Hi,
Coles 4038, railroad tracks, tutti fermata, ds al coda, at 2nd ending purchase a 2nd 4038, cadenza, fade to silence. I wish I could be as concise in my recommendation as the others but I'll just go ahead and gush gush gush...
Given your current mic collection, and the fact that budget is not an issue, damn the torpedoes and rationalizing, dive in on a pair of 4038s and feel good about your first ribbons. It's impossible to go far wrong and more often than not you will be emotionally devastated in the best possible sense. They will the provide the versatility and warmth you are seeking.
I believe I've had great fortune with them in singles and pairs on a variety of sources, including gentle vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, burning synthesizer overdubs... horns, singly or in groups, mono or stereo... drums, place a 4038 nearly anywhere in the room and enjoy... the list goes on. For a singing acoustic player, point a 4038 at the voice, point the null at the 12th fret, put a cardioid condenser somewhere close to the acoustic... can be an instant classic. That's to my taste.
When the sound is close but not quite working, at the point where others may consider putting up another microphone, I rotate it a bit, or move it around, or place it in a corner with some soft fabric behind it, or talk with the player, or change something about the instrument, or try some EQ or compression, etc. That's my preferred working method and I think of it as a musical strategy rather than as a limitation. You might find like I have that your desire to check out other ribbons will subside. With the right musician, instrument, & room, the Coles can capture sound at a distance of 4 feet or more in a way that I never quite believed was possible for me to personally achieve until it went down for real.
The people I record have *never* clamored for me to put up a different ribbon "flavor". That is for certain. And I don't think that way either. The musicians hear the sound and nod in agreement... or we decide the sound demands a change in microphone. I make a condenser choice and repeat the strategy.
I didn't start with the Coles, I started with an AEA R84, had plenty of exposure to a Royer SF-24, a Royer R121, Beyer M160. Once I got my first 4038 I felt like I finally got the message regarding ribbons. Everything else in my ribbon world to date is now heard in comparison to the 4038. The other mics I mentioned above are very respectable microphones and have their fantastic moments. But for me the 4038 is in a class of its own. I would *love* to have a pair of Beyer M160s in my collection ... they have their own unique cool thing going on. But the M160 is not a "mic collection foundation" contender in my opinion.
I haven't tried the AEA-R44. If Terry recommends it I'm sure it's another safe bet. For the same amount of money you could get two 4038s which I think would give you more play than a single mic. I personally like having microphones in multiples of two.