leeneia says
"I think that this kind of playing has its place, but people who love their guitars should realize that the instrument is diminished in the process."

The job of any instrument in a group is to provide what is needed, and whatb it is best suited to provide.

Played with a bunch of other musicians in an Irish session, a guitar is best seen (I feel) as a percussion instrument, a bodhran with strings. If it tries to take over and show off, it wrecks the balance - just as can happen with bodhran players who show off too much, even when they are brilliant.

And this in no way "diminishes" the instrument. Even in an Irish session there are opportunities to play the guitar in different ways which may be more demanding and bring out different aspects of then intrument. What matters is the music, not the admiring glances at the skill of the musicians. Though it's nice to get them, if you deserve them. (It's even nice to get them when you don't, but have just been playing something three times as fast as it should be played to cover up the odd mistake.)