Ah the guitar....

My view as to the shape is this: so that females can play it more easily.....(I'll let you guys think about that.)

And Mick Lowe, your metaphor re the guitar being the musical equivalent of a beautiful woman aroused me BIG TIME! It also made me think of The Saw Doctors song "D'ya Wanna Hear My Guitar?" (Songs From Sun Street cd). I quote the pertinent lines:

You can take it in your hands a while
You have it now, that's the style
Between the finger and the thumb
A gentle steady strum,
See I told ya loveen,
It's not that hard.
D'ya wanna play my guitar?
D'ya know what I mean Martina?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Now I don't play the guitar (I play flute)...but I do love to hear it! It is a great instrument, and like with any instrument, the better the quality you can afford, the happier you will be with the sound as you learn.

Mary Kate