I've had quite a few, Martin, Patrick Eggle, Gibsons, Yamaha, Guild, and now have two keepers. I must add, like you, Im self taught, and probably pretty rubbish in comparison to a real guitar player, but I get by, so ease of playing has also been important to me as sound.
Taylors, while absolutely beautiful to look at are far more high pitched and trebbly than a nice sounding guitar should ever could be. I wanted to like them so much, but they just sounded harsh, there was never any body in them. My brother has a Taylor and still records with it today, but never my bag. I want a guitar to sound like wood, not glass.
I had a couple of Martin D18's, specifically the 2012, which was the year they changed the bracing and made it a special guitar. Wonderful instrument, you could almost feel and smell the deep south wood and open fires in its tone. A lot more top and middle than mid.
Then I picked up a Gibson J45 and Hummingbird, at first the standard J45 and Hummingbird sounded terrible, compared to the Martin they felt empty, soul-less. Next came the Vintage versions of those and the whole world opened up to the sound I had been searching for all my life. Hence to say, I sold every other acoustic to pay for them both, and I doubt I'll ever change them. The J45 Vintage with the aged wood is just a marvel of what a 45 from the 40's sounds like (but without the 15k+ pricetag).
The J45 gives a real deep low down thud, its the guitar you play to let all of your demons out and let your soul be free. Set it up with a set of MArtin Vintage strings, and it sounds like its 60 years old.
The Hummingbird Vintage is sweet like Tennessee whiskey, a midrange silk and tinkly highs and oodles of low drawn out bottom end. Its the guitar you play where everything sounds amazing.
Needless to say, it has to be the Vintage versions of the these guitars, the standard ones, sounded terrible, and as ever with Gibsons QC, you have the find the right one. GAK in Brighton ordered me no less than 5 J45's till the 'ONE' turned up. The Hummingbird Vintage however was perfect on the first one, and from Amazon randomly when they made a pricing error, and I picked up a 3k guitar for £1300. That was a day of joy
If you need the wider string spacing have a look at the Martin D18 and D28 Golden Era reissues, they have the wider fretboard like the originals, the 2012 models had the thinner performance neck (easier to play though).
I think for my Dreadnoughts are where my sound is at, but I do like a GA/GC body. Being more of a finger picker these days a parlour guitar would probably work better, but I like versatility, I want a guitar that can do everything from fill a room with some bid chords to be gentle and quiet with picking, the J45 Vintage does just that. It's the guitar I'd keep over everything else and the one I protect with my life.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=122740439363
If you're wanting something more on the budget side of things, Ibanez have released some new acoustics using the thermally adged wood process, Ive yet to play any but friends have and they have been really rated.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ibanez-AVD10-BVS-Artwood-Vintage-Dreadnought-Acoustic-Guitar/232255717047?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l9372
Picture is left to right, J45 True Vintage 2012, J45 Vintage 2016, Hummingbird Vintage 2016, D18 2012
