sometimes the SDC XY sounds good on sound hole and bridge.

Yeah....taylor!!!

I've got good recommendation for:

http://www.breedloveguitars.com/

http://www.goodallguitars.com/index.htm

http://mcphersonguitars.com/

I still haven't tried though.

aw man- you are ALL going to KILL me!!!!!! i went to GC and bought an Epiphone Hummingbird!!

seriously- i did- but only for a temporary beater because i cannot enter and leave a music store without buying something. i am still in my quest for a top notch acoustic. there is a guy with a guild d-25 ('77) that i'm going to try out. (i hear they are bassy but inst that what eq's are for?)

I have a Taylor 414CE (2007) and a Martin D18 (1975) and like many of the people posting here I've found the Taylor to be a little easier to record because of it's relatively stronger top end. My guess is that because of the proximity effects of recording you don't need as much bass output from a guitar for a good recorded sound with a flat eq. Of course, people have been making great recordings with Martin dreadnoughts and Gibson Jumbos forever, so it's not like this is a really big deal. If you have a guitar that sounds good live and you have someone who can play it (this is my problem) then you can get a good recording even if you have to twist a few knobs.

in 1985 i bought a Gibson Epiphone for cheap that sounded WAY better than the price, and it just keeps getting better. i have played some $3000 Guilds that i think were not worth $300. i have drooled after Taylors for 10 years, but i still need so much OTHER gear... i have played about 20 different Taylors that i would often 'visit' at the music store, and it seems to me the ones in the $1500-$2000 range always sounded and played the best... of course all guitars are as unique as the players, but if i had an extra grand or so, i would not even look at a guitar without 'Taylor' on the headstock.

I'd like to thank all of your for taking the time and answering my question. All of your input was very helpful. My search is over: I just won an ebay auction for a brand new Gibson BLues King. It's a smaller bodied acoustic based on theiir L 00 seires from the 30's. PLayed one the other day at GC and it felt like it was custom made by for me by God. It reminds me of '63 Martin 000-28 that I had in the 90's that was on loan for 2 years from my landlord. And what was great was that I was able to use GC's little studio room and miced it with the same mic i have and it was perfect! (I threw the kid 20 bucks for his time knowing I was going to ebay it and save $900)

I guess it's persoanl taste but I love the smaller bodied guitars. I sacrifice a bit on bass and dynamic but the feel works for me. plus they make me look sexy.

Another 414 fan here.

Another vote for small-bodied Martins. OM-18V and OM-28V are my guitars of choice. And another vote for SDCs in X-Y (about 18" from the neck/body join)

Dave

+1 on the Taylors, I've got a 712 that's been beaten to hell and still sounds gorgeous, even with my less than apt micing

-N

p.s. Just got it signed by Tommy Emmanuel last weekend, and I got him to cover up the biggest of the scars too!

The first time I picked up this Taylor 414 it had me hooked. I simply could not stop playing it because I love the tone.

I guess my ears must be in tune with most because I have a Taylor 2004 414CE as well as a Taylor 355 twelve string. I love them both dearly. They sound and play like a dream.

My bridge on the 414 is separating from the sound board which is a common thing I guess. Once I get it fixed I will have to get into the habit loosening the strings so that they do not put stress on the bridge when I am not playing it.

You should not have to de tune a guitar unless you are storing it for a prolonged period without playing it. Could it be a humidity control problem, too much or little? Are you storing it in the case? I own a Taylor and they have some construction problem if this is common because I have some other guitars that are over twenty years old and do not have this problem.

Yeah, I'm going to go even further than that, and say that you shouldn't take pressure off of the neck in general - they're built to have that tension constantly, and taking it off and reapplying it is terrible for the guitar - that's the reason they say to change your strings one string at a time, alternating from top to bottom, so that you change the amount of pressure on the neck as little and as evenly as possible. The only time you'll want to take the tension off of the neck is when you're adjusting the truss rod, and then only if you can't get to it without taking th strings off, a nonissue for your taylor, since it's got the coverplate up on the headstock where you can adjust the rod there too. Moral of the story - not only should you not have to, you just plain shouldn't de-tune quality guitars like your Taylor, it's just a bad idea

-N

EDIT: P.S. Taylors have a lifetime warranty against structural defects like what you're talking about - as long as there's no 'whack factor' involved - so give them a call, they'll probably take care of that for you for the cost of S&H. Although I think you might have to be the original owner.... Not sure, but I do know they're good for life EDIT2: Yeah, it's original owner, but still, if that's you, you're golden

My Taylor is a 2000 model 414. There have been zero problems with it. It generally sits on its stand in the studio ready to go. There must be some kind of humidity problem where you are for this to occur. Like it has been said, guitars of this level of construction are built for the long haul and should not be experiencing any construction problems. BTW, I generally string it with Medium gauge Martin strings..

Who told me Guild? (Remy I love you!) Who told me Guild? (Remy I love you!) WHo told me Guild? (Remy I love you!)

I picked up a '75 Guild D-25M yesterday from a guy on Craigslist for 150 bucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All I gotta say is.....Oy My God!

This thing is freakin' awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It came all banged up with a repaired 7 inch gash on its side and moldy fretboard with rusted strings. After a cleaning, and a new set of strings it came to life-absolutely spot on. NO intonation problems (the normal bane of my existence) and the sound is like a brass canon.

I cannot believe how good this guitar sounds. IMO it would give a brand spankin new D-28 a run for its money. Man, this makes up for all the countless shit I've ever blown money on.

Does anyone wanna buy a Gibson BLues King? :D