Washington Post: "The slow, secret death of the six-string electric"

roberty

Sorry if this is a repost, but:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/lifestyle/the-slow-secret-death-of-the-electric-guitar/?utm_term=.d4b1b851ea3b

Interesting plot twist at the end of the article.  When girls got into heavy metal via emo, Kerrang's circulation basically doubled overnight

Rabs

Yeah I saw that posted elsewhere...

And as discussed I think the big companies have themselves to blame (well partly). I do agree that there are just less guitar heroes around compared to the 60s/70s to inspire new players....  BUT Gibson and Fender especially don't do themselves any favours flooding the market... Constant Ltd runs and silly prices and I think maybe that bubble is bursting somewhat..  Say with Gibson, they put a lot of money into the auto tuners.. They proved to be pretty unpopular.. So Gibsons answer, lets release TWO of each model, one T and one HP..  Where the hell are all these guitars going to sit?  Shops only have so much room to show stuff...  PLUS the shops are forced to stock more, their own yearly profits go down and its just a downwards unsustainable spiral.

It could also just be a general sign that commercialism and globalisation are also unsustainable?

IMO of course     

streethawk

You think that's bad, try selling a few screws for a living.

prowla

Rabs said:

Yeah I saw that posted elsewhere...

And as discussed I think the big companies have themselves to blame (well partly). I do agree that there are just less guitar heroes around compared to the 60s/70s to inspire new players....  BUT Gibson and Fender especially don't do themselves any favours flooding the market... Constant Ltd runs and silly prices and I think maybe that bubble is bursting somewhat..  Say with Gibson, they put a lot of money into the auto tuners.. They proved to be pretty unpopular.. So Gibsons answer, lets release TWO of each model, one T and one HP..  Where the hell are all these guitars going to sit?  Shops only have so much room to show stuff...  PLUS the shops are forced to stock more, their own yearly profits go down and its just a downwards unsustainable spiral.

It could also just be a general sign that commercialism and globalisation are also unsustainable?

IMO of course     

I was chatting with someone in a smaller shop last weekend and he said he can't stock Fender & Gibson.

guitars4you

Nothing new in there that has not been spoken about before - Either on FB or elsewhere - But a fresh update on some financial figures - The issue is not really what the big companies are making, be it something new, old school or tech orientated as they are just trying to hang on to market that they have - The big issue and this is now been going on for a few years is there has not been a major guitar based craze for a number of years - Be it solo artist or band - Think what made you want to pick up a guitar and play and that initial interest does generally not come from the artists that you then move onto once you've progressed a bit - ie the likes of Satriani and Vai, or Ford and Carlton do not stimulate initial interest in wanting to make you play - Grunge did - Indie did - Punk did - Brit Pop did - New Wave did etc

Yes there are still some new stars like Ed Sheeran but I'm not picking up the same vibe of him influencing potential new buyers like Oasis did 20/25 years ago - Yes there are small almost under ground bands creating a stir, but not main stream like before - Blame X Factor, record companies, media channels or what ever you want to but the bottom line is guitar based bands today are not main stream enough to create the next generation of customers - And this trend has continued now for over 10 years

Even 50 years ago - Today we talk about the influence The Beano album had on some guitar players, yet at the time this was an under ground album compared to the main stream influence of The Beatles, The Stones, The Animals and all the other pop based acts - The charts was full of guitar based bands - Look at today's charts and listen today's radio channels and the guitar is not the influence it was - I'm not saying the guitar is dead but it is on a downward trend and only the likes of another Kurt Cobain will breathe new live into it

ToneControl

"an Ableton"

:-)

underdog

One of the things that surprised me at the recent GnR show was what a high percentage of the audience were from the younger generation, I'd say a good 40% we're 30 or younger, and quite a lot of older teens.

People are still in to rock (guitar based) music maybe there's just nothing around that's genuinely good enough though?

ICBM

The really dangerous marketing trap is that the business model now seems to be to sell more guitars to the same customer base…

Hence (in particular) Gibson flailing around with dozens of short-run models, desperately trying to convince its existing customers that they need another slight variation on what they already have.

The problem is that if the market shrinks it will have an even more dramatic impact on sales.

Winny_Pooh

I think the guitar is doing ok overall, you've had the rise of Jack White, neo-folk and loads of indie bands. The market is as good as can be expected to be, it's just over serviced.

mellowsun

Is it just me or is Vernon Reid's tone on the accompanying video really terrible?

guitars4you

ICBM said:

The really dangerous marketing trap is that the business model now seems to be to sell more guitars to the same customer base…

Hence (in particular) Gibson flailing around with dozens of short-run models, desperately trying to convince its existing customers that they need another slight variation on what they already have.

The problem is that if the market shrinks it will have an even more dramatic impact on sales.

I agree - it has effectively become the big growth area in the last 10/20 years - Look at FB alone and see how many have a collection of some size - be they from new or used purchases - And we know this is not sustainable

Jalapeno

Taylor Swift will save the guitar !!!!!

Funkfingers

Forty years ago, making music involved acquiring an instrument, beginning to learn to play it, finding some other people who were also learning instruments and starting a band.

In more recent times, it has been possible to use computer technology to construct music. Virtual drums. Virtual arpeggiators. Virtual bass/squiggle monosynth. Many of these products more or less play themselves. Hence, minimal learning time, lower equipment costs and no need to involve anybody else. In short, total control. 

g4y is correct about the fad/craze effect. In the wider scheme of things, guitar-orientated music genres are a side issue. Throughout the era of recorded audio entertainment, the consistent seller has been music to which people can dance.

Another influential trend has been the notion amongst younger people that entertainment products should be "free". They are reluctant to pay the asking prices of real equipment and, then, to give it house room.

carlos

Jalapeno said:

Taylor Swift will save the guitar !!!!!

guitars4you

The other issue of course is guitars last to long -  Not many high street products or indeed other hobby based products last as long as a guitar does - Little obsolescence  in the guitar itself - Sure a bit of maintenance at times, but the chassis will last many many years - So used guitars are one of the biggest enemies to the big guitar companies

Gibson only make a profit once on a particular guitar - I can sell it 5/10/20 times and each time I make  a £ or two and stay in business

Ravenous

In my opinion, it's just a whining article moaning about how things were better in the olden days.

Future generations will pick up the guitar again. There are always cycles in these things.

As for how the companies are doing, who gives a stuff?  It doesn't affect the fact that electric guitars will continue to exist.  These companies have all changed ownership anyway, so there's nothing "pure" about them.

mellowsun

The predominant genres in popular music are based on rapping over programmed beats, folky singer songwriters or a combination of the two.. Not surprising then that electric guitar is in decline.

LuttiS

I would imagine that floods of cheaper imported guitars would be a factor too. Its ridiculous that you can get brand new guitars for as little as £60 in some places. Obviously they are complete shit and will put you off playing guitar, but with that kind of price, known brands would find it difficult to compete at the beginner level. That would force them to consolidate their stock and do what Gibson are doing and only target their current customer base (i know Gibson aren't beginner but its an example ;p ) 

I also think a lot of guitar companies are stuck in the past. The big names think that their big names are enough of a driving force for the market. They still take a lot of traditional approaches to marketing and have a pricing structure to match. 

earwighoney

Ravenous said:

In my opinion, it's just a whining article moaning about how things were better in the olden days.

Future generations will pick up the guitar again. There are always cycles in these things.

As for how the companies are doing, who gives a stuff?  It doesn't affect the fact that electric guitars will continue to exist.  These companies have all changed ownership anyway, so there's nothing "pure" about them.

Agree with your points. 

guitars4you

Ravenous said:

In my opinion, it's just a whining article moaning about how things were better in the olden days.

Future generations will pick up the guitar again. There are always cycles in these things.

As for how the companies are doing, who gives a stuff?  It doesn't affect the fact that electric guitars will continue to exist.  These companies have all changed ownership anyway, so there's nothing "pure" about them.

The next cycle is well overdue and far longer than any other gap we've had in the past

Look at Rock n roll (Elvis) to The Beatles
The Beatles to Hendrix
Hendrix to Glam
Glam to Punk
etc etc - and many cycles have been 5 years or so
Nirvana and Oasis are now over 30 years ago and barely a sustainable main stream guitar craze since - Sure a few isolated instances but not big enough to influence the market as in the past

The guitar will survive but other instrument and genres of music have taken over for now

Ravenous

Correction to my earlier post: Of the main manufacturers, I think Rickenbacker are still owned by the same family.  I think they're the only one though.

Thought I'd better apologise to all you Rickenbacker fans!  (Always had an irrational fancy for a 325 myself, you see...)