Members missedmyexit Posted June 23, 2017 Members Share Posted June 23, 2017 https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/lifestyle/the-slow-secret-death-of-the-electric-guitar/?utm_term=.f47b83972a90 Interesting story about how the Electric Guitar industry as a whole isn't doing to great. They go on to talk about many possible causes from lack of "Guitar Heroes" to "Kids don't like to learn". Funny though they don't mention Acoustic guitars at all. Acoustic guitar is a lot more popular then it was 15 years ago. The biggest selling artist now are playing their Acoustic more then Electric but they don't factor that in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted June 23, 2017 Moderators Share Posted June 23, 2017 two other threads on this already ...one up in the EGF: http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/forum/guitar/acapella-41/32003224-the-death-of-the-electric-guitar-bull/page2 , one at SSS: http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/...c-guitar-dying BTW, they do mention that acoustic guitar sales are up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Emory Posted June 24, 2017 Members Share Posted June 24, 2017 I think they did mention acoustic guitars being relatively on the "up".... not going to re-read, and do have early stage Alzheimer's.... seems to me decline is due in large part to so many quick and easy distractions, much of mainstream hit music seems to have been cranked out by folks with no music training on a laptop keyboard, and learning guitar takes patience, commitment, and some discipline. That is so "yesterday".... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members catscurlyear Posted June 24, 2017 Members Share Posted June 24, 2017 the acoustic seems fasionable at the moment ,i wonder if it was all those unplugged novelty gigs by electic bands that have been happening a while now, and now the acoustic has now turned round and bit the electric guitar in the butt .don`t worry though i`m sure the electric won`t go away it sounds too good in the right hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted June 24, 2017 Members Share Posted June 24, 2017 The guitar does not exist in a vacuum. The music that made the instrument popular is gone as it sunsets on the acoustic versions of bygone electric popularity, as cats alludes to, and we are traveling with it over the horizon. EDM has eeked out its niche and will be the digitally extruded disposable goo from the trim pots of cheap panels (by comparison to the cost of real artistry on real instruments) from here on out, and real instruments becoming more and more the rarity in succeeding generations who do not have a craving to challenge themselves as their forebears did. Techno-ease is forging different cuts of humanity as the day of the analog man is heading to the museums. Everything is exactly as it should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted June 24, 2017 Members Share Posted June 24, 2017 Not sure if it's mentioned, but I think there's a wider picture as well. Music has always been important in recorded human history, but I think the record companies and radio stations have brainwashed society into giving music more importance than it should have and making it seem more difficult and rare than it is.This illusion is wearing off and musicians are being seen as *gasp* mortals with a knack for music and dedication to their craft/art. For example, my work career is miles harder and requires a more rare set of aptitudes, but when people hear me play music they act like it's magic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted June 24, 2017 Members Share Posted June 24, 2017 Not sure if it's mentioned, but I think there's a wider picture as well. Music has always been important in recorded human history, but I think the record companies and radio stations have brainwashed society into giving music more importance than it should have and making it seem more difficult and rare than it is. This illusion is wearing off and musicians are being seen as *gasp* mortals with a knack for music and dedication to their craft/art. For example, my work career is miles harder and requires a more rare set of aptitudes, but when people hear me play music they act like it's magic. The irony glows, don't it? Music has always been magical to the non-player but, to me, it's a set of motor skills in a choreography of movements no more sophisticated than drumming my fingers on a table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members catscurlyear Posted June 24, 2017 Members Share Posted June 24, 2017 bloody hell, now this new fandangled thing the wheels is here i won`t have any use for these here shoes, ha ha .cheer up chaps it`s just another string in our bow, so to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted June 25, 2017 Members Share Posted June 25, 2017 It's over, cats. It isn't the end of the world but an era is definitely over. What lead it into it and what trails from it don't exactly flag the best moments in my life, by contrast, so I am sad to see it go. As a player I can credit it with the stuff that motivated me to learn an art form that few people have to find comfort in. It truly made this stoic's existence worth the stay even if I never do get back to it. The guitar is a truly incredible instrument that isn't just a contrivance. The thinking and development of it to its current form amazes me. From the first time I picked one up in all its silent taunting invitation I remember clearly the desire to make it play music. It's here to stay, of course, but its apogee of popularity and artistry I feel is on the back side of the slope with no one to keep the faith, so to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted June 25, 2017 Members Share Posted June 25, 2017 the acoustic seems fasionable at the moment ' date='i wonder if it was all those unplugged novelty gigs by electic bands that have been happening a while now, and now the acoustic has now turned round and bit the electric guitar in the butt .don`t worry though i`m sure the electric won`t go away it sounds too good in the right hands.[/quote'] I liked the part of the article that said girls were gravitating toward guitar because of Taylor Swift. Since she's an acoustic player it makes sense that young women who want to be like her would also play acoustic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AlamoJoe Posted June 26, 2017 Members Share Posted June 26, 2017 If you fellas keep talkin' all this stuff about the death of the Electric Guitar...I'm gonna hafta put my electrics back in their cases...Yer makin' ;em nervous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members valentsgrif Posted June 26, 2017 Members Share Posted June 26, 2017 Video gaming has taken over as THE outlet for adolescent fantasy, sexuality and entertainment. That the digital computer sounds and easily programmed"music" that accompanies those games has become the soundtrack to their lives should come as no surprise. Three of my kids all were competent guitarists before basically back seating the instrument to the allure of pop culture's EDM, infantile hip hop and auto-tuned pop music. Oh, well, rock guitar had a good run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members missedmyexit Posted June 26, 2017 Author Members Share Posted June 26, 2017 Video gaming has taken over as THE outlet for adolescent fantasy, sexuality and entertainment. That the digital computer sounds and easily programmed"music" that accompanies those games has become the soundtrack to their lives should come as no surprise. Three of my kids all were competent guitarists before basically back seating the instrument to the allure of pop culture's EDM, infantile hip hop and auto-tuned pop music. Oh, well, rock guitar had a good run. I feel like video games has taken over for the "heavy metal" music excuse of a generation ago as the catch all what's wrong with the youth. In both cases it is inaccurate. Plenty of kids are still getting interested in music and the guitar is still the most popular instrument. Like someone mentioned they don't really talk about what kind of impact Craiglist and used re-sellers have. Acoustic guitars are alot more popular then they were 15 years ago. So people are learning more fingerstyle then shredding.... Not a bad thing. I get that leaves the sales of amps, petals, and the whole electric guitar add ons not getting bought but that's guitar centers issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members missedmyexit Posted June 26, 2017 Author Members Share Posted June 26, 2017 Video gaming has taken over as THE outlet for adolescent fantasy, sexuality and entertainment. That the digital computer sounds and easily programmed"music" that accompanies those games has become the soundtrack to their lives should come as no surprise. Three of my kids all were competent guitarists before basically back seating the instrument to the allure of pop culture's EDM, infantile hip hop and auto-tuned pop music. Oh, well, rock guitar had a good run. I feel like video games has taken over for the "heavy metal" music excuse of a generation ago as the catch all what's wrong with the youth. In both cases it is inaccurate. Plenty of kids are still getting interested in music and the guitar is still the most popular instrument. Like someone mentioned they don't really talk about what kind of impact Craiglist and used re-sellers have. Acoustic guitars are alot more popular then they were 15 years ago. So people are learning more fingerstyle then shredding.... Not a bad thing. I get that leaves the sales of amps, petals, and the whole electric guitar add ons not getting bought but that's guitar centers issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members valentsgrif Posted June 27, 2017 Members Share Posted June 27, 2017 I feel like video games has taken over for the "heavy metal" music excuse of a generation ago as the catch all what's wrong with the youth. In both cases it is inaccurate. Plenty of kids are still getting interested in music and the guitar is still the most popular instrument. Like someone mentioned they don't really talk about what kind of impact Craiglist and used re-sellers have. Acoustic guitars are alot more popular then they were 15 years ago. So people are learning more fingerstyle then shredding.... Not a bad thing. I get that leaves the sales of amps, petals, and the whole electric guitar add ons not getting bought but that's guitar centers issue. I made no inference there was anything wrong with the entertainment choices of today's digital/screen obsessed youth. There were re-sellers of instruments long before Craigslist and Reverb. They were called classified ads, bulletin boards and pawn shops. I just don't see that teenagers in this century are gathering up in garages and basements jamming on guitars, any guitars, in numbers close to those of the 60's- 90's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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