David Grier or Bryan Sutton or any of the newer super pickers are every bit as creative and spectacular as any soloist today - but - you won't know it, because a flattop just can't generate the volume, so it becomes an apologetic contribution, unless you are in the studio, or on a super-tweaked stage. Dan Crary might be about as progressive as I was interested in pursuing - mostly because for a TR approach to work, you really need a band format to back you up, and the scourge of flatpicking, is trying to compete on an equal level with banjos, fiddles, and dobros just on shear volume. I tend to like more subtle variations, and step back from the TR approach. Tony Rice was probably the first really progressive flatpicker to do it on a grand scale, but Doc Watson and Norman Blake were certainly ahead, with maybe less dramatic variations. Around the 1960's, some standout pickers got into the improvising aspect of picking, so that you augment or change around the tune like variations, similar to solo's in the tele world. Not too different from a lot of country and rock, and in fact probably the basis for most familiar tune structures we know as telecaster fans. Its a melody that usually has an A and B part. The root fiddle tune is like a "head" in jazz. I was very interested because a friend of mine who repairs guitars spoke very highly of their construction so that did have an influence, but I was still kind of smitten with the Martin idea.Another thing to add, flatpicking is an extension of fiddle tunes, being tunes collected thru the ages that survive based on generational culling. Personally I wasn't really decided on Taylor when I bought mine. Not to imply that Martin ever had that kind of an issue with quality, but I've played a couple of Martins from that era that totally failed to do anything for me. When the Japanese started making really good cruisers all of a sudden Harleys stopped leaving a trail of oil and parts along the highway. Martin has some pretty stiff company on that shelf now, truth be told, and ironically I think probably Martin is the best it's been in modern times due to the upstarts. But, it's not nearly so lonely on that top shelf these days.
Attitudes are funny, aren't they? Martin is certainly capable of making a great guitar, they're still on the top shelf as far as manufacturers go.
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