gitnoob

Nice neck. Braz veneer? Can't see the neck joint from your pic, but I assume dovetail from the volute. Should be fun trying to mate with the neck block (although you can get those from Martin too).

The Chinese can crank these things out on their CNC's now. No need for cheap labor. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Radius-Sanding-Blocks-Luthier-Tool-For-Guitar-Bass-Fret-Leveling-Fingerboard-New/263193976222?hash=item3d47955d9e:m:mN3c0tM9iEXq9NXIHN-EIrg

Ooh, bound fretboard. I haven't tried fretting one of those yet. Special nippers?

This has become a real cliff-hanger. I assume there are no shops near you where you can actually try out the guitar first, eh? Skip the Blueridge. It will just make you want the Eastman again. Maybe a 15-series Martin? I have loved every one I've tried (except for one dud). All-mahogany gives you a warm tone you can't get with a spruce top, the 15-series is fairly lightly built, and you can't beat that modified low oval neck profile IMO.

Could be related. Personally, I kinda like jumbo frets, but perhaps the string displacement is increased relative to lower-profile frets. So many factors can impact feel.

I like happy endings. They really are great guitars in my experience. Less consistent than Martins, but often more responsive. However, you still have to deal with the fact that they are clones of American icons made in Beijing. This will either gnaw at your brain, or you will embrace it.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -- apparently something Einstein never said, so you're OK.

Sounds like your expectations are high. That D-18 is feeling the pressure. Hopefully it doesn't suffer from performance anxiety.

Embrace the process. Covet. Buy. Sell. Hoard. And hopefully you still have a little time for playing.

That AC610 is an old model. It was made before they started offering Martin clones, and the specs (and design elements) are closer to Taylor's.

Nice! I was always envious of Eastman's stash of mahogany. Great looking, great sounding, great playing, great value. What's not to like?

Looks great. That end wedge ain't no wedge. End puzzle piece maybe? Should be a fun challenge. And if you want to cut binding channels on a budget, there's always hand tools. http://www.anzlf.com/viewtopic.php?t=6726

Not just the name. They bought the assets, moved the company, and hired the old CEO.

First try dropping the tuning, say, from E to D. That can sometimes bring the string closer to a resonance of the guitar and give it more "oomph." Then try changing the bass E to a smaller gauge. That can make the bass sound less thuddy on some guitars. Then try switching between PB and 80/20. The 80/20's often "ring" a bit more IME -- they can make a muddy guitar sound more interesting.

Changing stiffness involves using a small finger plane. Or a scraper and sandpaper.

Strings are a huge factor, and they're cheap to experiment with. Other than that, a guitar's tone mostly comes from stiffness and mass. You can change the mass by sticking coins in strategic places. Bridge pins have a similar effect, but the mass difference between, say, plastic and ebony is only a gram or so. Changing stiffness involves using a small finger plane. Or a scraper and sandpaper. You can also change the tone by altering the soundhole size. Obviously, it's easier to make it smaller than larger. Just tape some cardstock on top partially blocking the soundhole -- you can get a perceptible difference in tone.

That was Yamaha's low-end brand. They sold them through Costco. Should be like an FG-something. All lam. Worth maybe $100 when new.

So much for any lifetime warranty. I gotta say that if there is one guitar that I wouldn't worry about a lifetime warranty, it'd be a Composite Acoustics. I'd worry more that they'll still be around in 1000 years, and people will have to bury them since they won't decompose.

Dead. Some dealers have started to jack up their prices on their remaining inventory, but there are still a few good deals out there. http://www.acousticpromusician.com/inv_ca.htm

You can get a new Martin D18 for $1700.00, a much better guitar imho. Them are fighting words! But you'd probably win since I'm a noob.

Do a search, then check the "completed auctions" button on the left-hand "refine search" column. Unfortunately, eBay doesn't keep much old data around -- you might get results for the last week or two.

If I were you, I'd take my time and play a few gits. Martin alone probably has a couple hundred models to choose from. If you want generalizations, the story usually goes like this: Martins and Taylors will hold their value better than Larrivees, but Larrivees offer more bang for the buck, especially on the used market. Martins traditionally offer more bass, Taylors are brighter, and Larrivees strive for a balanced sound. But you really can't generalize. A certain sound, look, and feel will either grab you or not. They are all high-quality gits.

I have a D-60, and I love it! But it's a different sound than either Martin or Taylor, and that's not a great price. Here's a good clip of a D-50 (the hog version): [YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE] Edit: here's the last sale of a D-60 on eBay: $1225+shipping

You can buy almost any guitar you want for $2000 on the used market, even a boutique brand like Santa Cruz, Huss and Dalton, etc.