Rule of thumb when buying an acoustic, or any guitar for that matter. Always remember that you're buying a guitar, not wood. How it sounds matter far more than what wood is used or what grade of wood used. Because a well-made laminate can sound much better than a poorly-constructed solid top.
Now that we've that outta the way, let's see what other things there are to take note of.
Among the three; top, sides, and back, the top is probably the main thing, followed by the other two.
Common tonewoods for the top are the various forms of spruce and cedar, etc.
Common tonewoods for sides and backs are mahogany, zebrawood, basswood, maple, zebrawood, etc.
If you've the money the spare, get a guitar with a solid top. Solid tops mature with age and they sound richer, warmer and more dynamic as compared to laminated tops.
If you've even more mollah, a full solid'd be the way to go.
Get something with good tuner-heads as well, those el cheapo kinds really cannot make it.
You can check out the various brands out there, Takamine, Yamaha, Fina, Maestro, etc. My pick'd be a Maestro, no surprise there, but don't take my word for it. Go try them out for yourself and bear the first rule in mind!
