The real influence, I think everyone is forgetting, was the popularity of Burl Ives from 1940s onwards {+ Josh White also, to a degree} — the post above who sez not ubiquitous in 50s has it wrong — it was very much so by then — certainly by time the skiffle thing took off 1954·5-ish with Lonnie Donnegan, Chas McDevitt & Nancy Whiskey, Henry Morris et al. The espresso coffee bars were coincidentally opening up all over at the time too, each with its guitarist — one of whom, ex-merchant·seaman Tommy Hicks, got discovered & launched as Tommy Steele, England's answer to Elvis. Guitars were absolutely an indispensable part of the landscape by 1952, when Rory & Alex McEwen were at it also — Rory was my contemporary at Cambridge 1952-5, founding the University folk club, the St Lawrence, with Leon Rosselson, & singing the cabaret at the Downing College May Ball 1953 and the Cambridge Union Society Ball 1954, both of which I was at {I had friends at Downing tho my own college was Christ's}.. Guitars were everywhere in Cambridge by then.