Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why my guitar gently weeps (The death of the electric guitar industry -and why you should care)
Washington Post ^ | 6/22/17 | Geoff Edgers

Posted on 06/22/2017 4:29:03 PM PDT by Drew68

The convention couldn’t sound less rock-and-roll — the National Association of Music Merchants Show. But when the doors open at the Anaheim Convention Center, people stream in to scour rows of Fenders, Les Pauls and the oddball, custom-built creations such as the 5-foot-4-inch mermaid guitar crafted of 15 kinds of wood.

Standing in the center of the biggest, six-string candy store in the United States, you can almost believe all is well within the guitar world.

Except if, like George Gruhn, you know better. The 71-year-old Nashville dealer has sold guitars to Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift. Walking through NAMM with Gruhn is like shadowing Bill Belichick at the NFL Scouting Combine. There is great love for the product and great skepticism. What others might see as a boom — the seemingly endless line of dealers showcasing instruments — Gruhn sees as two trains on a collision course.

“There are more makers now than ever before in the history of the instrument, but the market is not growing,” Gruhn says in a voice that flutters between a groan and a grumble. “I’m not all doomsday, but this — this is not sustainable.”

The numbers back him up. In the past decade, electric guitar sales have plummeted, from about 1.5 million sold annually to just over 1 million. The two biggest companies, Gibson and Fender, are in debt, and a third, PRS Guitars, had to cut staff and expand production of cheaper guitars. In April, Moody’s downgraded Guitar Center, the largest chain retailer, as it faces $1.6 billion in debt. And at Sweetwater.com, the online retailer, a brand-new, interest-free Fender can be had for as little as $8 a month.

What worries Gruhn is not simply that profits are down. That happens in business.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: electricguitar; fake; fakenews; guitar; music; rockandroll
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 221-223 next last
To: RC one

Hubby has a telecaster and just acquired a 2016 Les Paul. He says it helps keep his hands moving from the arthritis.


21 posted on 06/22/2017 4:52:07 PM PDT by sheana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Drew68

What a joke. I’ve bought three guitars since I turned 70 a couple of months ago. Of course none of them were new. Got a Mexican Strat made in the ‘90’s for $150. A 2009 USA Les Paul for $550, and a Chinese Epiphone Les Paul Special for $80. All of them play great. The other two electrics I have are a 1996 Korean Fender Telecaster and a 1962 Gibson ES 355. The latter is worth a fair amount and would be right up Gruhn’s alley. The used electric guitar market is doing quite nicely. If I live long enough, there’s some new models out that I might consider at a fraction of their current MSRP in maybe ten years.


22 posted on 06/22/2017 4:52:19 PM PDT by VietVet876
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Drew68

With all due respect to my acquaintance George, this is a standard lament of an “older” guy to the state of the market today. If you go to a NAMM show and look at the guitars, you can barely escape the conclusion that there is no way for the world to absorb the numbers of guitars on display.

Almost forty years ago when I first met George, he despised the idea that a Candy Apple Red Strat (electric guitar) 1: sold for twice as much as a regular sunburst one, and 2: Sold for more than a finely made acoustic guitar, say a Martin D-18, simply because it was spray-painted a different color.

In the meantime, George has bought and sold guitars including CAR Strats up to the point where they command $25,000, still substantially more than regular sunburst ones.

Today, Fender (and most other makers) produce “relic” guitars which look like they are really old, really well used ones. At the same time, the tech to make modern electric (and acoustic) guitars has advanced massively. I used to have a medium sized vintage collection. I sold them and bought newer guitars that are mechanically far, far superior and cost 1/10th as much as those older ones are worth. Yes, they sound a bit more sterile. Run it through a fuzz box, I can’t tell.

Anyway, those beat-up-from-the-factory looking guitars sell for 3x what regular models sell for.

There will always be a fetish people chase. There will always be guitar makers who go out of business. Offshore made instruments are almost as good as domestic ones, the real vintage ones are fiendishly expensive (and with YouTube and ebay NOBODY does not know what they are worth any more) What Mr. Gruhn laments is, the loss of intermediation = his oppty to profit, to make a living. That is true of all things, pretty much.


23 posted on 06/22/2017 4:52:59 PM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (Apoplectic is where we want them!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Drew68

I never really had guitar heroes.

For a band to meet my minimum standards it had to have a balance of instruments beyond drums and guitars even if rock was the style.


24 posted on 06/22/2017 4:53:07 PM PDT by MrEdd (MrEdd)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Drew68

Rock and roll has all but come and gone...I’ve heard all the greats songs of the 60s 70s a thousand times each and most everything that followed were versions of what I’ve heard over and over and over for decades. It’s just not the same...


25 posted on 06/22/2017 4:53:08 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Drew68

Eh. There’s still a freaking million guitars being sold each year. So some dealers and companies will go under. Welcome to the real world. Gibson may go under just because of the awful quality control.

Another thing that’s hurting them is the rise of decent quality cheaper brands like Epiphone and Squier. Some of those guitars are very nice at a fraction of the cost.

Sure an American Fender may be nicer than Squier. But $1000 nicer? Not really. Plus a few upgrades will make that cheap Epiphone play and sound as nice as any Les Paul.

It’s a tough world out there. Get complacent and things can go south very quickly.


26 posted on 06/22/2017 4:54:21 PM PDT by Seruzawa (FABOL)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Drew68

Tribute to George Harrison, in which Prince plays a stunning guitar...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SFNW5F8K9Y


27 posted on 06/22/2017 4:54:28 PM PDT by meyer (The Constitution says what it says, and it doesn't say what it doesn't say.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: niteowl77

“The British Invasion is frequently credited with firing the fatal torpedo (in the form of the electric guitar) into the hobby industry”

Do you mean coin collecting, model building and so forth?


28 posted on 06/22/2017 4:55:05 PM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Drew68

“Less interest in guitar. The demographic that played the guitar is getting old and dying off.

Here in th US, Maybe. But not in the rest of the world. My best friend, Neil Zaza tours constantly in Eruopre and specially in Asia. Thet are not so entralled with Rap crap. His concerts sell out! I record with him sometimes, and I play Pedal Steel!
Pedal steel on this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puov93SDltM
Lap steel on this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAY1WKouT18


29 posted on 06/22/2017 4:55:30 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Drew68

Hipster music is pure garbage.


30 posted on 06/22/2017 4:55:40 PM PDT by The Toll
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lisbon1940
"Quality acoustic guitars are still selling fine."

They need them for the "corporate love, giving back to the community" TV commercials they are doing these days.
31 posted on 06/22/2017 4:55:47 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Drew68
If more potential guitarists knew who Phil Keaggy is, they might be inspired to learn the instrument, and hopefully would be inspired by God in the process. Then again, he's so super-human, even in his now later years, it might just cause them to give up in despair.

Generally, I think popular music today absolutely sucks. It all sounds the same, just one singer after another, auto tuned and backed by a recorded track, who is chosen and marketed more for their looks and image than for any musical talent. Most are studio creations that either can't credibly perform live, or who sound pitiful when they do.

I miss real bands and real musicians. Some of my favorites were Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, Kansas, Boston, etc. The pathetic drivel that passes for "music" today all sounds exactly the same, is boring, and pales in comparison to the groups of the past. Sadly, I think it's just another symptom of the shallowness of today's culture.

32 posted on 06/22/2017 4:56:03 PM PDT by noiseman (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Drew68

Re: The demographic that played the guitar is getting old and dying off.

Went to a jazz concert a few years back. Nearly everyone in attendance was over 50. AARP should have had a booth.


33 posted on 06/22/2017 4:56:51 PM PDT by Nevadan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SoCal Pubbie
"Do you mean coin collecting, model building and so forth?"

Stamps, coins, model building all seem to be dying in favor of electronics.
34 posted on 06/22/2017 4:57:04 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: buffaloguy
One of the contributors to the lack of customers is the HOA which wants total quietude in the neighborhood.

Thus, the death of the garage band. There aren’t any anymore.

Good point. Played many garages as a teen in the 80s. Today I have no doubt the cops would show up after about 10 minutes.

35 posted on 06/22/2017 4:57:41 PM PDT by Drew68
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: truth_seeker

And here’s a new LZ-ish band of - well - children! But it’s darn sure pretty good rock.

Greta van Fleet
https://youtu.be/aJg4OJxp-co

The point being, there are some getting into the old stuff, and making new stuff.


36 posted on 06/22/2017 4:57:47 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: ifinnegan
Perhaps they will bring back the pipe organ.
37 posted on 06/22/2017 4:57:54 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Not a Romantic, not a hero worshiper and stop trying to tug my heartstrings. It tickles! (pink bow))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: noiseman
I'm not sold on Phil Keaggy. Maybe it's hard to judge, given that he hasn't done anything that's been very commercially successful, or "popular", if you will.

Is he really that good? It takes a lot more than just technique to make a great guitarist.

Whatcha got? Post a YouTube link, maybe of something live...

38 posted on 06/22/2017 4:59:14 PM PDT by sargon ("If we were in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, the Left would protest for zombies' rights.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Drew68

A parallel development is the dying out of the teenage car culture, which went hand-in-hand with guitars and rock ‘n’ roll. Modern computer technology doesn’t enable the tinkering kids used to do with cars.


39 posted on 06/22/2017 4:59:33 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: niteowl77

.... Looks like the world of “let’s pretend” on hand-held electronic devices is returning the favor....

Let’s see them do something comparable to Voodoo Child (a slight return) on one of those.


40 posted on 06/22/2017 4:59:34 PM PDT by Sasparilla ( I'm Not tired of Winning.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 221-223 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson