Woah ol pal...I didn't mean to put ya on the spot.  I guess I misinterpreted your saying that you'd never bought a car on being wowed even though you'd been wowed many times...hence, to you, wow factor didn't matter all that much.  Sorry if I got that wrong.  Did like your detailed response tho...lots of good info to think about.  For me tho...and probably because like you I've been handling and playing the dern things so long...it doesn't take me very long to size one up:-)

You didn't my friend! What you did was make me wonder if
others got that same message from what I'd written.
I also thought maybe the car reference was the reason.

The reason I did mention buying an automobile or Harley for that matter
is that compulsive buying is not a good thing in my opinion and getting wowed
we might agree can be exactly the same thing as compulsive buying.
When we start thinking big money, such as a car, the stakes are raised and easily
to understand wow being put on the side plate.
Well to many 5 g's for a guitar is no different. I believe when one  looks at a purchase
for anything for an amount that is considered to them to be a major investment...you
better have that wow factor under control...but just my opinion.

Although I don't believe that Bub was considering a guitar that would cost 5 g's I really
didn't know. Just because he mentioned playing one that I would consider a major purchase I believe he was locked in to Martin in a relative low cost range...wow may be
no problem.

Another thing about "wow"....Mike mentioned a guitar for a couple of hundred that wowed him and we've been referring to guitars that strike us for the feel and sound.
I can understand me being wowed for other reasons....imagine finding a '63 Harmony with
the pickups still working and in great condition but the guitar is trashed....I could buy it
for the pup wow!

All is good I hope myolpal...I may have expanded the field to far because of my interest and
I do apologize if I have.

One more thing....I believe others like you and I that have been holding them for so many
years can pick one up and even though it may not be in great shape we can still have a
blast playing it and enjoying how it effects the licks and feel of our playing...that in itself
is a fantastic wow LOL.

It was very late win I posted...not an excuse if I seemed "on the spot"...but a factor.

Michael
 
The formatting is not mine...don't know why it's like it is and really not my problem to deal with.

It's all cool, ol pal.  Always will be;-)

Someone way up there ^ said it... use your ears.  period.  If it plays acceptably and sounds beautiful to YOUR ears, buy it.

I have played a dozen of the same guitar in the store before, only to find that ONE of sounded "good" to me.  So when ya find it, jump on it!

Any Martin you buy is going to require some breaking in. Their guitars are... "green" when released. Every style of playing will impress a different character on a Martin, as well as the upkeep, strings, and most specifically the type of oils you choose to use on them. The $700 dollar one might have a more... "prominent" sound now, but the top of the line Martin will develop with time and treatment. Im played a $3,800 Martin a few weeks ago. Full body, big neck, fantastic harmonics, but it was dry as a bone and without a personal voice. The off the shelf tonality of an acoustic guitar is just a small reflection of the character it will develop with playing.