These days with pressure seasoning (and measuring) coupled with laser cutting and decent glues, many of the £100 to £300 brand new big names made under licence in Chinese OEM factories are wonderful. I’d put my Alvarez ARD70 (cost £350 new) against my Terry Pack (£1500 new) any day of the week.

I’d say the best guitar for the U.K. folk clubs should have the following qualities;

It will pick up the occasional dink and scratch. Don’t take your mint condition Santa Cruz.

The neck must be comfortable for your style. If you pick and strum as well, a dread’ should have the volume for the picking and not get boomy when strumming although that’s subjective. Jumbos do that but get in the way when I stand up to go to the bar..,

If you use alternative tunings, you are already accomplished enough to put thought into your choice.

Me? Whilst I have a fair number of guitars, for popping out to folk clubs I tend to use whichever is behaving... But if I am at a festival with a backpack soft case and busy singarounds to squeeze into, I bought a cheap and cheerful Sigma GME for £200 new the other year. It is based on a Martin OM, is small but rather loud and the build materials mean it stays in tune between warm humid pubs and cold dry walking between. (I have used it on stage too for the “in tune” qualities and plugged in, it may as well be what it pretends to look like.)