Wheew, quite abit of info on this thread. Might be intimidating to newbies =)

I've got a solid Cedar topped Takamine laminated nato sides, which I felt sounded great when I bought it. Lot of top end & nice chime-y trebles. Slightly less on the mids & bass, but disappointingly lacking. But 3 years later.. I'm much less impressed. I feel it has lost some body, as well as a little high end sparkle. Low end is much less resonant, and overall it feels like it's lost depth. Doesn't seem to have mellowed out nicely as some 10 year Yamaha's I've tried.

Am not sure if Cedar doesn't age well, or whether my ears have changed. Or might it be that guitar just needs to be maintained better? Ie wipe down with proper oils, etc? I use D'addario PB 12's, condition the strings and fretboard every so often, and keep guitar in padded case indoors. Anyone have comments/experience with Cedar tops to share?

Also - does anyone here own/have any experience with Faith guitars? Have been looking & trying them out their full solid spruce's. Seem nice, but am not entirely convinced yet.

Thanks bro. I play casually. Sometimes every couple of days, sometimes once or twice a month. Whenever am free. Still too much to learn, not enough time.

It seems to be. At it's best, the trebles strike out to me more than the bass. But that's my inexperienced ear talking. Maybe it's actually ok. Perhaps will send to a tech to have a look over.

Short of buying a dehumidifier, can you recommend any "best practices" to keeping an acoustic in good condition? Should i be oiling/polishing the wood every so often (which I don't do)? Or is a "keep in the case, have it maintained once a year" a good enough practice?

Designer guitar meaning? More fashion than quality?