Favorite instrument? Can there be only one? I like small old guitars, mostly Gibson, because they're better balanced than the larger (dreadnought) models, and are therefore, among other qualities, much easier to amplify and to record. My 1933 Gibson L-OO is, to my mind, the best-sounding guitar I've ever heard---good for any style of music that I've tried on it, which covers a lot of ground. Every note plays at the same volume (with good strings). To Steve from Wisconsin, good luck finding a pianolin. The most information I've ever seem about them is in the liner notes to the Washington Philips album on Yazoo Records. He was a preacher who recorded religious songs of his own composition, many of them gems, in the 20's and 30's. About the relative merits of old instruments, I can tell you this about the wood. As wood resin dries, which takes about fifty years give or take, to complete, you are left with thousands of hollow tubes (wood cells), each of which will resonate like an organ pipe. Regarding whether the instrument is played a lot or not, if that does make a difference (I believe it does), it probably has to do with the joints vibrating solidly into place on a well-made instrument, as well as the maturation of the wood and the finish (and the relationships therein), which is why you should never never refinish a fine instrument unless there is no way around it. Interesting subject. Of course there is no "best guitar" or any other instrument. It's good if you like the way it sounds, regardless of value. If you're trying to emulate the sound of some of the old blues and country players, though, it probably doesn't make sense to try to do it on an expensive instrument, since they generally didn't have them. Looking forward to more messages.

Chet W.