Thanks for the recommendations all, I’ll be sure to check out The Strawbs and the others in this thread.
It’s funny you should mention them because while IMO they aren’t an answer to the OP per se, a few years ago I did check them out and what I heard (I don’t recall which tracks) seemed to have some good ideas that took at least twice as long to develop as could keep my interest. Could you recommend some Hawkwind that you’d consider fairly accessible?
Most Hawkwind songs are long and trippy, some are short and weird. There’s a song called “Flying Doctor” where I swear they say the phrase “cabinet key” about 30 times in a row. Here’s a few links, be your own judge:
Studio:
Hawkwind - Master of the Universe - YouTubeGentle Giant (The Power and the Glory)
Roy Harper
Daevid Allen
String Driven Thing
Gandalf
Fruup
Check out “Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys” and the follow up: “Son of Rogues Gallery”, these are modern version of sea-related. Some weird, some psychedelic, some folk.
Did I miss someone say Renaissance? Seems an obvious choice. Folk prog with one of the most amazing voices in rock.
Blodwyn Pig
Well, the OP specifically cited “guitar solos” as a desired trait. Somehow I don’t think Jon Camp’s bass is going to cut it.
The early Renaissance with Keith and Jane Relf might be a BIT closer to the folk/hard rock blend being sought. The more popular edition with Annie Haslam was much mellower.
Have a listen to T2 doing their song Morning, from 1970. It should scratch that itch, but good. The whole album is just crazy great.
Also check out Swaddling Songs by Mellow Candle (also from 1970).
Oh, and Jug Of Love, by Mighty Baby (1971). Its solos are much more jammy/Dead-like.
Bill Fay, Time Of The Last Persecution you might enjoy as well.
Caedmon, Caedmon from 1978 has this in spades.
And it’s not actually English, but check out Schmetterling by Broselmaschine (the whole album, really). The rhythmic acoustic shredding starting at 5:25 on this 1971 classic is :eek:. (Based partially around the trad song “She Moved Through The Fair”, which Davey Graham renewed and Led Zeppelin later, err, retitled “White Summer”).
Those should be a pretty good jumping off point, along with Woods Band, Trees (“Polly On The Shore,”) C.O.B, Mark Fry “Dreaming Of Alice”, Jan Dukes De Grey, Spirogyra (not the lite jazz group)…
There’s also Blackmore’s Night. They’re a lot more medieval folk than rock, but Ritchie has been known to pull out his Strat from time to time: Black Night. Man, that guy can play.
This. Any album, except, perhaps, “Henry the Human Fly.” “Hand of Kindness” is a great album, opening with the amazing “Tear Stained Letter” and closing with the almost as awesome “Two Left Feet.”
More keyboards than guitar- but Long John Baldry
Intro: Conditional Discharge/ Don’t Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock & Roll
Camel Lady Fantasy
Depends on what Tull you are meaning.
There’s the tull of the 60’s-70s. Aqualung, Heavy Horses etc, folk, flute and guitars, but mostly folk.
The tull of the 80’s electronica, guitar and some flute. More rock.
If violins are a good substitute for guitars, The Oyster Band are a very good band. Gong is more jazz and Psychodelia. Thin Lizzy can be very rocky, folky and psychodelic at points and certainly doesn’t lack on guitar. King Crimson might hit the definition sometimes, but a lot of experimental from what I’ve heard (not a big fan). Levellers might well work too, but more straight folk rock without Psychodelia.
I dunno if they fit the criteria but you should listen to the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band anyway because they’re awesome. Also very silly, but the music is good.
You have already had Deep Purple and Ritchie Blackmore suggested but I will suggest the first few Rainbow albums while they had the late, great Ronnie James Dio on vocals.
Also check out Magnum. I’d suggest starting with the album Chase the Dragon.
TCMF-2L
Pretty much anything from John Cale’s solo career would meet the OP’s description with its blend of sounds. Also in that vein is found Kevin Ayers, who made a clever ditty titled “Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes.”
Look for Richard Thompson’s earlier work i.e. Richard and Linda Thompson. Guitar solos especially on “Walking on a Wire” from the “Shoot out the Lights” album. Opening track on “Henry the Human Fly” is some of the best guitar work, “Roll Over Vaughn Williams”. Sounds like two people playing but it’s just him. Should be easy to find on YouTube etc.
Another update and damnation: screw everyone here who recommended stuff that I can’t buy on MPs, I hate to become not only an emo’posthardcore hipster but a turn of the 70s psych/folk rock hipster at the same time 
But I really dig the links you all made for me, it really led me to a new path on my youtube searching. In related news, the YouTube links finally caught on that I was looking for hard psych folk and they finally put out a link to an album full of tasteful small soloes that only The Wall can rival.
The Levellers are pretty cool.