AD17, AD317, GTe ??? Help me decide

[horax]

Hey guys,
I've been palying a GC3 for years...love it, but it doesn't grab me much anymore.
I've beeen playing my 114e prototype for about a year and like it more than my gc3.

My daughter wants to buy the GC3, and I love that. She loves the guitar (she's small and I'm 6'3" 245 bodybuilder)....so it fits her better.
To me, when I play it it sound muffled to my ear.

I want something more clear and robust, but don't want to spend a lot of $.

I'm considering one of hte following and want to know your opinions:
1) AD17
2) AD317
3) GT urban ash

I know the GT is smaller, but when I played a GS Mini, I was impressed with the sound quality and volume...I'm assuming this is similar to that.
I've never had the chance to play an AD, but I think the AD17 is hte same as the AD 317 but with a different back wood, no inlays, and eucalyptus vs ebony.
I prefer Ovangkol to Sapele, actually, so perhaps the AD17 is the way to go?

What are your thoughts?  Is the AD17 or GTe more bang for the buck, and which do you like and why?
Are my thoughts on the AD17 and AD317 way off?

[Strumming Fool]

I think that the Grand Pacific shape would fit you very well and will provide a robust, balanced tone. Like you, I prefer ovangkol over sapele, as ovangkol is a more versatile tonewood than sapele in my experience.  So my vote goes to the AD17. Happy hunting!

[themissal]

I played the AD17 and AD27 yesterday at a dealer in New Jersey. The AD17 just wowed me. I am not a "Taylor Guy" historically; my main guitar is a 2012 Gibson J45-TV. 

The AD27 sounded kind of dull, but then again the strings were clearly older on the model I played. The AD17 meanwhile was crisp and strummed beautifully. The  neck is effortless and while the guitar is long scale, it played like a short scale. The satin finish spruce top was gorgeous... a wide grain beautiful  piece of wood, and the back and sides had this dark contrasting stain that popped. I was very very impressed with the AD17. It sounded  lush and  real pretty with soft to medium strumming , finger picking, and even flat picking. If you have a heavy right hand though, you might do better to look at a Martin D-18 or such; the AD17 will break up a bit. In terms of value, I think the model is a standout.

For some  reason there is a lot of inventory everywhere, and unlike some other guitars, dealers will discount this model. It's $1599 before tax, ,but I expect a number closer to $1450 or better is achievable. You get decent electronics, a visually beautiful package, and a real sweet tone that is a nice middle-of-the-road guitar that covers a lot of bases.