Tried this Taylor 815ce at Alto Music a few weeks ago.
www.altomusic.com
Sounds nice; tight bass, smooth highs. The only issue I had with it was it was a bit stiff. But hey, it's new!

I love the playability of Taylor, but if I want a Dread, I still prefer a Collings or a Martin. Love the chocolate-y low end on those!

Happy Holidays!

"I ain't nothin but a hound dog..."

Mesa Boogie TA-15 Amp Head

This is a pretty cool little "lunchbox" amp head.  It has several options of tone, although I think the clean is best.

Here's one demo'd at Make N' Music, www.makenmusic.com.

My favorite sound is from the Les Paul.

Here's another from NAMM 2010, reviewed by The Tone Kings.  He goes kind of quickly through the settings.  Personally, I'm not real fond of constantly tweaking my amps settings, but it seems to work well here:

This is a great amp for smaller venues, and really great for home use, especially since you have the option to select 5,15, or 25 watts.

Martin's new D-28M Mamas and Papas.

I just saw this posted on Guitar International.

http://guitarinternational.com/2011/10/27/martin-guitars-unveils-the-d-28m-the-mamas-and-the-papas-custom-artist-edition/

Looks pretty sweet.  It has a Carpathian Spruce top, and madagascar Rosewood sides.  This is the same combo that I have on my Martin 000-42M Eric Clapton.  My small bodied 000 size guitar is LOUD, so I can only assume that a dread with this wood combo must be a cannon!

The only thing I don't really like is the silhuoettes of the Mamas & Papas on the headstock.  I think I'd find myself constantly slipping into a chorus of California Dreamin' everytime I'd pick up the guitar!  I would love to hear how it sounds, though.  I find the Carpathian Spruce tightens up the bass a bit as opposed to Sitka. I like that.

I'm going to visit a few of my local guitar dealers to see if they have any I can try out.

Here's a nice video clip of the Collings City Limits:

This guy has great tone & technique!

I absolutely LOVE this guitar.  The Grosh '59 spec not has a great vintage sound, it looks great, too!  At first, I wasn't sure I'd like the shape, it's definately different than I'm used to, but after picking it up and playing it, I found it very comfortable.
I wish this clip from NAMM '11 would show off the sound a bit more, and the beauty of the guitar more. Maybe soon I'll post a clip on MY '59 spec.

Collings electrics--

I"ve always known Collings as a fantastic acoustic guitar maker.  I've played a few Collings Dreads, and they were, to say the least, amazing guitars.  I wish I could remember the models.  One was a used Dread I played at Alto Music in New York, and it sounding like rich chocolate pudding, and played just as smoothly.  It was as if you took Martin's bass, added Taylor's playability, and then brought the whole thing up to a new level- just a great guitar.

When I was hunting for my new conquest, a Les Paul style guitar, I was seriously considering the Collings City Limits.  All the reviews I read were stellar, and I almost pulled the trigger, but then, I saw a Don Grosh '59 Spec at Eddie's Guitars.  Although the body shape is a bit strange, it had all the other specs that I wanted.  The Grosh stays true to the LP's 25 3/4" scale length, whereas the Collings is a 24 7/8".  Also, I like the traditional paralellogram fret markers on the '59 Spec.   The other difference is that the Grosh's pickups are a bit more vintage sounding, if only by a hair.

I still think about the Collings all the time, although I am extremely happy with my Grosh.  Both are excellent guitars.  Uh-oh, I feel a GAS attack coming on...

http://www.collingsguitars.com/electrics.html
http://groshguitars.com/