Hi Marc,

I agree with everything that Pat Marr has said so I will just add to that based on my experience.

The amp you will be using is also an important factor in the sound you will get. A good amp can make an inexpensive guitar sound good while a poor amp can make an expensive guitar sound lousy.

Also consider the physical properties of both you and the guitar. I am not very big so after playing a couple of hours on my jumbo shaped guitar (16.5” wide x 4” deep) my right arm gets a little sore from reaching over the guitar. I have no problem with my other acoustic (15.5” wide x 4” deep). As you can see subtle differences mean a lot to me. For me round back guitars are virtually impossible to play sitting down.

Bases on how you will be using this guitar it shouldn’t make any difference between a solid top and a laminate. I doubt you will find a solid top in your price range anyway.

It is not insane to purchase guitars over the internet. I have done that many times. Just be sure it is a reputable dealer with a good return policy. Having said that I have never had to send back a guitar.

I will give you two more ideas:

1-have you considered adding a pickup to the acoustic you already have. I added a Barcus-Berry pickup to one of my acoustics and it sounds very good. I liked it so much that I had it permanently installed in the guitar, i.e. that is now has a plug by the lower pin to plug in a guitar cord.

2-have you considered your on-stage set up? If you are playing loudly and/or have your speakers behind you, you may get feedback with an electric-acoustic. In this case a solid body electric may be a better choice. Plus solid body electric gutars are much cheaper than acoustic guitars.

I hope this helps.

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