I've got a Samick D16-CE that is a nice dred. Solid cedar top, maple binding, rosewood back and sides with a Fishman Classic 4 system. I got it for $400 and think it sounds as nice and plays as well as many guitars costing a lot more. I also have a Martin 000C-16GTE. All solid spruce/mahogany with a black micarta fretboard and a Fishman Blender system. Great sound for about $1,300. Is the Martin a better guitar? Yep. Do I still play my Samick for that big dred sound. Yep. When I got the Martin I traded in another Samick, a J5-CE spruce/sapele jumbo with a Belcat system with a built-in tuner. That was my first reasonable guitar and at only $269 it was a great guitar.

Other brands that I've played and liked by not owned would be:

Garrison (neat techology and nice sound) & Alvarez