Quick update - after torturing the new guitar top in various ways for the one week of ownership, so far, it is starting to open out!
I have played it 2 -3 times per day for approx 1/2 hour to an hour or more, plus an extra few plays on the weekend and a few tunes with fingerpicks to blast it a bit..... I also tuned it down 2 steps for that Lighnin' Hopkins blues thing and played LOW for a day or so but the neck complained a bit and the high E string went pingy on the frets, so tuned it back up to standard and...the sound had definitely changed! Fabulous definition for the blues vocal line notes I was trying just before packing up for the night.....
If it stayed as it is now, soundwise, I would be content! I assume people that play hard with picks won't have the same problem as I do with bare finger picking....
BluesKing777.