The deal is done!

Went to my local GC tonight and played a bunch of guitars, including the Epi Masterbilt DR-500MCE, Seagull Entourage, a couple of Yamahas, an Ibanez, a Taylor 110CE, a Martin, and a Breedlove. Those last three were all in the $800 range, more than I intended to spend, but I wanted to compare them. My clear favorite? The Epi Masterbilt, hands down, even ignoring the price difference. Very comfortable neck that felt like an old friend, beautiful rich dreadnought tone, beautiful looking guitar (had the natural top, not the burst), played great, and I was really impressed with the sound of the electronics. The two different pickups that can be used separately or blended together is a very cool feature and gives the guitar tremendous tonal flexibility. Second choice for me was the Taylor--it played very well and I found that neck extremely comfortable, too. But I wasn't quite as keen on its brighter tone, though it's extremely articulate. Electronics sounded good, but not up to the level of the Epi.

So I promptly hopped in my car, drove home and bought a new factory second that I had checked out this afternoon on eBay. Has a couple of very minor cosmetic defects (shown in photos), but the seller has impeccable ratings, there's a 14-day money-back guarantee, and I only had to pay $415 including shipping. Also got a well-rated Guardian HSC for an additional $60. So $475 for the whole enchilada, nicely staying within my $500 budget limit. I'm a happy camper! The eBay auction is here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=121071511601

Will post more when it arrives....