Elixer is the only brand of acoustic strings I'll use--they're expensive and feel alien for a couple days, but their coating makes them last forever (months) and keeps them from tearing into your fingers.

The coating is only on the round-wound strings, usually I'll buy one full set of elixers and then several replacements for the E & B strings--they get changed when they get rough and the elixer's keep singing.

As for suggestions: It's not an acoustic/electric but the Washburn D-10S has an awesome sound for it's price range, you could buy a drop-in pickup and still leave the store ahead (if you like it).