Burke, Right point, wrong words. In the US, "middle class" is so broad as to be almost meaningless and generally refers strictly to economic status. I know a number of middle classers who would think the guitar execrable and an equal number who would think it beautiful. The distinction is more a "highbrow/lowbrow" thing where we distinguish the preferences of "the masses" from those of an aesthetic elite.

Bert,In spite of its "sponsorship" and ownership by a company, I think the guitar is a work of folk art if viewed in light of the implicit aesthetic criteria it satisfies.