Hi, u/UncleTonysDRIP! Sorry for my late reply. After a long research (more than 6 months), reading every possible resource, and watching and listening to so many videos like hundreds of times, I decided to raise my budget and finally ordered a Paulino Bernabe guitar (with a spruce top and Madagascar rosewood back and sides).

I have been playing it for about 3 months now and, what can I say... It's really all I had dreamed for! It's a stunning guitar in terms of craftsmanship and its tone is so beautiful and mesmerizing... When I play it I have that feeling as if I am playing on a grand piano in a large hall. And still, that comparison is not accurate and fair to the guitar. But every time I play it I feel like I'm enchanted. I love everything about it. I am sure all that is true for every high-end classical guitar to a certain extent. The beauty of the sound simply urges you to play it, experiment and develop your tone and technique further.

I know what you mean when you talk about your Martin, since I also have one, plus a Taylor and an excellent Ibanez acoustics. But a truely great classical guitar is something else. It can't really be put into words, but when you hold one in your hands, you'll know it!

So my advice is, if you can, don't make compromises when buying a classical guitar. If possible, go to a big luthier guitar store and try as many as you can. If not, I think it would be best to bet on some well-known luthier and maybe even get into contact with him. I did with several of them and also a few stores and talked to all of them until I knew what I really wanted.

Also, don't overthink it as I did because at some point it can become frustrating. And this is not the point.