I finally have (just about) the equipment I'm happy with for recording my stuff.  The final bits for me were two items bought on a whim, as it were... One was a reasonably priced condenser microphone, but the other was the Zoon R16 multi-track recorder which is fabulous, and I expect will be used from here on (until something better comes along!).
The info page is here . Has anyone else got one?
Ok, ok, I know the mic pre-amps are not brilliant - but they're not so bad either!

I had a Yamaha AW16g standalone recorder for a few years. I think the main Benefit is there is no latency at all, it's portable, compact, and great for those that like hands on physical recording.
You could always get a quality mic pre amp to support the onboard pre-amps. I have an Art Gold Tube pre amp - superb for vocals and acoustic guitar - would suit your style down to the ground. It has a tube boost (blue tube), which sounds awesome on vocals and acoustic instruments. You can't beat the real deal, better than any plug-in, so long as you are prepared to experiment with the kit, it's half the fun I think.