"Don't look at the labels, don't look at the pricetags, don't look at the decoration or inlays, do it blindfold if you must - just play and listen, and remember that a good guitar tech can fix most playability problems."

Amen to that.

And another good principle is "Don't be put off by other peoples' criticism of a brand of instrument to which you're attracted, and of which you enjoy the sound and playability". Their criticism can frequently be shown to be based on nothing other than rumours and/or The Green-Eyed Monster.