Jim is a close friend of my fathers, and I have played many of his guitars, as well as recording a few of them. They always sound good, period. He also (and this is more important) has some of the nicest workmanship of anybody building right now. Whether or not you like his guitars sound, you can not fault his work.
The idea of saying a particular builder’s guitar is best for recording is ridiculous. It completely misses most of the issues (if not all) involved in making a guitar sound good for recording. What kind of back and side wood, or top wood, would be a better question (Mahogany seems to work best for me. Don't ever make the mistake of thinking of mahogany as a "budget" wood, it is not). Also of importance is bracing pattern, though I think it is more a question of color than better or best (I have an amazing little ladder braced guitar I use a lot for leads, because it has a bright, punchy sound which cuts through my rather thick guitar arrangements very nicely). Asking about builders also doesn't take into account the size of the guitar (most builders make a number of sizes), the scale length (which I think makes a bigger difference than anybody in the luthier community really acknowledges), or plywood verses solid wood (solid always sounds better) or price range. I don't mean to be a prick, but it is really not a question that is helpful.
That being said, the best way to find the right guitar for you has never changed. Play a bunch of guitars until you find the one you like. The best part is, you get to spend your Saturdays at a guitar store playing. What could possibly be more fun than that?
And if you do decide to get one of Jim's (Olsen) guitars, good luck. His waiting list is two years, and his base price is $12,500. They are worth it, but it sure is a lot of money.
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"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
