James,
The Black Rust NRP is a pretty heavy guitar if it weighs anything like my Triolian, but The M2 is featherweight! Although my M2 is no substitute for a metal body, it still has a great reso tone and it really is a pleasure to play
Mine is set up for fingerstyle with a compensated bridge and slightly lighter strings.
I'm not a fan of shiney guitars either! I remember performing with a Johnson chrome-bodied brass resonator in a darkened theater and I hated when it would shine in peoples faces. It was that Johnson though that got me into playing Nationals. I had it renecked, and replaced both the cone and the biscuit. It turned out to be a fantastic instrument that I still own and use to record with, but it's like a toy compared to the build feel of the Nationals!
Dan