"I mean, is it in the country air, the water, the beer ... what the heck."

olddude, I have just viewed Roger McGuinn's 'Guide to Home Recording on a Computer.' I believe that the reason country singers' guitars sound so good is that someone has doubled the tracks, added reverb, removed errors, etc.

In other words, they sound good because they're fake. Get a hat if you wish, but don't quit playing because you don't sound like the celebrities.