[epaul]

I think the best answer here is "it all depends".

If you are buying a Taylor and you want to be plugging it in, it is foolish to dismiss getting a Taylor ES out of hand. What are you going to put in there that is handier, sounds as good, and is as trouble free?

A K&K? Maybe, maybe not. In some guitars and some situations, a K&K is the best pickup on the planet. But in other guitars and other situations, the ES is a better option. An ES will work in almost any situation and with any Taylor big or small. That is not true for a K&K.

So, how about the Anthem? Maybe. I love my Anthem. But, and don't quote me here, I have the niggling suspicion that the combination of an undersaddle element and the mic thing stuck under the bridge might have deadened my guitar some. I don't want to think that, but I sort of do. It was definitely deader when I got it back from the shop. I changed strings, and I think it came back to about where it had been. Maybe all the way, maybe not quite. I'm not sure. Anyway, there is no worry of this happening with the ES. The bridge and saddle are left alone, untouched, free to vibrate for all they are worth.

The M1? Maybe, if you like a fat, electric sound. If not, the ES wins.

In short, if you are going Taylor, the ES is a good system and you may not be able to improve upon it. Now add in the convenience factor of getting it all together in one package. And then consider that the prospective player may not be the type that likes to fart around with installing and jerking out a stream of different pickup combinations and messing around with one preamp after another.

The same can be said for the Martin Aura systems, the Yamaha ART systems, and any number of Takamine systems. In each one of those cases, the factory system may be the best all around option, especially if the person doesn't view installing and un-installing of pickups as part of the joy of guitar ownership.

If the quest is for the perfect sound, if the hunt itself is the pleasure, then grab your bow and silver horn and chase that elusive stag through the forest. But if you just want to buy a no hassle guitar that sounds good when you plug it in and works well in almost any situation, then just get a good factory system from Taylor, Martin, Yamaha, or Takamine.

(note, I have yet to do this myself, but the approach shouldn't be dismissed. It is a valid option, and, in some cases, maybe even the very best one.)