VERY Interesting article on the Guitar's Demise.....

[blue4]

You can sum this article up in one sentence: "Old guys are upset that young people aren't like them."

You can sum up half the internet's forums, half of talk radio, and some of tv "news" opinion shows with that statement too.

 

[blue4]

Ive heard it as well since the late 70s....its just that Im now actually witnessing it after decades of being wrong: it just took longer than expected,,,,By the way, Jim Morrison actually predicted this. Granted, he was basing it off the technology he was familiar with for his time period (i.e. analog "tapes" instead of digital media), but he had the meat of exactly how things are now

Where are you witnessing the death of the cello? The school next to me has a ton of them, there's a ton more at the music store taking lessons while my kids are there taking theirs.

 

[wintremute]

Of course it's not directly the CEOs job, but I'm trying to make a point.

That point being, if the guitar companies want a new group of guitarists they can stand behind to inspire new players and sell instruments, why do they have to stick to the traditional way of endorsing artists that are already front and center? Sure you don't know who Rabea Massaad is, but if Fender put him on the cover of magazines, did sponsored big shows for his band, publicised commercials, etc. maybe we'd find ourselves in a place where he is a household name.

This attitude of "that's the way things are" and "this is the way things are" is used way too often in the music industry. Maybe if Fender or Gibson want to get their sales back up they should work with some new talent, make something new, do it in a new way...because (naming examples) if Fender or Gibson don't, Kiesel and Chapman will.

I kinda see what you're getting at, that it would be good business for Fender (or Gibson) to find a young talent, and help that person get more national exposure. The more popular that person gets, the more their instrument name gets marketed.

However, that seems to be an expensive gamble. Fender isn't a media company; it's a musical instrument company. I honestly don't see how if they start pushing some young guitarist how that person will suddenly get super popular, be known in the mainstream, and everyone familiar with their songs.

 

[EMoneySC2]

I kinda see what you're getting at, that it would be good business for Fender (or Gibson) to find a young talent, and help that person get more national exposure. The more popular that person gets, the more their instrument name gets marketed.

However, that seems to be an expensive gamble. Fender isn't a media company; it's a musical instrument company. I honestly don't see how if they start pushing some young guitarist how that person will suddenly get super popular, be known in the mainstream, and everyone familiar with their songs.

It's definitely a risk, but taking risks is often how businesses grow. They'd have to pick the right person, but I think it's certainly doable. Just think of how many starletts have come out of Disney grooming them to become tv/movie/music stars. It's not apples to apples, but I think it sets a decent enough example.

 

[Badwater]

So are people not buying as many guitars as a decade ago, or are they just not buying as many NEW guitars? A guitar doesn't wear out like a car or a cell phone does so the used market is huge.

From what I see, guitars have flooded the marked since the late 80s. In the early 90s, when manufacturing became more automated and profitable, more companies started to mass produce guitars with imports. Thus, the market became flooded with guitars and basses. Back in the 70s, 80s and guitar was the icon rock and pop music instrument. Acoustic guitars from Taylor and Martin was limited to about 6 or 7 models of high end guitars. Same with Gibson and Fender, they only put out 5 or 6 models each year to meet the demand. After the mid 90s these companies started pumping out 10 to 15 different models each year, most targeting the masses with budget pricing, and mass production. And those high end models were still being manufactured. From the early 90s to now, there are more guitars out there than ever before. More than what people want or need. Thus, the ad and marketing people are complaining that there is a decline. Reality is, there is no decline, it's just that there are too many guitars out there, and most good players will avoid the low end massed produced stuff and settle on one or 2 guitars.

 

[blue4]

This argument bugs me. Sure, there are lots of YouTube creators recording for fun in the basement, but let's not discount that there are also lots of YouTube musicians making a solid living off their music. Maybe being a YouTube musician playing in a music video of your own in your basement doesn't sound cool to you, but to me (25 years old, by the way) that sounds tremendously cool. It's low key but is a lot of fun to do, and it can reach a worldwide audience. Just remember that being a "rockstar" to some people doesn't mean standing on the stage at a stadium concert...it might mean putting out a cool video that you recorded in your bedroom.

This is true.

 

[Anachronism]

It's definitely a risk, but taking risks is often how businesses grow. They'd have to pick the right person, but I think it's certainly doable. Just think of how many starletts have come out of Disney grooming them to become tv/movie/music stars. It's not apples to apples, but I think it sets a decent enough example.

I suspect that Disney's advertising budget could swallow the entirety of Fender and hardly notice.

You're asking Fender to find a guitarist and promote them to household-name status, in the hope that this guitarist inspires enough new players to be worth the millions Fender will have spent on this gamble.

 

[Gully Foyle]

There is an interesting thread in here to me. While I am sure Fender has no interest in developing talent, I think there is room for a company that takes on some characteristics of old school record companies - finding interesting talent, providing some guidance and funding, and then reaping rewards when any acts make it big, or even just medium. I'd see it like the mad money end of the investment spectrum for HNW types, a VC fund that invests in musical acts. Were one to find a cheap by dynamic city, provide housing, rehearsal space, vehicles, management, etc. it might just pay off at an interesting rate, and be way more fun than some bs app with a bunch of tools planning on being billionaires a year out of college. I mean musicians have good sized egos, but nothing like the tech sector freaks I've known.

Probably many good reasons why this idea sucks, but old idealists need to daydream about something

 

[wintremute]

It's definitely a risk, but taking risks is often how businesses grow. They'd have to pick the right person, but I think it's certainly doable. Just think of how many starletts have come out of Disney grooming them to become tv/movie/music stars. It's not apples to apples, but I think it sets a decent enough example.

Disney is one of the largest media companies in the world, with TV shows, movies, books, magazines, a record company, video games, online presence, etc. They own Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, ABC, A&E, ESPN, and Lifetime. If they want to push someone, they have the media channels to do it.

Fender and Gibson make instruments. How is Fender or Gibson going to get Guitar Player X into the eyes and ears of the public? Honestly, it seems like if they could, they would have already done so.

 

[David Vector]

No true. Musicians go to clubs much later in life than their non-musician counterparts. I am 45. I fill in with all kinds of bands. The number of people in my age group or older at shows is LESS and less every year. When I'm 50 I will still he playing out (probably even more than I do now because my children won't be so young) and even less 50 year olds will be going to clubs to see a rock band. So I would argue that way before death you lose a TON of your "potential audience".

And that potential rock fan base isn't being replenished by Generation X, Y, or Z any time soon. They are too busy gaming and crafting their own beer at home and throwing bricks through windows at Starbucks.

Sure, that would be a concern if you're talking about playing out at clubs. The way things are going is a bit of a downer for those who enjoy doing that. I honestly never did all that much.

 

[gln1955]

Disney is one of the largest media companies in the world, with TV shows, movies, books, magazines, a record company, video games, online presence, etc. They own Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, ABC, A&E, ESPN, and Lifetime. If they want to push someone, they have the media channels to do it.

Fender and Gibson make instruments. How is Fender or Gibson going to get Guitar Player X into the eyes and ears of the public? Honestly, it seems like if they could, they would have already done so.

If Fender promoted up and coming musicians like they do their instruments, we'd be watching Buddy Holly and maybe Jamerson.

 

[Son of Wobble]

 

[Son of Wobble]

 

[Son of Wobble]

 

[fretter]

Remarkable. It's never been cheaper to outfit a band with giggable instruments and PA. So much for the arguments that the crappy economy is keeping people from buying guitars.

In defense of the consumer, hourly wages reportedly have not kept up with inflation, and people are spending a ton of money on new things like cell phone plans. For my cable & cell bill combined, I could buy two Fender American Professional basses a year. This got me thinking...

 

[Killed_by_Death]

prepare for sexist remark

I've never noticed if Taylor can play, because I'm too busy gawking at the rest of her

at least the didgeridoo will survive:

 

[Hahaha]

I predict an alien invasion of Earth where mankind will serve as slaves and all playing on instruments and music as such is banned

Enlil doesn't like being woken up by those noisy humans.

 

[rtav]

Yes... music insiders know that they've been on the way out since at least 1962.

The man who rejected the Beatles

Or, for those in a hurry, the condensed version:

"Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr Epstein," sincerely, Dick Rowe, record company genius and musical visionary.

 

[Son of Wobble]

prepare for sexist remark

Been a lot more balanced here since you started issuing trigger warnings. Cheers!

 

[JPaulGeddy]

Kind of tangential, but here's another issue with the idea of marketing a guitar player rather than the reverse. I found this guitar - and artist - because I was looking at something else on MusicMan's site -

St. Vincent | Guitars | Ernie Ball Music Man

Very cool guitar, 'different', hip artist, doing something completely different with guitar. All cool.

$2100 street value. C'monnnn...

Artists need to inspire the next generation. Manufacturers need to put the artist's gear into consumers hands.