Many thanks for your post, Michael. After reading it and pondering some of what you have said, I thought I'd throw in two or three cents' worth.

It occurs to me that there is a slightly different perspective on guitars and guitarists in sessions in the States than in Ireland. Many Americans who play Irish music were not brought up in the tradition. My own route to Irish music is probably not atypical: folk-rock to bluegrass to old-time to Irish. Many of us started out playing something else and fell in love with Irish music. Most importantly, we started out playing types of music where the guitar was a major element. It's hard to imagine bluegrass or old-time music without a hard-driving rhythm guitar. The guitar may have only been part of Irish music for fifty years, but it's been part of American folk music much longer. I think it is natural for Americans who have developed a passion for Irish music to have imported the American afinity for rhythm guitar into their sessions.

Personally, when I play guitar at our sessions, I approach it with the same attitude as if I were playing in a bluegrass band. It's all about two things: playing in tune and playing in time. My job is not to be fancy, but to be solid.

And as far as volume goes, if my J-45 can drown out three fiddles, a concertina, a banjo and an accordian, then the fuckers just aren't playing loudly enough!

Bruce