Lovely story by Duck Baker, transcribed from a local concert held a couple of years ago, while he was tuning my Martin (and before playing a lovely version of The Blackbird):
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"Now, the difference between this guitar and the one that I've been playing - the one that I've been playing up until now is a Spanish, flamenco-style guitar. And this is a steel-string, acoustic, flat-top guitar. And the difference between the nylon strings and the steel strings is very important to a lot of people - most of whom don't play the guitar. I remember, for instance, the first time I came to this country, I was being interviewed by one of the very famous folk critics in London.

So of course I felt very honored to be in the room with him and everything. And almost the first question he asked me, he said, 'Duck, do you mind telling me what you think you're doing, playing traditional American music with that Spanish, nylon-strung guitar?'

I said, 'Well, I don't know, I mean I come from Virginia. People there are pretty ignorant. I thought if it sounded good it was all right.'

He said, 'No. No. If you want to be authentic, you have to get an American, steel-string guitar.'

So when I got home, of course, I told everyone if they wanted to know anything about how to play American music, they should go to London. People would tell them. And now that I've got a nice American steel-string guitar, I'd like to play you an Irish tune!"