After an exhaustive search for a high-end acoustic--I played everything from Gibsons, Martins, Taylors, Breedloves, et.al.--I discovered a Lakewood M-38 soft cutaway. I bought it on the spot. This instrument was clearly built for music, a mission explicitly articulated in its appearance (no pearl inlaid dancing lawn gnomes or exotic tiki ceremonial waterpipe wood veneers), its playability (the action is just right--not so light that you lose expressiveness, but not so heavy that you feel compelled to hitchhike to the crossroads), and most importantly its tone (balance and timbre up and down the fretboard, and plenty of punch when you want it). Best $2500 I ever spent (even including that swedish woman from my military days)