A rosette by any other name...

Seriously, our motivations in choosing an instrument DO go beyond the simple "which one sounds better?" test. We evaluate instruments primarily in terms of sound and playability, but it's not a simple thumbs up or thumbs down evaluation. With respect to sound, the question is what quality of sound you're looking for. Do you play bluegrass runs that should have a lot of single-note punch? Do you play delicate fingerstyle set-pieces that benefit from a piano-like or chimey harpsichord sound? Do you primarily strum chords to back up your singing voice, so that you want something that sounds smooth and rhythmic but without too much presence in the individual notes? Do you play solo (covering the whole tonal spectrum yourself) or with other instruments (like bass) that you want to avoid interfering with? How many of these types of playing do you want to use one guitar for, and what compromises are you willing to make in the interest of versatility? If you're getting ready to drop a couple thousand dollars on a guitar, these and other questions are worth asking. Also worth asking are questions about playability -- do you want low or high action, a big or small body, deep or shallow, tight-waisted or not? It matters.

As for cosmetics, lots of people pretend not to care, but in my experience most do. Ornate vs. understated, sleek and glossy vs. worn-in, etc. -- this matters to people. And again, if you're getting ready to shell out serious money, you may as well get what you want.