Alice said. I think it is silly to try to be "purist" about it, because ensemble sessions themselves are not even old enough to be traditional, even though the group may be playing old tunes.

It would indeed be silly to be "purist" about it, even if sessions were as 'old as toes'. Tradition to me is to continue and add to do something as it is, not to try and do somrthing as it was. In musical terms the word is a contradiction anyway for music making and sessions in particular are entirely about 'that' moment.

It is less about the guitar or any other instrument, but more about the way it is played. Any instrument played insensitivly will be a problem and guitar players new to Irish tunes, who think that it is just about 3 chords in D, are likely to fall into this category.

An good example of making the guitar sound an important part of the whole thing can be found on 'the merry sisters of fate' by Lunasa on Green Linnet. The guitar playing is up-front and vital to the whole CD.

Having said that, as a guitar player of many years, I prefer to play the bouzouki, rather than the guitar at sessions. I prefer less string courses, if not less strings, and a more open sound.

I am also in the minimist school, and favour less rather than more chords, but some players can make many chords sound good. Some however tend to make it sound like they are trying to fit as many chords in as they can, and for that reason and are possibly playing to look good and impress other guitar players, rather than to add to the music.

It is also nice, not to hear any guitar or bouzouki playing and just to hear the melody and percussion for a time. Or indeed for everyone to stop and listen to the guitar carrying the melody........

It is amazing how one person's style can influence a whole community, and become in effect the tradition. Peerie Willie's (jazz) style was and probably is still now, the way it is done in Shetland.