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Thread: Is The Guitar In Decline?

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    Is The Guitar In Decline?

    I saw the following video and thought it made some really good points. Is the guitar going the way of the banjo? When you hear guitar players in the shops, are they playing new music or the old standards? Are you hearing much new guitar music these days?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUxadDjm37s

    Just as a side note, I think guitar manufacturers would do themselves a favor if they focused more attention on designing guitars for smaller, female bodies or just guitars that had more appeal to women. That might help expand their market maybe even boost the direction of guitar music.

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    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    From what I've read - guitars are selling like gangbusters right now.
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

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    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?


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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    I don't think guitar sales show the whole picture of whether guitar music is losing its place in culture. Sales numbers say a lot about marketing and market demographics, but don't provide a complete picture on where guitar music is in the cultural landscape.

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    Fender just had the best quarter it's had in years.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    Nope. Guitars are selling like fresh loaves of crispy bread and there are many contemporary artists doing a great deal of songwriting and playing... My own current playlist:

    https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5L...QRShKNa2o5XhyA

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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    Guitar sales might be up, but I'm not sure that translates to new guitar music. It's hard for me to gauge the state of popular music these days. I play music more than I listen to it like I did in the past. I heard somebody the other day wonder why people weren't buying new album releases from great artists. It's odd but I just don't buy music anymore like I did growing up. I spent thousands of dollars in my youth on music. Buying a new record was like a hobby almost. These days I don't consume music like I used to. Anyway, I just thought I'd throw it out there and hear what others thought.

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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    I listen to a lot of music. When I'm working, when I'm reading, when I'm exercising, in fact, almost all the time. Much of what I listen to is instrumental -- what some people might call "contemplative" music. It has other names for it: new age, space music, deep electronica, etc. I have noticed a shift towards guitar-based music over the past several years, away from the keyboard synths, sequencers, loopers and the like. In fact, there are quite a number of guitar players in this genre that I listen to: David Helpling, Jeff Pearce, Erik Wollo, Paul Speer, Dino Pacifici, and more. In my opinion, guitar is increasing, rather than declining.
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    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    That's just it, though. Guitars selling today aren't reflected in music trends today;
    it's be several years at minumum for anything to happen with music, and that's the kids picking up guitar now.
    I suspect (and I didn't see any of those articles had any demographics of people buying) that most of the sales are
    for middle-aged types looking to pick up the guitar during the covid lockdowns. That may translate into new music later, but who knows.
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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    Quote Originally Posted by Toast View Post
    Guitar sales might be up, but I'm not sure that translates to new guitar music. It's hard for me to gauge the state of popular music these days. I play music more than I listen to it like I did in the past. I heard somebody the other day wonder why people weren't buying new album releases from great artists. It's odd but I just don't buy music anymore like I did growing up. I spent thousands of dollars in my youth on music. Buying a new record was like a hobby almost. These days I don't consume music like I used to. Anyway, I just thought I'd throw it out there and hear what others thought.
    That's a fact, but it's not about guitar music. People are streaming, not buying music. And attending concerts, of course. That goes for all genres

    If you take the time to check out the playlist I linked, for instance, there are at least 45 great guitar artists and rock/blues bands in it who are kickin' it but I doubt they are actually selling records. They're streaming.

    The way people consume music is changing. Too bad, because nothing beats the experience of sitting down in an easy chair and spinning a vinyl lp through a good hi-fi set. But that's just me, you know?

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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    A lot of times, the guitarists we like are musician's musicians, and they are never going to household words. Ask your friends, families, and neighbors if they know who Yngwie is.

    I listen to several, brick and mortar indie radio stations, listening to bands that young people know that we aren't exposed to but who are big names. Sam Fender? Pete York, Soccer Mommy, St. Etienne, Tegan and Sara, Haim, etc etc.

    I'd say most of what I hear on indie stations is guitar-based, and not a one of them plays like Hendrix or Clapton. It is so interesting to me to hear rock guitar that sounds so far away from blues-engendered rock.

    The guitar is alive and well; players approaches to it have changed, and that's a great thing.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    A lot of times, the guitarists we like are musician's musicians, and they are never going to household words. Ask your friends, families, and neighbors if they know who Yngwie is.

    I listen to several, brick and mortar indie radio stations, listening to bands that young people know that we aren't exposed to but who are big names. Sam Fender? Pete York, Soccer Mommy, St. Etienne, Tegan and Sara, Haim, etc etc.

    I'd say most of what I hear on indie stations is guitar-based, and not a one of them plays like Hendrix or Clapton. It is so interesting to me to hear rock guitar that sounds so far away from blues-engendered rock.

    The guitar is alive and well; players approaches to it have changed, and that's a great thing.
    I spoke to a young person (16 or so) not too long ago and asked them what kind of music they were listening to. They said it was Led Zeppelin (50-60 year old music). I said something like kids are still listening to Led Zeppelin? They looked at me like I was from a different planet. Of course, kids are listening to Led Zeppelin. It's strange to me because when I was 16 I wasn't really listening to Benny Goodman. I was even an audiophile and listened to a ton of old music. I knew the pop music canon better than most kids my age, but listened to old music more out of curiosity than enjoyment. I did like a lot of it though. Anyway, I'm way out of touch with the current music scene so pardon my ignorance--just got a Spotify account --so I'll try getting in touch with the current musical zeitgeist. I do feel like we're in a kind of musical doldrums, but I'm hoping to be surprised if I actively dig deeper.
    Last edited by Toast; 11-01-2020 at 12:31 PM.

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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post

    If you take the time to check out the playlist I linked, for instance, there are at least 45 great guitar artists and rock/blues bands in it who are kickin' it but I doubt they are actually selling records. They're streaming.

    The way people consume music is changing. Too bad, because nothing beats the experience of sitting down in an easy chair and spinning a vinyl lp through a good hi-fi set. But that's just me, you know?
    I'll check out the playlist. Thanks.

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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    Quote Originally Posted by Toast View Post
    I spoke to a young person (16 or so) not too long ago and asked them what kind of music they were listening to. They said it was Led Zeppelin (50-60 year old music). I said something like kids are still listening to Led Zeppelin? They looked at me like I was from a different planet. Of course, kids are listening to Led Zeppelin. It's strange to me because when I was 16 I wasn't really listening to Benny Goodman. I was even an audiophile and listened to a ton of old music. I knew the pop music canon better than most kids my age, but listened to old music more out of curiosity than enjoyment. I did like a lot of it though. Anyway, I'm way out of touch with the current music scene so pardon my ignorance--just got a Spotify account --so I'll try getting in touch with the current musical zeitgeist. I do feel like we're in a kind of musical doldrums, but I'm hoping to be surprised if I actively dig deeper.
    I hung out at the record store so much and eventually wound up managing it, had a pretty good grasp on the 50s-early 80s (1981 it was), but I knew very little about anything outside of rock, country, r&b, and pop. I was always a music nerd. I got into the Benny Goodman type stuff in my early 20s; mainstream 80s stuff had me running gratefully towards jazz and classical. I really know nothing about the indie bands I hear except for what I see on NME or Rolling Stone. Other than a small few, I couldn't name the players in any of the bands. But I enjoy listening to it because the faint echo of blues is just that, faint. I love blues, but I'm interested in playing in a different way, and I admire a lot of these players who descend from beach music, punk, garage, and pop. Sure, there are strains of blues and classic rock--nothing wrong with that.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    I hung out at the record store so much and eventually wound up managing it, had a pretty good grasp on the 50s-early 80s (1981 it was), but I knew very little about anything outside of rock, country, r&b, and pop. I was always a music nerd. I got into the Benny Goodman type stuff in my early 20s; mainstream 80s stuff had me running gratefully towards jazz and classical. I really know nothing about the indie bands I hear except for what I see on NME or Rolling Stone. Other than a small few, I couldn't name the players in any of the bands. But I enjoy listening to it because the faint echo of blues is just that, faint. I love blues, but I'm interested in playing in a different way, and I admire a lot of these players who descend from beach music, punk, garage, and pop. Sure, there are strains of blues and classic rock--nothing wrong with that.
    I miss the days of hanging out at the record store, browsing the stacks, checking out the other customers, listening to whatever crazy tunes the clerks were playing, talking music with the people at the store. Ah . . . the analog world. I still miss a lot of that world. The virtual world can't really compete with it in many respects.

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    Quote Originally Posted by Toast View Post
    I miss the days of hanging out at the record store, browsing the stacks, checking out the other customers, listening to whatever crazy tunes the clerks were playing, talking music with the people at the store. Ah . . . the analog world. I still miss a lot of that world. The virtual world can't really compete with it in many respects.
    I loved being in the record store, just like I loved being in libraries. I soaked up so many different kinds of music. And then I got the job and eventually became manager. At first, I managed their smallest store, and we were the only one in the chain who was in the black, and it was because I knew a lot about different genres, and I hired a friend to work the dance and r&b crowd--and he had customers grooving and buying buying. He eventually worked for Sony and was on mgmt teams for Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey among others. He went on to found his own agency and is prospering in Manhattan.

    One of my favorite memories is having customers who came in to talk to me about The Wall. I'd heard a long, track by track interview with Roger Waters, and I'd studied the lyrics like poetry. So customers would come in, and we'd get really deep into The Wall, and I sold copy after copy. I also reported to Billboard each week--they'd call for my top 10 sellers. And record companies called me, begging me to put their artists in the top 10, even though I'd sold no copies. That was the game. I'd tell them yes, but the report truthfully. Got a lot of records, concert tickets, and swag.

    Unfortunately, I was promoted to managing their biggest store, and I was 21. The big store had no soul. It was mall boredom. White bread and nothing else. That was the end of the joy. Then I worked for Nashville's only big event ticket seller, free shows, backstage, meeting stars, but nothing was ever as cool as working in that small store.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    Quote Originally Posted by Toast View Post
    I miss the days of hanging out at the record store, browsing the stacks, checking out the other customers, listening to whatever crazy tunes the clerks were playing, talking music with the people at the store. Ah . . . the analog world. I still miss a lot of that world. The virtual world can't really compete with it in many respects.
    So do I. Record stores, guitar shops and VHS rentals were such cool places to hang out at. Met many friends and began relationships with girls there. Hanging out in these stores was definitely a social activity.

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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    I count the five years I worked for Sam Goody as some of the best days of my life. Didn't earn squat, but loved selling audio equipment. Working at the only real record store near Asbury Park was cool. I loved all kinds of music - sold a lot of HiFi using classical music and, of course, the Boss (he came into the store often as did other musicians from the area)!!!

    We got to pick out ten albums off the floor every month for demo purposes. I tried to mix standard popular stuff with really esoteric stuff. We also got to pick through all the cutouts that came into the store before anyone else ever saw them. Sam believed people wouldn't steal stuff if they got to buy it cheap - employee discounts on records and blank tapes were insane. Stuff like the Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Picture disk all got bought up before they got to the floor (still have mine - and still in the original shrink-wrap; never been played.)!

    I left in January 1980 - a couple years before CDs started coming in - the real heyday for recorded music and Hi fi!... Most fun you could have with your clothes on!

    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    We worked at stores around the same time, GJ, and yeah, I scooped the good ones. Still have my Sgt Pepper Pic disk, but I believe the shrink wrap is off. I might have played it once, but I don't remember having done so. I recently bought one of the remastered Abbey Road.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    I loved being in the record store, just like I loved being in libraries. I soaked up so many different kinds of music. And then I got the job and eventually became manager. At first, I managed their smallest store, and we were the only one in the chain who was in the black, and it was because I knew a lot about different genres, and I hired a friend to work the dance and r&b crowd--and he had customers grooving and buying buying. He eventually worked for Sony and was on mgmt teams for Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey among others. He went on to found his own agency and is prospering in Manhattan.

    One of my favorite memories is having customers who came in to talk to me about The Wall. I'd heard a long, track by track interview with Roger Waters, and I'd studied the lyrics like poetry. So customers would come in, and we'd get really deep into The Wall, and I sold copy after copy. I also reported to Billboard each week--they'd call for my top 10 sellers. And record companies called me, begging me to put their artists in the top 10, even though I'd sold no copies. That was the game. I'd tell them yes, but the report truthfully. Got a lot of records, concert tickets, and swag.

    Unfortunately, I was promoted to managing their biggest store, and I was 21. The big store had no soul. It was mall boredom. White bread and nothing else. That was the end of the joy. Then I worked for Nashville's only big event ticket seller, free shows, backstage, meeting stars, but nothing was ever as cool as working in that small store.
    That's cool and impressive for a 21 year old. Sounds like they were grooming you to go the district manager route. The only problem with that route is that you would have had to embrace the boredom for 10 years. After that though, straight to mergers and acquisitions.

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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post
    So do I. Record stores, guitar shops and VHS rentals were such cool places to hang out at. Met many friends and began relationships with girls there. Hanging out in these stores was definitely a social activity.
    Yep, I had the same experience. Ended up in some strange places, getting high, and listening to music with people I met in the record store. Some of them had cavernous record collections, more music than you could listen to in a lifetime. It was fun.

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    Re: Is The Guitar In Decline?

    Quote Originally Posted by gibsonjunkie View Post
    I count the five years I worked for Sam Goody as some of the best days of my life. Didn't earn squat, but loved selling audio equipment. Working at the only real record store near Asbury Park was cool. I loved all kinds of music - sold a lot of HiFi using classical music and, of course, the Boss (he came into the store often as did other musicians from the area)!!!

    We got to pick out ten albums off the floor every month for demo purposes. I tried to mix standard popular stuff with really esoteric stuff. We also got to pick through all the cutouts that came into the store before anyone else ever saw them. Sam believed people wouldn't steal stuff if they got to buy it cheap - employee discounts on records and blank tapes were insane. Stuff like the Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Picture disk all got bought up before they got to the floor (still have mine - and still in the original shrink-wrap; never been played.)!

    I left in January 1980 - a couple years before CDs started coming in - the real heyday for recorded music and Hi fi!... Most fun you could have with your clothes on!

    Cool story. Sounds fun. I was boxing groceries, not so fun.

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