By the way, while I love my Larrivee, and have been very impressed with Santa Cruz and several other fine instrument makers, I am a huge Martin fan. They have certainly earned a reputation for excellence over the years.

There is one equalizing factor though, for all of these guitars and it has been hinted at several times by comments made in this (and other) threads. An acoutsic instrument that is used in performance must have
1) good electronics (and sometimes the best guitars sound no better than middling guitars through even the best pickups) and
2) it must be able resilient to the rigors of the performance life.

These two factors often make performers choose Taylor (fine electronics, quality workmanship, great necks, comparatively low price) over Martin, Larrivee or any of the higher priced axes.