As others have said, you can't go wrong with a Taylor or a Martin. Like Gibson and Fender, you are paying a lot for the name. Great guitars, don't get me wrong, but they won't be cheap.

When I was acoustic guitar shopping years ago, I was shopping at a mid range price point (~$400) and was torn between a Seagull S6 and an Ibanez. I ended up going with the Seagull. That guitar has held up quite well for me and holds its own with Taylor's and Martin's sound wise. There are no fancy inlays or binding, but it has a great warm sound and nice action once I had the bridge lowered. I played this guitar out for a couple of years and it continues to serve me well.