Are electric guitars dying a slow death?

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[@32shumble]

The 'trouble' with electric guitars is that the market is saturated. Not just with new but also second hand. Of course sales are down - why would I buy a new Strat when I can get a hardly-used 2nd hand one for half the price? I don't think electric guitars are dying a slow death but the manufacturers possibly are.

[@Kamil987987]

I think that you are completly right. And if guitar companies are in trouble, then maybe we can hope for some price drops in near future? Who knows.

[@dlapp14]

No kidding, I've never bought a new guitar. I was thinking about this, and I disagree that the guitar is dying. Simply google some chords. Google E9 chord. B7 chord. c7 sus 4 chord. Overwhelmingly guitar results.Top results, front and center, not even specifying guitar. Every band you go to see live (not a rap group, a BAND) has at least 2 guitars, and I'm including bass guitar here too.

[@sweet44bmx]

If the manufacturers die out it will become an even more niche market, Gibson and fender will corner the market, and that's not good for anyone, I think the big problem is people buying used. (Saying that, two of my ten guitars were bought new, so I have no room to talk.-I am part of the problem).

[@Nobody-on6gt]

Dan body count is rap, and they have guitars drum and base.

[@phil8249]

32shumble excellent point!

[@slavmeister73]

Hello PixxyLixxx. I've been a guitar player now for about 34-years. Going back as far as I can remember, the electric guitar has always faced some kind of a popularity crisis. My first memory was towards the end of the 1970s. You had Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, KISS, Rush, AC/DC, Queen and Van Halen, just to name a few. Then Disco came and I do remember there was this big dispute between people who were into Rock music and people who were into Disco. Disco lovers were the new hip cats at that time and Rock was this 'stoner' dinosaur that was getting too bloated and boring. Yet, all those bands I mentioned above went down in history and influenced future generations of musicians and fans alike. Now, in the early 1980s, Post-Punk/New-Wave came in and brought synthesizers, electronic drums and video-clips into the 80s, pushing the guitar back and yet towards the end of the decade, electric guitar-based Rock and Metal bands found their way into the mainstream spotlight. Then the 90s came and there was the whole R'n'B, Hip-Hop, Rap, Boy-group and Pop scene, and once again, guitar-driven music had re-invented itself and won millions of young fans. Now, we are faced with DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY and yet again, the future of electric guitar is uncertain. The electric guitar, like Rock music, will not go anywhere in a hurry. Every decade, there is youth. Every decade, there are teenagers, teenagers who discover Rock music and discover the electric guitar. They find both and do something new with both. You've got to remember that Rock music and electric guitar are very physical. No matter what new things come in, Rock'N'Roll will never lose its excitement. I've seen kids in the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and even today, get all excited when hearing and feeling great Rock music for the first time Why? Because the physical energy it gives, be it through a Marshall amplifier or dad's stereo or a big stage with a high-wattage P.A., that energy moves air, lifts people up, excites them and reminds them that there is more to life than some kind of social and structural enforcement. It releases people. This is something that over the decades has remained constant. Yeah, it had to re-invent itself, but that was to move forward, but it has always prevailed. If people today have doubts, go and see a good band playing good live music with a great guitar player and they will see, hear and feel for themselves why it's something that is best physically experienced. Guitarists just need to get off the internet and play! Speaking of which ;)

[@Drunken_Hamster]

This needs more likes.

[@Thefreakman8]

you say that but I can't think of any electric guitar band who have been very successful on the Billboard charts or the U.k charts this decade.

[@slavmeister73]

True. I can't argue that. However, guitar-based bands today don't rely on Billboard charts to be successful. They have fans who support their music via internet, live shows and merchandising.

[@Jerman9000]

Well said my friend!

[@slavmeister73]

Oops, I forgot to mention John Mayer, Gary Clark Jr, Joe Bonamassa, Richard Hawley, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Wilco, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age, Metallica and of course, The Arctic Monkeys. Oh, and I also forgot to mention 'Classic' bands still playing 'sold-out' shows, bands such as The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Rush and the recently re-united Guns N Roses. Guitar sales-wise, Gibson have just released the 'True Historic' collection which includes replicas of 59 Les Pauls owned by Mark Knopfler, Rick Nielsen, Billy Gibbons and Mike McReady to name a few. These guitars which are priced around the $10,000 mark each sell within hours upon their arrival in guitar shops.

[@SerinFein]

My neighbors listen to really good music.... Whether they like it or not.

[@wildbillhackett]

:-)

[@googlecontrolfreakjetfuel6914]

Yah the construction industry reaally needs to figure out that soundproof well insulated houses aren't beyond their skill level. Although they would need a new set of skills...

[@bluesrocker91]

SerinFein Same... I see it as my duty to educate them while they try to sleep.

[@moke23]

I live in a flat with a really gainy bass amp on the floor. RIP people who live below.

[@ursafan40]

And you wonder why people get shot?

[@MaxxwellPalone]

My guitar Djently sweeps

[@satanskitty5341]

This harsh reality is even harsher for us 7/8-string players. I can't find a goddamn pack of strings for my 8-stringed Ibanez, so I've been combining other packs and sticking a bass string on for my 8th.

[@MaxxwellPalone]

Who's There? It was a joke

[@briman2000]

Maxxwell Palone you think this is funny? My 8 yearold used to love to djent. Now i had to sell his guitar so we atleast are able to buy a pack of sardines to live off of. We cry ourselves to sleep with buckets by our cheeks so we can use our tears for water the next day. THIS IS NO JOKE.

[@MaxxwellPalone]

BulletHorde Is it now

[@MaxxwellPalone]

Who's There? I kinda feel your pain though

[@greatreset3]

I'm 63 (old fuck). When I was a teen Gibsons and Fenders were $300. The same models are $3000 now, and there are less middle class people (who were the main buyers) with the income to buy $3000 guitars. And, why should you? Just for the brand? When imports are a fraction of the price, and great quality? Also, schools dont get the music funding they used to, limiting fresh eyes to the instrumental music career. With less and guitar heros to motivate people to play and a somewhat saturated market of used instruments, I dont see guitar sales making a huge comeback. 💘

[@PlaguePriest88]

didn't dollar had like six times more value back in your day then now in 2017.? It kinda comes around the same when you compare it.... or maybe i'm wrong.

[@kalmonsalmon1946]

Inflation's a bitch. Even though it all balances out because the amount money is worth, inflation, prices and salary all move up together (well, not salary if you're in the US apparently) i'd like it if it was like in the 50's and 60's, a period i never experienced, where 300 bought you a major piece of equipment, instead of 3000 dollars...

[@tylerdod9838]

Nah gibson guitars play really well and are not just because of the brand. I have tried out numerous PRS guitars and fenders and music mans and their guitars don't even come close to guitars like the les paul and the sg. They are missing something and I don't know what. Probably the fact they take all the weight out of the guitars. Les paul made the les paul heavy for a reason.

[@LessLethal]

@ Guitar Cult- Gibson guitars are almost entirely brand value. It's why the Chinese can make a Gibson for 1/10th the price and it takes a microscope to determine the difference. People claim MUH EARS and MUH FEELZ but it's all confirmation bias bullshit. The LEAST magical brand out there is Gibson, and also the most overpriced with dentists and trophy guitar buyers.

[@tylerdod9838]

I will admit their quality control is shit but there not that bad. They sound better than PRS in my opinion. I am planning to sell my les paul though to by a fernandez les paul

[@SageOfQuay]

The new market is over saturated. However, the used market is thriving. Sam Ash here where I live no longer has a separate used guitar section. They mix the used with the new in order to force buyers to look through the new inventory. Most new guitars are over priced and buying a used axe is a bigger bang for the buck. I just picked up a 2007 Mexican Fender Strat for $220 at Guitar Center. A couple of hundred less than a new Mex Strat and hundreds less than an American. Also, I know a lot of guitar players have moved toward building their own guitars by buying the shells at a fraction of the cost and then installing the frets, pickups, pots, etc. themselves. Quality parts have dropped significantly in price and you can build your own axe the way you want it.

[@lockedowng]

This is a big piece of the puzzle that very few people are taking about. Guitar might be more popular than ever despite the charts. Craigslist, Ebay, letgo, and Reverb are absolutely taking direct sales away.

[@doctiberius2717]

SageOfQuay that's the way to go, building your own Fender type guitar from the parts available can be very satisfying. I have a vintage built 57 Strat that I believe is on par with any master built. The Wudtone bridge is way better than fenders standard vintage bridge.

[@lockedowng]

Doc Tiberius 100% but if going with a fender, 2 bolt for me.

[@madmat2001]

Um, 35 years ago with the rise of synth pop and new wave they said rock was dead, the guitar as a mainstay instrument was dead and how long did that last? It's cyclic. It comes and goes. It's a lull in sales.

[@MK-oz2lf]

Thank you. Music goes through cyclical phases.

[@spark300c]

you right right now it like some 1980s stuff is being revived.

[@krelbar]

yes, but rap hasn't been cyclic. It HASN"T gone away for 30 years...and that puzzles me.

[@MacXpert74]

+krelbar We shouldn't lose hope though ;)

[@MK-oz2lf]

krelbar - rap isn't the problem. Or electronic music. That's short sighted. That's like when a little league kid is on bat with two strikes, the pitcher throws a ball but the umpire calls it a strike. The kid goes rampant sitting down and the coach tells him, "You're right, kid. It was a bad call. But what did you do about those other two strikes? That was all you.". Music is not a meritocracy and if music using the electric guitar, especially in rock, is not doing anything to recapture the billbaord top 40, it can't just shift the blame on other genres. Even though hip hop producers use real instruments in their beats. You may not like hip hop, but don't jump the gun about that genre doesn't go through cycles itself based on the little that you know. And that goes for you too, MacXpert74. Grow up

[@neogeoriffic]

Young guys today simply have no interest in playing rock guitar. Those days are over.

[@seamanjive]

An old guy who fixes my valve amps still does a bit of live sound reinforcement work. His theory - young people don't recognise the sound of a rock band. They are so attuned to artificially enhanced sub bass harmonics that a four piece band in full flight sounds, to them, like a transitor radio!! I think he's on to something. The in-house sounds as we pack away are louder than the band, the bass is visceral. The big old bands rock on as novelty value. For us regular bands - it's over. We've lost.

[@Savlo1]

Guitars dont dye... real Music is dying!

[@creatorshadow8343]

Nemo true

[@abcdefg-9670]

actually I watched a few npr tiny desk concert's with small but extremely talented

[@DCWelker]

Top 40 is crap. The music labels only play music on the radio that THEY want you to listen to. People are listening to radio less and less because they realize they do not want to be told who they should listen to. The music business should not determine who is popular. The consumer should.

[@creatorshadow8343]

DC Welker true

[@BenjoCovers]

nicely said

[@davidevans3175]

What's happening is the entire culture of the 60s is dying. The long chapter of which guitar music was born, which began in 1963 to about 1995, is fading out. The original people who usher in the guitar are either dead or in their 70s. The page is turning and all the culture of that long story is fading into history. Except Keith Richards who will be 500 years old in December and about to get his driver's license.

[@DannyBrooks1]

Gibson priced themselves out of the market. Not to mention went the wrong direction with robo tuner etc... instead of building a great Les Paul at a fair price. It open the door for other builders and the market is now saturated.

[@ryano.5149]

Well said sir. Also, their QC went in the toilet during the late 2000's, and as far as I can tell, hasn't come back. Nobody wants to buy a $4000 "standard." What Gibson needs to do is seriously scale back their guitar production, get their heads out of the clouds and offer consistent quality instruments at a price point where people can actually afford to buy them.

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

not to mention their quality falling through the floor. I'm speaking from experience here, I bought the 2016 Gibson Flying V Pro T. What a sack of shit. Looks lovely, sounds lovely, can't play the fucker though. Won't stay in tune for the duration of one song, the e string jams between the nib and the frets, just shocking.

[@Daronor01]

Well I recently bought a Gibson Explorer 2017 HP EB and it´s just a dream of an instrument! This Guitar has a wonderful sound, the action is great and it´s so easy to play! All my Guitar colleagues nearly envy me for this piece of a beauty. They were surpirsed that Gibson still can make good guitars for a more or less good price. I will never ever want to miss the Explorer....

[@PDXguitarfreak]

Steve, every time I play rock for my kids the say "dad, no one listens to rock anymore..." LOL. It's depressing, but I hope they come around eventually.

[@WeTalk440]

PDXguitarfreak You have no idea how much it pains me to hear someone say that rock is dead. Gene Simmons started that shit.

[@creatorshadow8343]

PDXguitarfreak wow I feel so bad for you and they call that depressing heh tell them its called talent something that mainstream media rappers dont have

[@Slenderman454]

PDXguitarfreak Disown them or take away their iPod or some shit.

[@creatorshadow8343]

Moms Spagheddi eh the songs in pop is just bad all they talk about is oh yeah I'm rich I fuck bitches I kill people that try to talk smack the song that is pop that I accept is post Malone we made it

[@weehuge]

Thank god the internet didn't exist when I was growing up so I couldn't see what massive jerks my guitar heroes were...

[@crabtrap]

just stick with Randy Rhoads and Buckethead....both are certified "good dudes"

[@stevehogan8829]

haha,,, that's an absolute fact...

[@MaxRockatansky853]

The problem is the instant gratification generation. No patience for the effort and time it takes.

[@w1ckedbackhand]

Completely agree, and couldn't have said it better myself! Extremely short attention spans, and they think that they should be able to pick up a guitar, and it should just "work". My kids think the skills are installed at birth, not developed.

[@thecasualfailers7882]

Not to be part of "le wrong generation" circlejerk, but you can't just assume all people in my generation put in no effort and expect to get rewarded, I'm 15 now and grew up most of my life wearing second hand clothing, I started out with an £80 squire that I saved up for with money gotten from doing stuff like cleaning the neighbours oven or mowing their lawn. I've worked my ass off to get good, practising hours a day and I'm now the proud owner of an Ibanez RG series guitar. I'm extremely lucky since my family now has a stable income and we're no longer poor, but you can't just stereotype an entire generation.

[@olinmoseley5060]

lmao u right this generation requires "instant gratification." Artists like kendrick lamar, who worked for over 15 years to get where he is now, just became an overnight 360 deal artist! Boi u dumb as hell saying they have no patience for time and effort when artists work harder then ever to become noticed

[@MaxRockatansky853]

My statement is 100% accurate. In the 90s the drop out rate for guitar lessons was half what it is now. You'll understand when you're older. Lol...Kendrick Lamar? Dude, please dont compare apples and oranges.

[@MaxRockatansky853]

Kendrick Lamar. LOLOLOLOL Pixxy has more talent and musical knowledge in his pinky. Hip Hop artist are not musicians. They're computer programmers. Comparing what they do to people who play instruments is just silly. I doubt KL knows an ounce of music theory. Hes good at what he does, no doubt. But its not on the same level as Paul Gilbert, by a mile.

[@leokimvideo]

One thing I have noticed is all the guitar mags I see in store focus on players and acts from the 70's and 80's. These guitar mags seem totally frozen in time. I couldn't name a young guitar band or freak player from the past 15 years. Am I hearing a new Van Halen or seeing a new Kiss or Zeppelin...no. Am I seeing new kids become X Factor clone artists..YES. And thats the problem.

[@sunnohh]

Yeah they werent as out of touch in 2005, I still have Guitar player and world with cannibal corpse and lamb of god; I doubt either would be in those rags today!

[@SFBGuitar]

+leokimvideo Leo! Great to see you, buddy. I agree with all you said. It seems like it all stopped in 1989 and were just rehashing the same dudes on the mag covers for the last 30 years.

[@leokimvideo]

Have a great 2018 Pixxy, I'm not sure if you have been blindsided by the KZbin changes during 2017. The adpocolypose and Googles knee jerk changes to fix a problem they created back in 2012 has me thinking this year was the worst I have ever seen on the site. As a producer I now feel like I'm an experiment for a machine learning process thats got it wrong over and over on my content. I have been hit with double demonotization and after that there is no option for review. My guess is the code monkeys have lost control of the program and every tweak just causes more mass chaos. One by one Google are weeding out the problem channels but as always their broom is set on a wide and destructive path. Maybe your guitar loving area of KZbin has not been affected, but as it stands I have now stopped uploading to the site. It's sadly time to find another video site where your not part of a giant reprogramming experiment to keep the community safe. Steve I considered myself as a safe and boring producer, but with the ad friendly policy changes i'm now considered very edgy content. KZbin seems to be changing into a Romper Room G rated site. Yet Google can't ever explain it like this. Possibly the truth would drive the audience away. My guess is very soon the audience will start to work out this site is a tad too sterile, lifeless and boring. We both know how fast things and die online. KZbin at the moment is doing all it can to drive many producers from the site, they better be careful what they wish for, especially now Disney has purchased Fox Entertainment and Amazon is eyeballing their very own online video platform.

[@djpenton779]

Exactly. I stopped buying those mags a long time ago.

[@lorinpark4720]

Volbeat.

[@krelbar]

If electric guitar dies, that means many of us will be necrophiliacs

[@googlecontrolfreakjetfuel6914]

Ok, you are the comment I was looking for. I can stop reading now!

[@mesutozil8603]

krelbar what's a necrophiliac?

[@krelbar]

1) Copy 'necrophiliac' 2) Paste in toolbar 3) Hit enter 4) Be enlightened.

[@TheBadFred]

Uhhh the electic guitar dies - BS it's just not in, like other instruments, what about bass sales or other instruments? Just because everyone doesn't buy a electric guitar, the instrument is still far from dead, just out.

[@osmiloe2776]

I don't want to fuck my guitar

[@Spritsailor]

They keep raising the damn prices! Look at Fender American basses and look at the increases in just a few years.

[@sepultura7771]

Russell Sova that's what I say They're way too expensive

[@elguey570]

Russell Sova another reason why sales are going down. The electric guitar industry is ass when it comes to that. Raising the prices when they are down 33 percent? Come on fender!

[@ewetoo]

Yeah it's insane and its far worse outside the USA and I'm talking the secondary brands like Epiphone and Squier. They're asking too damn much and the range of choice is almost petrifying. It's no wonder people buy used instead.

[@mynamefrank6567]

Squiers are like 100 bucks in USA, in other parts it's double...

[@kaanhint]

Mainstream music doesn't want rock anymore.. sadly ;(

[@Smitty_Werbenjagermanjenson]

From the perspective of a young man in his twenties, There are so many factors at play, and I certainly cannot identify them all. But from what I have observed of my peers for many years, the reasons that I can identify easily are the lack of inspiration from modern music, instant gratification (that performance music lacks) that so many people of all ages today have available to them in so many forms, so many more viable, time-consuming distractions that occupy most young men and women's free time, the lack of lucrative careers in music as compared to other industries of today, and the relatively high up-front cost of buying the necessary equipment being a turn-off today (so many of us are growing used to the service industry model). Obviously this is not an exhaustive list, but are very common factors. Throughout all of my time in school (including college), I have gotten to know in the realm of hundreds of people my age, and I can only identify less than ten of them even owning any instrument. There are so many other hobbies and careers that are easier to enter and easier to find satisfaction in that it seems that only the most dedicated to music will even look into that field. I talked about learning to play guitar with some of my classmates (back when I was in school) and colleagues, and many have considered trying to play or did make an attempt to learn, but the long-winded initial struggle and lack of gratification quickly outweighed their interest in learning. This is not a new issue, but I think it is becoming more common to fall out of it. I don't attribute musical taste to the decline in interest because tastes vary not only from person to person, but popular music goes through cycles over the years as well. As to why the topmost manufacturers are seeing declines in sales is partially attributable to a slowly growing lack of interest, but also because there are so many other decent manufacturers saturating the market. 40 years ago, the music industry was notably larger, there were millions of baby boomers inspired by then-experimental guitar sounds and not much to do to waste time away, and only a couple of brands that elite players gravitated towards. These factors have waned over the years, and lo and behold, so do the sales. Were it not for Guitar Hero and Rock Band, I doubt I would know anyone who played guitar, and I don't know if I would myself. It is possible that we could see a resurgence in the future because I think that retro tastes are slowly rising (a la the cyclical nature of popular tastes), but it definitely would not be as big as the world saw in the sixties and seventies unless something outrageously inspiring happens for young people. Overall, I doubt that guitar playing will die in my lifetime or in the next generation to come, and I believe we are just witnessing the slow crash of the guitar wave back down to water level. That being said, Gibson and Fender definitely should not expect to be as big as they were back in the day. The fervor just isn't there anymore. Sorry about the novel :P

[@zerg47]

Please, use paragraphs dude. Just press enter from time to time... I cannot read this

[@jamesgarcia7034]

Smitty Werbenjagermanjenson ...zerg is weak Grammer nazi/alien... I managed to read your novelette, and amongst your well written post (less paragraphs, right zerg??) one thing you said that really, kind of hit me funny... You said, that if not for video games like "rock band" etc, that you probably would not know anyone who played guitar, and maybe not even play yourself... I say, that that is indeed a testament, to what video games has achieved, being able to influence people to learn an instrument...I like that...

[@amplifymysound]

it made my eyes bleed just looking at it.

[@eparock]

I CONCUR....HOPEFULLY ELECTRIC GUITAR WILL COME BACK BUT IT DOES NOT LOOK GOOD OR LIKELY AT THIS POINT....

[@visionofdisorder]

it's unfortunate the people who commented on this are retarded, i had no issues reading it and i completely agree

[@riffsnreviews]

Nope electric guitar isn't dying a slow death, the sale aren't really going down either per say, It's just that guitars sales went up a lot, a guitar sales boom, and the sales are just re-balancing themselves out, happens every 10 to 15 years. And yes of course, Gibson, Fender, insert big brand name "here", revenus are going down coz they have a shitload more of competition, because of globalization, without even talking about the second hand market competition, because it has become way more easier to buy a second hand guitar now than it was 10/15 years ago, because internet. Oh yes and the most obvious thing, we went into a massive recession in 2008 that we haven't really gotten out of yet and we are heading for another big one, people haven't got enough funds, the car industry has gone down, are cars dying a slow death ? Nope... And that can be said for almost all industries, except for Luxury and Pharmaceutical.

[@JS_1983]

no electric guitars aren't dying a slow death. there is to many pedals and effects to play with.

[@beepst]

^ Average EDM listener.

[@PaulTheSkeptic]

What? There are a lot of stomp boxes, therefore the guitar industry is doing well? How does that follow?

[@HabibiSpice]

Its a joke. He's saying people still have stuff they want to try, too much to give up guitar.

[@krelbar]

I like when Pixxy does more topical stuff like this. Nothing wrong with reviews, but the stories about costco, guitar prices in the early 80s. Guitars that got away, top influential albums...etc. are gold.

[@PoundSound]

There's many factors why it may be on the decline. My view is the electric guitar sounds dated no matter how you play it. When you listen to modern popular music there are new sounds being created all the time, it's as much about production as it is songwriting. The sounds being created in modern popular music are unique to the song which keep it fresh. We cannot associate such sounds with anything head before so it makes things feel new. Maybe this is the reason behind the electric guitars slow decline, the instrument needs to evolve and the sound needs to be re-invented in order to feel new and not like your listening to a modern band play in an old style. Take artists like Royal Blood who became popular quick, despite using drums and bass guitar made to sound like a guitar, the sound was different and felt new. That's what electric guitar based music needs, a new sound.

[@ryotaryuu]

rock will never die.

[@t.8584]

Agree

[@orlock20]

The current good guitarists went to blues and there is a lot of blues style rock in their style.

[@brendanhensler6871]

Captain Howdy every couple years people talk about how rock is dead or dying but then soon enough more bands keep coming and climbing up the ladder of modern music, wether you like the pop punk of warped tour (not my cup of tea) or not, they still have guitar players, Derek trucks still exists, there's still plenty of punk and rock bands trying to make it, musics just at a low point right now, rock isn't going anywhere.

[@ryotaryuu]

Brendan Hensler i dont want to live in a world without electric guitars.

[@awertyuiop8711]

It'll evolve, instead.

[@thomasedwards9812]

Whilst I can't speak for the US, here in the U.K. the electric guitar is very much alive and well. Even if we look at recent years Royal blood have had two number one albums, Stereophonics have had a number one album, bring me the horizon a number 2 album, arctic monkeys have had 5 number one albums since 2006, foals have had a number one, muse have had 2 number one albums, foo fighters have had 2 number one albums, Noel Gallagher has had two number one albums. These are just some select examples. Whilst I agree that perhaps the notion of the "Guitar hero" has died down significantly, the electric guitar itself as a songwriting tool and tonal backbone is alive and well.

[@crazyfish8747]

I'm from the UK too and yeah, i've noticed that rock does chart well in the album charts, but does nothing in the Top 40 singles, which is a shame. I think it's all down to promotion. Mainstream radio stations don't play them (maybe radio 1 now and again), they're not on any music channel apart from Scuzz, Kerrang and MTV Rocks, they're not performing live on TV shows. Normal people don't really know that they exist. If you take a look at the kind of songs that used to chart back in the early 2000s and before, there's was far more of a variety. Look at Bring me the Horizon... love them or hate them, they've done well for themselves. They've worked their way up from like, 2008 or something. They should have been performing songs from their latest album on the Brit Awards, Chat shows, etc but they don't. I've actually noticed that rock bands seem to get more promotion in America than the UK. I often see rock bands performing on shows like Jimmy Fallon, Conan, etc.

[@eparock]

ONE COUNTRY DOES NOT SAVE A GENRE....NONE OF THOSE BANDS YOU NAMED CAN FILL A STADIUM WORLD WIDE LIKE JUST ABOUT ANY BIG ROCK ACT FROM THE 70'S AND 80'S DID OR STILL CAN....THE FOO FIGHTERS HAVE BEEN AROUND SINCE THE 90'S SO NOT EXACTLY A NEW BAND BUDDY SO CAN'T INCLUDE THEM ON THE LIST....

[@Todesnuss]

As long as they keep making em for me to play I could care less, what the mainstream opinion is.

[@crispyarturo6880]

Well im 14 and have been playing guitar for about 3 years now and I'll try my best to keep guitar alive. My favorite guitarists are EVH, Dimebag, David Gilmour, Marty Friedman, and the list goes on. As long as their legacies live on, guitar lives on, and so does my motivation to continue playing. (:

[@vikramjitbanerjeetuki]

they are quoting figures for US I guess? cause electric guitars are picking up big time here in Asia and in all Third world countries.so there is no way that electric guitars are going away any time soon....

[@utubehound69]

Lies Lies Lies they don't want music to spread they are pushing Techno Pop Artist Garbage the Media is Powerful thing. I asked a manager at Musicians friend how many guitars they shipped a day they said around 10,000. I see more people playing stringed instruments . Guitar will never never die King David is playing one right now in Heaven!

[@spacecatboy2962]

everyone is busy playing a new instrument called the Iphone

[@mikemadden2729]

IPhones cost as much as guitars too, LMAO!!!

[@calvinbes2099]

Pixxy, it would be interesting to see how many guitars a year are bought on Aliexpress, Alibaba, and DHGate. maybe buyers have more options for new guitar purchases?

[@tedparker2164]

I believe the cost of getting a quality instrument has become astronomical and there is so much crap out there and poorly set up instruments dissuade entry level players too. People want electronics and instant gratification, there is a learning curve to guitar playing. Today's kids are basically lazy oafs who don't see being a musician as a way to meet women/men, but bullshit rules in being cool today.

[@borisiwanow]

Wow this is like the most stupid theory I've heard in a long time, sounds like a Gene Simmons' one ... Electric Guitar is strong as fuck, but you cannot expect to sell millions of instruments each year. The market is simply saturated, and guitar isn't meant to be a product that should be switched each year to a newer model like a phone, it is built as a life-long instrument. I really can't put up with all this negativity about rock instruments and rock music nowadays. For sure it isn't as mainstream as it once was, and it's not a bad thing in a way, but You got a ton of great rocking band. Jjust look at all the rock festivals, you have 120 bands at the Hellfest which is sold out every year. Guitar aren't dying for me, and it's far from a father instrument! But you got to admit that they are not as popular as they once were. The guitar industry always had good and bad moments, but I never saw so much interest for them on KZbin and Pixxylix is the perfect example. And the millions of guitars sold each year only go that way, guitar is an instrument, it's not going to disappear, you find it in most of the songs today. This is only another reactionary theory to be able to say "Oh it was so much great before!".

[@Williamstanway]

Very true, rock and roll is alive and well

[@Merglet]

I think we were writing basically the same thing at the same time :D

[@borisiwanow]

William Stanway Yeah it's like people who lived in the really strong and mainstream Rock period were trying to appropriate this music to their generation for pure nostalgic reasons by saying that It can't work nowadays with our generation and that it is dying! But the reality shows otherwise, rock is doing very well and it offends them in a way. The music industry sales are doing really bad, and it's not hurting rock sales only. But Steel Panther, who have emerged from little clubs to the biggest venues in Europe, are the best example that talented and entertaining rock acts are still as loved and cherished as they once were!

[@Williamstanway]

Exactly Bro, look at the foo fighters, Royal blood, and countless metal/death metal bands kicking ass, I'm surprised to here this article as KZbin is booming with guitar channels and company's certainly are not afraid to pump money into research for new guitar gear. As I said it's alive and well duuuuude.

[@universalmanchild]

I disagree. I believe a person should have optionality and definitely not married to one. Last year alone I bought 8 electric guitars and they were all high end except one. Les Paul Custom Black Beauty with an ebony fretboard near mint condition, PRS McCarty Korina with Brazilian Rosewood fretboard mint condition. PRS 305 mint condition. 2 American Strats (Brand New). Fender Jazzmaster Troy Van Leeuwen, which I upgraded with Lollar pickups, Mastery Bridge, Mastery Trem & Mastery String Tree. Ibanez AS153 Artcore. And the only cheap mid range guitar I picked up was a 1972 Tele Custom which was Mexican. And today I just picked up my first guitar of the year, a Gibson Custom Shop 61 SG with the vibrato system. That alone was 3 grand. Not to mention the Orange Half Stack I just picked up last month. And all of these I have kept, no switching out.

[@InfiniteLight4]

Guitar, yes electric too, will always be around. We went through this in the early 90's and it's happening again. Sure, we may not suddenly have new guitar heroes to worship (although Brad Paisley and Keith Urban may disagree), but guitar is currently and always will be part of most any live act, from Sheeran to Satch, Garth to GaGa. Also, when discussing guitars, we must also look at sales in other topics. Sales are down in sports and sporting events, dining, clothing, and everywhere in manufacturing. It's a global slowdown and guitar and music have felt some of the sting.

[@ryanjelinek9868]

American electric guitars are too damn expensive. If I want an american Strat or Les Paul new its going to cost me at least $1,000 and for a 15 year old kid it's not possible. Thats why Les Paul and Fender are not selling nearly as many. because the younger generation cant afford nice guitars. Of course theirs to lower lines like Squier or Epiphone but if im going to Buy a Fender or Les Paul I want the one Slash Played or Eric Clapton, I don't want a cheap knock off. That's why a lot of people are turning away from those companies because you can go buy a good jackson or Ibanez for $400 or less

[@behemothokun]

Gibson and Fenders high end models aren't marketed to students, that's why they have Epiphone and Squier. Gibson cheap models like the Studio, LPJs, Faded T and so on are a great value for the money. Thinking to get a quality instrument anywhere close to what for example Slash plays for 400 is delusional. And the reason why you can get affordable Jackson's and Ibanez is because they produce their lower end models in china and indonesia, but unlike Gibson and Fender, they don't put a different name on it. A Ibanez Prestige starts at 1400/1500, not any different then the big G or F. If you would understand anything about material cost, production quality (also qc), and most importantly R&D and labour cost, then you wouldn't complain. I played on cheap equipment for years, really, it's no problem and you get great stuff for not a lot of money nowadays; but when you get a job, then it's no problem to look a bit more up-market.

[@ejaylatino1660]

Trumps Wall your lucky here in Australia if I want to buy a American made guitar easy is going to cost me over $3000 I think I saw a Gibson studio for $2585 at a shop

[@chrisattigliato1]

Trumps Wall for a 15 year old kid you don't need an American Fender or Gibson. And the fact that "younger generations can't afford nice guitars" is bullshit because 9/10 your average 13-15 year olds don't have jobs and doing chores simply won't cut it bud. If you want the guitars that slash played they get a job and work for it.

[@m.a.pourkhessalian6508]

it is too sad that a kid with a lot of talent plays a shitty guitar and it is very sad that he or she finally gets the good guitar when he or she is 30 I totally disagree with you if he likes a fender start or a lespaul now is a right time for it the difference between a 1000$ start or lespaul and a 1000$ of any model is huge.

[@WhoWouldWantThisName]

Don't get fixated on names like those. There are way better deals to be found even within the new instrument market. The fact is you can get better quality for the money today than at any time in history. Those LP's are for wealthy guys that just want it to have it. You can get really good, playing, looking, and sounding guitars for under $400 new. On the used market even less or higher end guitars for that money. These days amps are way better than they used to be and far less expensive. It's hard to even get a really bad sounding amp anymore. Remember I'm talking for a student playing around the house and maybe some small gigs. You don't even want a 50-100 watt Freidman. You will never be able to use it because it will be way too loud anyway. When accounting for inflation, todays beginning and novice players have way more and better options for even less money than any generation in the past.

[@KarstenJohansson]

I believe the problem is guitar player's "hero" hangup. You're either the absolute best and constantly improving, or you totally suck. You can't just be a good musician - you have to be hero status or go home. And then the rest of the band hates you for it. You can't possibly win if your choice is to be dissed by the band for being a showoff, or dissed by other guitar players because they think they are better than you, and simply MUST prove it. I used to go to a lot of jam nights until eventually I couldn't stand that attitude anymore. Now all the jam bars have closed down, and I think I know why.

[@aronchas]

I hope to see drop in prices in gibson lineup finally, as the guitar apocalypsis comes XD

[@calleguerraylagrimas]

yeah! thanks God for the end of the world : D , i wnna have one right away D :

[@thegayagenda2611]

Just one day or two when I can get a great Gibson SG for like a hundred bucks. Then the entire industry can die, I don't care.

[@ganbareshamiko1730]

Epiphone, boy.

[@furbymetal83]

Gibson will never be mindful regarding its prices/products. They ll replace all the organic components of their guitars with richlite and all that synthetic shit, and keep charging a zillion pounds. "dont miss the new 2025 gibson custom black beauty, made with exclusive and exquisite compressed burguer wrapping paper and cigarette butts! Now only $20.999!"

[@MiscerVids]

I would love to have a les Paul, but I'm afraid to buy one after watching some videos where dudes are claiming they've had some worth thousands that were complete shit. (Mostly newer ones I think) What are your guys thoughts?

[@ruffinogold5440]

I hear ya . At 51 , I dont see it going on like it was back in the day . However , I have helped make 3 boys since then and each plays an instrument or two . I'm doing my part

[@alexhenderson8356]

Guitar is still hands down the number one instrument. Sales are down because, there are a kazillion companies selling them, too much competition, also, they are not consumed like potato chips. A guitar is built for a lifetime. It is not an item that people buy every week. There are so many guitars around getting recycled, passed from brother to sister, father to son, friend to friend. There are millions of good second hand instruments around for dirt cheap on eBay, Reverb and Craigslist. Why buy new? Guitar companies need to diversify because too many companies make them and the supply is greater than the demand. Let's not also forget that the Chinese have also flooded the market with millions of cheap knock offs which play decently which cuts into sales of other companies. China is behind destroying many people's business. People still love guitar. Pixxy seems to equate lowered sales with the demise of guitar enthusiasm however, sales should not be the greatest indicator of guitar popularity since other factors are at play such as the tremendous amount of guitars being recycled and the fact that guitars last for decades. Millions of houses already have multiple guitars however thousands of makers keep producing millions of instruments. The market is flooded is the bottom line.

[@MK-oz2lf]

yeah but who is China in bed with? Western manufacturers. It takes 2 to tango.

[@marioguti9887]

Alex Henderson I'm hoping that the market gets so flooded that a 1,500 dollar Gibson SG Standard sells for 500 bucks someday soon...we can dream :)

[@GrizrazRex]

Indeed, the QC on Squier instruments made in China and Indonesia has gotten quite good; enough to rival the output of Fender's Ensenada maquiladora (that's Made in Mexico, for the more ignorant folks). Many of the big names have Asian-import lines with budget pricing: Fender, Lakland, MusicMan, G&L, Warwick, to name a few.

[@SirMikeProvolone]

The problem is you got the article from the Washington Compost.

[@Bleats_Sinodai]

If these more traditional guitar companies started investing in what today's standard of reference for the younger generations is (aka internet musicians and content creators), instead of relying only on the older "legends", we'd probably see a good boost in sales. Do something like a "30 day challenge", get a guy who is well known on the web and get him to learn how to play a song, I dunno. Something interesting and fun to engage people to try it out themselves.

[@skepticmonkey6923]

Just look at metal its as live as ever

[@ryanbazail]

exactly

[@WhoWouldWantThisName]

If you are on the inside of that community it will seem that way. The difference is it is much more isolated now. You have metal-heads and everyone else. Metal used to be far more mainstream, but then it was also not as extreme. Young metal fans today don't usually regard classic metal from even the `90's as metal. Hard rock and metal actually got airplay in the late 20th century and now you won't find it anywhere but the hardest of rock stations. In most major cities you will find maybe one or two radio stations that play any modern metal. One or two that will play classic metal or hard rock (one of those will be the same station). You will find around 3 stations playing country, 1 that has a jazz or blues show, probably just NPR. Then a ton of hip-hop, rap, top 40 (much the same stuff), and various sub genres of the nothing but bass thumping variety. Percentage wise, the metal audience has been shrinking for a long time with no sign of change. Hopefully that will change soon.

[@quorthonsinferno5119]

Caleb Brayton You just listen to the wrong bands lol.

[@bradpritt1550]

WhoWouldWantThisName Metal rises and falls in popularity, it has for over 45 years but the one constant is the die hard fan base that never gives up on it.

[@WhoWouldWantThisName]

+OMG Brad Pitt's talking to me. I got to show this to everyone I know, lol. Yeah, absolutely, and I haven't and won't lose interest in the metal scene completely. I just haven't really been fond of any metal bands since probably Metallica. Of course where really talking about the genre becoming either more secluded or connected to the more mainstream of pop/rock/ other blues based music. So long as it continues to have only a hardcore, sort of exclusive, following it will be back out on the fringe as it has in periods of the past. I don't believe it will ever go away completely and I hope new artists will manage to bring something new to the table with perhaps some cross genre sounds. Speaking of which I really liked Linkin Park (RIP Chester) and what they did to fuse genres in a way that never seemed forced or un-natural. Frankly anything guitar oriented will be very welcome with me.

[@saltynoodle4101]

I am 11 and my fav is Eric Johnson

[@BrettEvan]

what camera and software are you using to get 4k

[@ethanlewis2218]

They're not. plain and simple. Just because gaudy electronic music is what is hot right now doesn't mean people wont think its dogshit in a decade. Remember the synth and glam of the 80's? it largely gave way to a more stripped down guitar oriented 90's. Everything cycles

[@stephenlima7524]

Great video - agree 100% that guitar heroes come in all shapes and forms now -a-days. I think the comments below have it nailed - the #1 reason new guitar sales have stalled is because the guitar hasn't changed (in any meaningful way) in 65 years so there is PLENTY OF INVENTORY. Used guitars, sold on Ebay and Craigslist, have killed new guitar sales. Seriously, I can get a 15 year-old MINT Les Paul Classic for $1000-1350 or pay $2000+ for a new one... ummm? It is up and down the spectrum too... The technology of a Fender Strat or Tele has changes VERY LITTLE in the last 50 years... so why not buy a mid-90's American Telecaster for $550 with a HSC instead of a new American "Special" with gigbag for $900+?? Or even pick up a $300 used MIM Strat instead of a $700 new one? It is pretty simple math... inventory > demand. There is 30 years of potential inventory out there!!! (I'll ignore the pre-1980 guitars since they get into vintage territory). And, let's face it, Fender and Gibson did this to themselves. They flooded the market with high-quality import guitars at a fraction of the price-point for the last 25 years and then wonder why their $1000+ are not selling? Unreal. As much as Gibson has faltered with new models, at least they have tried to change the technology (robot tuners, PCB boards) to make it worthwhile to buy new. Fender just kept spewing out the same guitars over and over and expected to keep their sales numbers. Do you think ANY product's sales would stagnate if they didn't evolve and change over time? I mean, even basic products like toasters have had some improvement... and they actually "wear out" and need replacement. I mean, guitars don't break! Even if your frets are worn you can get the guitar re-fretted for less than a new one ... (and with more mojo). One of the few products that: #1, is the same as it was 50+ years ago; #2, doesn't really wear-out or break; #3 if broken, easy to fix (in most cases) or upgrade by owner; #4 is more desirable the older it is (and more used).... think about it.

[@supermariozombies4824]

Well for one thing Fender and Gibson keep raising their prices and we're not getting anything more for our money. The Fender American series is now up to $1400.00. That's ridiculous considering its just a repackaged item. Also people are learning to buy used and not take a bath on buying a new guitar. I'm sure some of it has to do with this crap electronic music kids are listening to. Unfortunately the middle class white kids that used to be into rock are now walking around with flat brimmed hats and their pants falling off their ass listening to rap.

[@jaymillard8033]

SuperMarioZombies i totally agree dude, i live in Australia and a gibson lp standard costs 5 grand and a fender MEXICAN standard cost 1500. The prices are just stupid. Even if you look at the exchange rate between the U.S. and Australia and the delivery charges and sales tax, we still pay double to almost 3 times as much as we should have to.

[@supermariozombies4824]

I feel bad for you. You guys get fucked for being half way around the world.

[@Nobody-on6gt]

Jay millard preach brother, it's getting to the point, where it would be cheaper to fly to America and buy one🍻

[@krelbar]

Yup, Fender prices are a joke. Got a strat in 2010 for $999 and said I would never pay more than 1000 for one. Since, I have a Squier Vintage Modified and a Deluxe...brand new, both totaled me only $420 dollars...and I bought a Squier 2000 standard, the first indonesiona ones..used for 80 bucks. Alnicos and sturdy electronics (First year runs are the best you can get overseas, they are trying to make an impression with Fender to keep the contract), and the neck is excellent.So make that total $500 for 3 awesome guitars.

[@jaymillard8033]

The Guy Dude i live in Australia, we have like nothing local.

[@kevinnickens]

I think people are learning to buy used instead of new, which a lot of the other comments have said, but the cultural part of owning a guitar has changed in a weird way, let me explain. When people see a good guitar player perform, they are just as astounded as they always were, they still have that same sense of awe, the difference nowadays is fewer people are willing to actually start playing because they don't want to put in the work and dedication to become a good guitar player. This is because the general taste in music has changed, all the songs on the top 100 are rap, hip hop, or pop that is heavily influenced by rap. When people see these rap and pop icons becoming superstars using auto tune and mumble rap, they want to emulate them, and it would be a lot easier to become famous "singing" or rapping than becoming famous playing guitar, which takes years of hard work and practice. Basically what I'm saying is it takes less musical talent to be a successful musician these days.Let it be noted that guitar players can still be successful in today's musical climate, look at John Mayer. It is just more attractive to aspiring musicians to rap or "sing" rather than play guitar.

[@6345788]

It's not only electric guitars...So many disciplines are being lost. Taking music lessons and dedicating hours of practice per day. Learning chess. Amateur radio. So sad.

[@mikemadden2729]

Even doing drugs! So sad.

[@greekfreak1980]

Neither the electric guitar as an instrument nor rock/metal as music genres are dead.Both aren't featured in trad. mainstream media,like radio/tv as they used to be,but on the internet and on festivals,they're more then alive,they're actually thriving. You got guys like Bonamassa,selling out huge venues without any radioplay,you got John Mayer,Gary Clark Jr. or Tadeshi/Trucks band,beeing highly successful.You got Metal acts like Maiden,Metallica etc. selling out arenas and huge festivals like Wacken(which every year sells out in record time).You got new,innovative guitarplayers like Plini,Angel Vivaldi,Sithu Aye,Andy James, the guys from Chon etc. etc.just to name a few ,who started successful music careers,without having a label or any radioplay and playing a niche genre,just by releasing quality music and using the internet,to promote their work. And about declining guitar sales:Fender,Gibson sell less guitars,because they sell inferior,outdated,overpriced product,simple as that.Instead of innovating,they're milking the ''vintage/roadworn/relic''-demographic.People are asking from Gibson,to fix their outdated headstock design and neck heel,instead they put robotic tuners on their guitars! You see smaller companies,specially the ones who specialize in custom made,high-end instruments,like Strandberg,Skervessen,Aristides,Ormsby,EBMM,Mayones or Kiesel,selling their instruments like hot cakes,why? Because they build quality guitars,with innovative features.And don't get me starting on the far east,budget guitars and how good they have become.Back in the mid-90's,the only good affordable guitars for beginners were the Yamaha Pacificas,nowadays you can find a decent beginner guitar for a reasonable price,from dozen brands.

[@davewalsh3885]

The Washington Post knows about music just as much as they know about politics. And that would be nothing.

[@wildbillhackett]

You got _that_ right, and I could say the same for the New York Times and the Associated Press.

[@prettynoose8497]

You're damn right Dave and Bill! Fox 'news' and The laughable Blaze know jack squat as well!!

[@wildbillhackett]

That's true. Liberal or conservative, they're not news anymore when they start favoring political parties. They're just opinion pushers.

[@googlepluzplus8049]

yep, they told that Hillary would win.

[@joweerocks]

I wouldn't line the bottom of a birdcage with The Washington Post.

[@phantumgrey]

I've been playing for 15 years and I play well. Every guitar I have owned or did own was bought used. I never saw a need to buy new.

[@jigpl0x224]

Guitar will be famous again, if we sell out to corporate media. Imagine, "Slash - fingering dat G string ft. lil yatchy, lil pump, kendrick lamar, drake.

[@justrockon426]

0:42 they never took into account used guitar sales, since 10 years or so its become much much easier to find a used guitar, in the comfort of your own home. That and its true the music industry (or labels) have not created many guitar heros in the last years.

[@ashvinraghavan9090]

rock n roll will never die. and so will guitar.

[@steveburton9242]

Yes, it will. Just like Ragtime, Swing and Bop. Tastes will eventually change. The trombone, trumpet and clarinet were the hottest instruments in the 30's, right? And if you look at old newsreels, the guitar was a backing instrument buried in the mix. We dont want it to, but rock will die, like everything. My teenagers dont listen to any rock whatsoever, and arent interested in it. This makes me sad, but then I was not interested in my parents music, or my grandparents music.

[@rustyshackelford4613]

But i will die before rock dies so i dont give a fuck

[@jasonjay809]

Guitar rock was once driven by videos and radio, it created a whole rock culture. That faded away and record companies no longer wanted take a chance with rock bands, but went with the safe and quick sell of rap and pop music. There's almost no mainstream media for rock music anymore, which makes it hard...but the thousands of people that show up to rock shows and concerts convince me that people still love good music.

[@cast390]

I have plenty of tube amps and guitars so I dont give a fuck what happens.

[@dansands6363]

same lol As long as I'm alive the Electric Guitar isn't going anywhere

[@cast390]

If the electric guitar industry tanks,than its Companies like Gibson Fender PRS etc to blame with their BS 3K,4k 5K price tags.Corporate Greed will be its down fall..

[@cast390]

Dont matter to me,I've got quite a reserve of tubes also..Now if they stop making amp techs,im fucked..

[@rsingh1252]

give me one bro I'm poor

[@cast390]

@ rishon you could try doing what i've done to acquire such a nice collection over the years,its called get a job and work...

[@MusicbyLou]

In the 60s we were inspired by the surf scene which came after a long so-called drought. Blues guys, Les Paul were pushed to the background. I wouldn't worry. The rise of the guitar soloist is cyclical and will happen when someone develops a new and engaging genre.

[@wolffgang101]

Yeah the sells maybe low, but its always going to fluctuate.

[@soso-zj1fz]

John Frusciante was really an amazing guitar player after he rejoined rhcp throughout the 2000's. unfortunately he quit again in 2009 but I still think that he was the best guitar player in the 2000s.

[@BRZguy]

He fully quit? I thought he just quit the band not guitar too.

[@soso-zj1fz]

he quit to pursue a solo career but its more electronic music and barely any guitar

[@torontofenderjunkie]

Prices up, sales down = mystery. Corporations, folks!

[@JeffManseau]

I think the world of guitar playing is changing with the advent of KZbin and social media and now the new guitar heroes are guys like Jared Dines or Rob Scallon but they don't necessarily put out "tunes" the way more traditional artists used to so you won't find them on the Billboard but they still rake in millions and millions of views monthly from people who are probably pretty dedicated musicians

[@genghiskhan8793]

lol, I'm twelve and Eric Claptons my fav

[@PotatoSmashGamer]

Genghis Khan I'm still a fetus and I look up Mark Knopfler

[@kevinkdinh]

PotatoSmashGamer I don't even exist and I admire Jimi Hendrix

[@evantate7990]

i am a mere idea in my parents heads and i enjoy cavemen music

[@marioguti9887]

Evan Tate I'm a particle inside the soon to be big bang and I love Dave Gilmour

[@user-zu7vc7un9z]

Played a band comp in London last night with 4 acts, 2 of which were acoustic male singer song writers, highly sentimental music, where most of the emphasis was on the vocals and not the guitar. The second last band was a heavy sludge rock band, they were really great. Sadly, the crowd only stayed for the first 2 acoustic acts and there was a distinct exit of people when the electric guitar started! We are an Electro-Blues group, combining bluesy electric guitar with dance music. We don't tend to clear out rooms, but sadly we suspect that this is because of the dance elements of the music.

[@zebdoz333]

well it is the music industry its self that is the problem, when they push nothing but shit like Lady Ga Ga what do you expect?

[@Guitaroverkill]

My top ten reasons why guitar is dying: (1)Video kids are so lazy they don't want to put the time into practicing. It takes effort. (2)There is a guitar glut. Anyone can buy one on eBay. (3) Watching bands just jump around on stage is boring now. Kids want to go watch a DJ and a light show. Yes a show. (4) The price of some guitars are outrageous. They've priced themselves out of the market. (5) Lead guitar was killed by Nivana and Green Day. There aren't many guitar heroes. Joe Satriani blows everyone away and people don't know who he is because it's instrumental. (6) Kids want to sing sappy Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Backstreet Boys, etc. songs. (7) White kids started to like rap and hip-hop. You don't need a guitar in that music. Just say some gibberish to a beat. (8) A new generation likes new music. Hey, Big Bands went out of business. (9) Guitars became knick-knacks. Who ever plays a PRS dragon? They're too afraid of putting a ding in it and kill the resale value. (10) Most of us are getting "Too old to rock n roll, but too young to die." Thank you Ian Anderson.

[@furbymetal83]

I m calling bollocks on the whole thing. I m in my 30s and I ve been playing since I was 12, and I m amazed by the fact that this is like the best era to be a guitar player. Zillions of gear brands coming out each year -- that wouldnt happen if the market wasnt alive and kicking. Yeah, mainstream music sucks a fat one, but there s plenty of good stuff out there, lots of kids getting into (real) music and loving it, youtube saturated with guitar lessons and everything is right there, available for everybody. Guitar will never die, bitches. Nice try.

[@thatnorwegianguy1986]

Also in my mid thirties and zillions of gear brands that nobody is buying is coming out sorry but the saturation on youtube is kind of the problem. There is very little interesting music since most music youtubers is just shilling gear or shitty guitar courses.

[@jackburton3540]

I don't know how many others have noticed that the price of gear really hasn't increased a whole lot either. I mean yeah amps, and pedals have gotten pricey, but the guitar remains the same as it did 10-20 years ago. Especially used gear, it could be beautiful and have been barely touched, but they still sell at half or less of the list price. I only paid $300 for my most recent buy which was $1000 guitar list price. It had never even been used by it's previous owner.

[@AbhishekDutta777]

Maybe Ukelele taking down the electric guitar sale...???

[@rhitosparsha]

+Abhishek Dutta Very likely!

[@6idangle]

damn good point

[@DanielGonzalez-fw8kl]

yea because the instrument is so easy to play that's probably why

[@AbhishekDutta777]

just give it a thought..!!

[@AbhishekDutta777]

Not likely.... Lookz like ur Humortard..!!

[@ghosttoast6161]

The death of guitar in popular music.

[@mikemadden2729]

Yes. Pop & rock are 2 different things.

[@DZ-302]

im only 14 and play bass but hes got a point cause i play bass because of geddy lee but lots of people like davie504 (youtuber) are keeping the "dream" alive

[@elguey570]

Hunter Gould bass is gonna live on longer than the guitar because of how much it adds to the songs. Davie is fucking hilarious haha he's talented

[@billgaming8623]

@@elguey570 bass guitar is an octave lower guitar. It wont live longer because it can be replaced with other low instruments

[@DigitalAshTCG]

also in 2006, pop punk was really popular, and the thing with punk rock is that it's easier to play than other forms of music so it's more encouraging. Now that i see this video, i've realized almost all the modern bands i listen to use acoustic guitars now. weird.

[@anonymousguy7723]

As time changes, so does musical instruments. I personally play bagpipes saxophone and I started learning guitar. My bagpipe music is not on the radio or the billboard top 100. I play songs that are generally 100+ years old. I have no regrets because I chose the instrument because I love it. The decline of the electric guitar is because of rap , pop, and computer generated noise ( aka crap music). The industry is promoting people that sample ( aka steal ) music from real artists.... When's the last time you saw a rap band with real instruments? Maybe a couple of scratched up records and a turntable... Gene Simmons from KISS was right.... " These people don't even play instruments and they are in the rock & roll hall of fame....!!!!"

[@jamesgarcia7034]

Bernard J Fortin ...yeah, I agree as well...is this act of handing out inductions to people , who don't even play instruments possibly, some PC correct bullspit, making it the equivalent of handing every child a trophy-even the losers-just for showing up?? What, people no longer boo bands off stage, if they suck?? Or, is that no longer "acceptable", to be honest, sometimes brutal, but necessary, or else we'll continue seeing "artists" get up on stage and using technology to supplant their meager skills, and getting accolades, instead of being booed off, because they suck??

[@mikemadden2729]

Actually rap ain't that bad, but I've been listening to noncommercial alternative, community & college radio since the 1970s because the good rock, country & jazz was there. They just happened to play rap too, so I got used to it & accepted it as a kind of rock. Some people thought I was nuts! It's better than disco, new wave & electronic dance music.

[@basilioamaro1085]

The reality of low sales in a single market usually means it’s dying, but when sales are low across all markets, such as retail, and restaurants, and entertainment. That points to a problem that's considerably broader. The desire for guitars and skill is still strong, and the marker for that is School of Rock. But people don’t have the expendable cash that used to be present in the middle class, and so are using their older brother's guitars, buying used, or just living with the guitar they’re sick of - but don’t have the cash to replace. Many guitar makers are struggling and it’s not because they are making a poor product, to the contrary, some are amazing, but there’s not enough money in the middle class to support gals/guys that need to be paid for their efforts. I hope that the guitar makers out there that are struggling (and are good at designing and building) realize they aren’t doing things wrong. I’m certain many look in the mirror as they’re brushing their teeth in the morning, and wonder how they screwed up their businesses - but it’s not their fault that everyone’s discretionary budget is smaller. If they can keep the skills from getting rusty, and maintain confidence in themselves, when economy is more retail friendly they should be able to ramp up production. Provided they haven’t rung the bell and walked away.

[@republicofkekistan6208]

it's not rock is dying even in the early 2000s rock was around its just been the last maybe 6 bad years of rushed rock songs it'll change when demand is increased people who listen to rock is also to blame I understand listen to led Zeppelin and ac dc but support the rise of new bands

[@clb8861]

I'm kinda old for a guitarist, 66. I used to love acoustic guitar during the early 60s. People I knew played folk. In 1970, at college, my acoustic was completely out of style. I put it in th4e back corner of my closet. Didn't touch it for 40 years. It now seems acoustic electric instruments have made a comeback. I play guitar, mandolin, and ukulele in accoustic jam sessions where we gather to play old time music. 75 to a hundred musicians play together.

[@888Marco]

I don't care because i don't play for others. I love my guitars and will ever do till the end. And the f is this Ed guy.

[@danynja8685]

A pop "artist".

[@shankrl1]

Here we go. Pretending you haven't heard of Ed Sheean bahaha. Okay. Only the biggest artist on earth. Would be like saying "who are the Beatles" in early 70s.

[@olinmoseley5060]

he's just as artistic as every other singer songwriter what u talkin about??

[@Atlas65]

hahaha are you serious, are you calling Ed Sheeran the biggest artist on earth.. Couple of years ago, everybody was watching Glee it was ridiculously popular, still people weren´t calling the director of Glee the biggest director on earth.

[@MegaDocjoe]

the problem (and you cited that) is that electric guitars seems to be losing in favor of acoustic guitars. for the masses of idiots and simple minded people (musically speaking) especially in the third world, acoustic guitar melody and arpeggios are seen as romantic, pleasant, natural and warm sounding while electric guitar (especially distorted) is seen as "harsh on the ears", not musical, aggressive and even seen as "stressful noise" or satanic ....this is especially after the huge popularity of using acoustics in most crappy rap, RNB, HipHop, pop , triphop as well as "unplugged" music..... I think the same comparison stands today between the use of real drumkits vs drum machines in most of shitty modern music

[@mikeydominguez7404]

damn my boy unfortunately this is so true . . I'm 23 years old and my genertaion does not care about Guitar . well most of them for the most part . people pay so much money to go see a Laptop live but don't care about a "band" "Live performance " . its kind of sad man I know a handful of Good Guitar players. .I'm very dedicated to my instrument and I will be to My days are up . .fuck the rest . . Keep them coming Pixx!! Big fan of your videos and your playing . . Much love from EAST LA 🍻 🎸

[@Ron4roc]

Mikey Dominguez keep playing man you'll never regret it. Doesn't matter if you like Clapton or john Mayer, develop your own style and keep playing with people that inspire you!

[@behemothokun]

had this discussion with a bar owner who does a "metal night" once a month. And people just don't come to these kind of gigs anymore. That day he had 15 paying guests (5€ each). . . he doesn't make any money doing these smaller events, on the contrary, he loses money almost every time so my band decided to not accept any money for that gig and we bought some cool shirts from him to support his cause.

[@Mr._Knight_138]

Mikey Dominguez That's what's up. I'm twenty three as well and agree with what you said. Cheers from the other side of town👍

[@TheBadFred]

The problem is that a lot musicians are no longer needed to produce music. In the 70's to make a big Disco track you needed a big band with brass, strings, guitars, bass, percussion, background vocals etc., today one guy and a computer can do most of it alone, which makes a really cheap.

[@joecrowsantibanez1733]

Wow crazy, there are so many guitar company's out there now days plus it cost a lot to buy an American made guitar. I don't think its dead just very slow now days, times are hard. We also don't have MTV pushing hard rock like before and the kids are buying new phones all time , and they cost at least $400 to $1000 bucks now days.

[@utubehound69]

It's the Media Pushing the Gaga's Katy Perrys & cRap chopped up techno DJ Bass stuff synth stuff remember the 70's Rock is dead Disco with the "beat" & the Horns…. well Folks Snapped outta that after Urban cowboy movie. Then Back to the Future & Crossroads films came out made a lotta kids wanna Play Gtr. e.g. the 80's when Guitars were King. then Media Changed to Grunge on MTV… till now Music is being fazed out where ppl do stupid stuff & listen to Hip Hop e.g. where we are now in a Pop Music Sewer.

[@olinmoseley5060]

pop music has always been cancerous with the exceptions of "the greats." and generalizing rap by just whats on the radio is like generalizing rock by linkin park, it's short sighted and close minded. Many hip-hop artists in my opinon, are infinitely lyrical than the majority of bands. I claim myself to be a rock fan primarily, a jazz fan secondly, and rap fan thirdly. If you have not given rap it's fair listening, you should listen to "to pimp a butterfly" by Kendrick Lamar. I would go to say his lyricism is on par to Dylan in his prime. And if you think Guitars were king in the eighties, you must not have listened to everything that wasn't hair metal and glam rock because Talking heads, The cure, the cars, depeche mode and even King Crimson were diving head first into synths.

[@becksmith1538]

minor gripe, thumbnail says 1948-20?? first electrically amplified guitar was the rickenbacker "frying pan" also known as the "pancake" first conceived in 1931 and sold roughly until 1937 until it was replaced by the rickenbacker "electro string." if you consider the first electric guitar possibly the fender broadcaster (1948) you are mistaken... there were gibson guitars 7 years before the broadcaster that had multiple pickups, volume and tone for each one, among other things we still see in the electric guitar to this day. I get that the thumbnail is miniscule, but you could have simply searched up "rickenbacker frying pan" or even first electric guitar and the frying pan would probably show up. i went way too in depth sorry.

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

I would not take anything the "Washington post" says seriously!

[@stephenfiore9960]

..... "FAKE NEWS" EVEN BLEEDS OVER into the GUITAR WORLD i guess...

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

It most certainly does. We live in a world of lies and have to vet everything told to us anymore.

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

Hey MOLTO, Fuck you and the monster that birthed you! ! I fucking hate trump you ignorant fucking piece of shit!

[@rickymetzenbomb7548]

Trump is your master.

[@JaypLindsey]

Sam hit the nail on the head, used guitars are a much better deal these days and always have been. For years I bought out of pawn shops, always trading up. A few years later, I started using a Tokai Love Rock with a 3D premium top that I would put up against ANY Gibson out there. Gibson has always over-priced themselves out of a deal, new or used(for me), until just lately. I traded three premium Tokai's for two of the best looking Les Paul Standards I've seen a 2015 & a 2016 , both used at the right price. Gutted them of the pc boards and replaced the pickups with the best Rio Grandes.

[@ismaelfreytes1106]

Tayor Swift suck

[@ceejohansson]

The best songs ever written is still "hot" today, same goes with guitar solos and such. When there is soul in it, it stays and it's timeless. Today, there is lot's of speed freaks and technique, but it's missing the warmth and the tender touch. Robert Johnson, Albert King, BB King, Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa, Stevie Ray and so many others, they play and played so you can feel it, or it brings a special kind of joy. That's what's missing today and that's why people purchase less guitars. It's easy to play fast, but bend a few strings that brings tears, that's a totally different story. The lifespan of a guitar is also more then a few weeks.

[@daviob9481]

The post. King of crap news.

[@rodneynorris5281]

Started playing electric guitar when I was 13. Thirty six years has passed and I still love to play. My two boys started to play but with Facebook,Instagram and all the other crap going on , they lost interest. Growing up we didn't have to deal with all these distractions. We're dealing with a new generation of youth where instant gratification is on the rise. My kids would rather listen to music then to play it. I didn't care about hooking up when I was 13, however this generation does. They care more about who has the best swag lol. We didn't have internet back then, and that made our world a lot smaller. Please excuse my grammar, French is my first language.

[@probusexcogitatoris736]

Well, the music is turning to shit... so, no surprise that youngsters aren't willing to play. I'm quite sure many young people think instruments are for old people. I really think they don't even make the connection that instruments are for making music. I mean, everything is done on a computer these days. YES, music is a load of crap these days. That's an objective fact. The harmonies are just depressingly simple. Modern pop-songs don't even have chord progressions. It's just a monotone fucking retarded line of notes (I won't even call it a melody) on top of computer noise. Also, there's no such thing as a groove. Just stupid simple programmed drum loops. If the songs don't have any real harmonic content nor a good rhythm and groove, then you just can't call it good music. Unless, you completely redefine what music is. I feel kind of sorry for the younger generations, who will grow up without a clue what music actually is. I'm not even talking about good music. I'm talking about music in general. The fucking shit, that current pop artists are pushing out isn't music. It's fucking crap! Like fast food. Something you just ingest without actually enjoying it or even contemplating the act. That's current pop music. A distraction for mindless hyperactive teens with a serious attention disorder.

[@tylarex]

It's not an objective fact at all. It's your opinion, and only your opinion.

[@elguey570]

ThecoolMaxEverest it is an opinion. Truth is that music took a turn and hip hop has taken over. Hip hop isn't bad however. Yeah it is easier to make but it's just clear innovation if this guy listen to geniuses like Kendrick lamar. It's not all crap unless you're talking about chainsmokers lol

[@escape2039]

I know. I make sure to bring cds of what I'd consider to be decent music in the car with me so whenever my little sisters there she listens to something that's better than a couple of auto tuned moans

[@rbagel55]

I couldn't agree with you more. Out of curiosity I watched this documentary of rapper Eminem, and he explained how he makes his songs. He uses a program called Reason. It is not really a simple program, and I guess there is some skill in his rap lyrics, making it rhyme with a rhythm. He constructs these songs and then clicks save and guess what? Whenever he goes to perform, he just takes his computer shit, sets it up and clicks play, and it is perfect everytime. There are no real musical instruments---instruments that require skill from the player in order to make it sound good. With Autotune-singers nowadays don't have to know how to sing in tune correctly, because Autotune will fix that. So the music industry looks for these hot little sluts and pretty boys like Bieber for their pop stars, because sex sales Before this digital bullshit age came to be, you had to know how to sing in tune correctly, or you got the fuck away from the microphone. Modern music sucks, because now it doesn't require musical talent to make something that stupid kids will buy. And that has always been the goal of the American music Industry. They really don't care that much about talent as they do something that will sell. Notice how every couple of years they will kill one style of music and bring out something new. Like what they did at the end of the flower child 60's, in came acts like Sabbath, Led Zepplin, and Alice Cooper. Or like at the end of the 80's when they killed off all the hair metal acts and gave us grunge. They target people under 25 because they are the one's who buy most of the music cd's and are the one's who are more likely to be trendy. It sucks , but that is the way it is. I predict that this trend won't go on forever. At some point in time, I think people will get tired of this fake shit and want to hear something a little more real

[@Dellerss]

I almost completely agree with this. I enjoy fast food once every couple of years though, but I can't stand modern pop unless it's trying to be old school.

[@mrlafayette1964]

everything ebbs and flows, the instrument itself is so versatile and expressive, there will always be a place for it in any kind of music.

[@BrandyTWMF]

I completely agree. Without Guitar Hero as a young kid, who knows if I ever would have decided taking up playing. Too many suppliers, not enough demand, plus think about the amount of people reselling gear as opposed to buying brand new.

[@Photojouralist123]

If electric guitar is dead or dying how come I've bought 10 brand new quitars in the past 7 years. This month I bought a brand new Suhr!

[@prsplayer210]

Nice, i owned a Suhr Modern Classic and wish i didnt have to sell it. The best guitar i've ever played.

[@JoeStuffz]

One thing I noticed about Europe (the continent) is that there are a lot more labels in Europe producing new rock music involving electric guitars. Now, they are considered indie labels, yet I'm not sure if the likes of Nuclear Blast is indie in Germany. Check out footage of Wacken. There's some amazing projects like Avantasia and Ayreon. There's cheese like Gloryhammer and Battle Beast.

[@casualcadaver]

To me guitars are more alive now than ever with so many amazing bands playing 6,7,even 8 string electric guitars like Adagio, Intervals,Veiled in Scarlet and Periphery.

[@joeoquinn3125]

as a guitar salesman, i can say they are by far the most popular instrument. but i would agree its a very very VERY slow death. its not on the massive incline as it was in the late 60s or middle 50s; we are maybe on the tail end of a plateau, but it is still insanely popular as far as instrumentalists. gibson and fender will never die, they are about half my store

[@JoseHernandez-vh1kb]

Guitar sales in retail are diminishing b/c there's so many guitars out there that there is less of a demand for new manufactured guitars

[@petercollin5670]

Electric guitars were exciting when they kept introducing new things that could be done with them....First, amplifying them. Then the introduction of distortion and effects pedals. Then modding them for speed and extreme whammy bar techniques. The excitement always came when a guy came along that made you say, "I didn't know you could do that on a guitar!" By now, we know every thing that you can do, every trick and gimmick has been explored.

[@laurinhunt1360]

I brought a used electric guitar from a pawn shop 3 months just started learning at 35 years old and I love it.. starting a band and plan to resurrect the industry

[@hubertvancalenbergh9022]

Nice Strat. Is that a Placid Blue finish?