Satin guitars in my opinion age quicker (in a good way) than a gloss guitar. (Tops naturally brown quicker and they sound "drier" and "woodier" straight off the bat whereas gloss guitars start to look and sound like this over a longer period of time).

Having said that, I do like a nice gloss finish on a guitar.

I like both Satin and gloss guitars and own both. I slightly prefer Satin over gloss finished so Satin is definitely not a deal breaker. Interestingly, my Yamaha FS5 has a Semi-gloss finished. It is smooth to the touch but doesn’t leave ugly smudges to be cleaned after playing. If I had to vote, a Semi-gloss would be my favourite guitar top surface. Btw, the Taylor K24CE Builder’s Edition and some other models use Semi-glossed finish too.

Gloss body, satin neck. Thats how I roll.

I love when the satin shines to gloss from playing

That's odd, I found my gloss guitar much squeakier than the satin ones, especially if the side rubbed against the couch.

I own both and like both. I prefer satin for live play - it's more comfortable and won't blind the audience by reflecting stage lights. It's also generally easier to care for as you don't have to constantly polish out the fingerprints. Gloss is prettier. The only functional bonus to gloss is it's quieter on your clothing so for recording it's better.

The funny thing is that when it comes to physical contact with your forearm, both suck. The gloss finish will inevitably get cloudy over time and the satin will get shiny over time! And you can't stop or fix either!!

For whatever reason, people keep saying that. It is actually easy to fix either in less than 15 minutes.

One thing nobody has mentioned here is stability. I prefer high gloss (neck & body) because it stays that way, at least in my hands. The difference between satin & gloss is buffing. Satin is fine when new, but at the points of body contact, the constant friction serves as a buffer, and those higher contact areas get glossy after awhile. You end up with a satin finish with shiny spots all over it. It reflects light oddly on the body, (looks dirty), & on the neck creates different "feel" points, & when sliding up & down the neck, creates the feeling of "dirty" spots, & unevenness. Everyone's body chemistry is different, but for me satin doesn't work.
Steve

Details, please.

Inevitable? I've played guitar for over 40 years, mostly professionally, stage, studio, club, home....I don't have one, and have never had a cloudy gloss guitar. I also own, have owned, and have played many pre-war, post-war and no-war guitars (so anywhere from 100 years old to new) without the "inevitable" cloudiness. This is how internet ...hooey...gets started and perpetuated.

Agreed. Cloudiness is not an inherent characteristic of a gloss finish. Some finish types do deteriorate over time (nitro lacquer) and others can last indefinitely (shellac) - neither are a byproduct of the sheen of the finish. Nitro often gets cloudy where the forearm hits the soundboard due to sweat - some individuals have perspiration that damages the nitro and others don't.

I believe Methos is referring to the top of the lower bout, where your arm hangs over. For many, this area gets cloudy & dull.
Steve

I was able to cause a noticeable top of the lower bout cloudiness on my new OM-21 within 10 days of purchase and it remains - I’ve heard naphtha is able to restore the finish but I have yet to find this product at the local hardware store.

Lighter fluid, sold in many locations, is naphtha.

If the cloudiness is due to dirt/grime, then the naphtha will likely help. If it is due to chemical attack of the finish, caused by sweat chemistry, for example, it probably won't do much. If it is due to mechanical wear, the naphtha also isn't likely to do much.

Thanks - it was caused by sweat - I’ll take it to my tech - he’ll be able to buff it out.