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