Seagulls are the first thing I think of when this sort of question is asked. They sound good, and play really really well. (I was just in a shop the other day and I also tried out a Seagull 12 string and was quite impressed.)
I've not played Simon and Patric, or Art and Luthrie guitars, but these are made by the same company that makes the Seagulls (Godin), so they would probably be worth checking out too.
I've also played some Blueridge that were surprisingly nice.
I have no experience with Crafter, Voyage Air, or Recording King, so I can't say anything about them.
I've played some Takamine guitars in your price range that were pretty nice. But I agree with patticake in probably liking the average Seagull in that price range better.
In the event that classical guitars might be being considered as well, then I would look at LaPatrie - made by same company as Seagull, and really are quite nice.
Also, in this price range one can sometimes find used Martin 000-15 (or possibly 00-15, or D-15) guitars. The Martin 000-15, in its various forms, is a seriously nice guitar. Not a loud guitar, at first at least (though the old all mahogany Martins have been very loud), but with a really wonderful tone that can compete with a lot of much more expensive guitars. Mine competes for my time really successfully, and I also play a very nice Goodall and a nice classical.
Also, used higher end (or at least mid range) guitars with big scratches and such sometimes have big price cuts - I'd keep my eyes open for things like this. Scratches and dings are often just cosmetic, but can sometimes make nice higher end guitars more affordable.
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