Nah, it's just physics really. If you're making an instrument that's traditionally made of wood, and the sound of wood is your cultural reference point, then th

Nah, it's just physics really. If you're making an instrument that's traditionally made of wood, and the sound of wood is your cultural reference point, then the plastic/<$SYNTHETIC_MATERIAL> version is not going to sound as good. It may even sound fine in it's own right, out of context, but it'll almost never be 'the same' as wood. I think that's really the heart of the issue. EDIT: actually, on the expense issue, these days manufacturing of musical instruments has gotten so good (especially in the east), that the cost of making a 'good' instrument has fallen through the floor. Today we can get perfectly usable (or even very nice) instruments at prices that would make musicians of yesteryear weep.