Yes, Dick, there has been all this evolution you mention - but I think the resulting variations we now have in different lands should be cherrished as part of a multicultural (rather than globalised/Americansed) world; and, as another, e.g., on that other thread, below, I also mentioned the idea of the European lute having evolved into different guitar-like instruments, in different nations, as a good thing - i.e., mandolin/Italy, bouzouki/Greece, Portuguese guitar/fado, balalaika/Russia, English cittern, etc. You also love our world being multicultural, yes?...