[John Bartus]

Interesting discussion... I'll add my $0.02!

My favorite acoustic guitar ever was a 1961 Martin D-18 that I played in a shop in Fredericksburg, VA in the early 1980s as a poor road musician. If I'd only had an extra $1,000 at the time...

At the risk of over-generalization, I would submit that most stipulate Martins are boomy cannons with great bottom end, while Taylors are more "balanced" across the mid- and high-sonic spectrum. But severely lacking in bottom. Now, my opinion... FWIW.

I always thought that Taylors in general lacked the bottom end I wanted in a guitar. Although, there were some high-end Taylors I played that were sonically amazing. Then, I found Breedlove. I don't know if it was the bridge truss, the graduated tops, the bracing, or what — but for years it bridged the gap between the Martin & Taylor sounds. Breedlove had the bottom of a Martin with the balanced mids and highs of a Taylor.

And while I still love my Breedloves, I picked up five Martins (four used, one new) over the past couple of years. Three dreads and two jumbos, rosewood and spruce (except for the one maple/spruce jumbo), and all with Fishman Aura electronics. I love them all. And they all seem to have the balance I loved in my Breedloves. (I'm not mentioning my Guild jumbo maple 12-string...)

I'm not sure there is an actual point to all this. Play what you love, but don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. You might find something you really like!