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rletson -> RE: What's the deal with steel string guitars? (Jun. 18 2013 18:57:00)
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Assuming that this is a serious rather than mischievous question (and arriving a day late and a dollar short)--
Duh.
I admit to being a bit of a dabbler, but at least I'm a long-distance dabbler, and over fifty-plus years have played steel-string flat-tops, classicals, and acoustic archtops. Each class of instrument has its charms and strengths and associated musical traditions (many of which I have visited, however touristically), and I would not identify any of them as the "true" guitar. Even an historical view fails to locate the One True Guitar beyond identifying a family tree with spreading branches.
Of course, there's no accounting for taste, particularly in primal matters such as what sounds (or flavors or colors or shapes) one finds immediately satisfying. Myself, I can't abide melon of any kind. My wife loves 'em. There it is. And a jazz guitarist of my acquaintance finds much violin playing too harsh-sounding--including that of Stephane Grappelli. Go figure. But they're his ears. I feel the same way about Rob Zombie.
That said, many people find sensual satisfaction in, say, slack key guitar, a primarily steel-string tradition. (Listen to Ray Kane or Sonny Chillingworth or Led Kaapana). Or in the work of Michael Hedges (whose sound was often heavily processed). Or Ry Cooder. Or Django Reinhardt (even through the bandpass filter of 78 recordings). And so on into the night.
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