Yep, it's a journey. After years of 'entry level' guitars, then learning how to upgrade them (tuning pegs, pots, pickups, circuit mods, etc...), I made the mistake of playing a PRS McCarty Brazilian. I immediately "got it", understood that there was more to a great guitar than just the way it sounds. Up to that point, I never really thought much about the playability of a guitar. I knew the benefits of a good setup and that there were certain things I didn't want, like fret buzz, and certain things I preferred, like neck profiles and nut width, but I never really thought that a more expensive guitar could play any better than any other properly setup guitar- it was eye opening.