The Truth - Guitar is NOT dead

[@Karlgolden]

I think thanks to youtube the guitar world has been reinvigorated. Really cool community growing

[@imakestuff177]

Karl Golden couldn't agree more

[@Deliquescentinsight]

Yes, I am an older guitar player, and I love the KZbin guitar community it has grown so much and every ttype of guitar playing is represented. Keep playing guys.

[@3oore]

Yeah. Definitely. I'm a drummer of twenty years. Just now getting into playing guitar. Been wanting to for a while. And thanks to KZbin it's much easier to learn.

[@spaceshifterstereogunmachine]

Or killed? hmm..

[@Karlgolden]

no way KZbin killed it. Its not dead anyway. Its never been mainstream

[@RobChappers]

Contrary to popular belief, Guitar is not dead... we have huge emerging areas in India and China, millions of guitar sales, and dozens of awesome new "Guitar heroes" each year. Things have just changed, moved and those who have not kept their eyes on the ball have paid the price. Instead of TV/Radio we have social media, music sales have declined but Adsense and Patreon have emerged... labels are diminishing and artists are going DIY to take the power back. I'll be here to answer comments for a bit ;-)

[@connorgray5576]

The exponential technology increase in the last 20, 10, even 5 years is MASSIVE compared to the last century, and old opinions will always float around. Misinformation is an understandable mistake, Disinformation is purposely spreading false information.

[@mit1347]

Great guy Rob givin us the metal gospel

[@bronsoncontreras3279]

Care to name some recent or new guitar heroes? I’m personally curious to know because I have been a part of that “only 60s/maybe 79s had guitar heroes” group.

[@RobChappers]

Just listed some!

[@austinbrowne8120]

this is the video ive been waiting for! im a young guitarist starting out in a band of my own and sometimes its hard to look past all the negative comments and this is exactly what i needed to hear. thanks rob :)

[@RobChappers]

Before you comment saying "There are no more guitar heroes like Slash, Clapton etc" please check that you have actually looked and are not just listing guitarists from your generation ;-) To many of the younger generation people like Misha, Rabea, Plini and Tosin are the new guitar heroes.

[@EvelynRoods]

Rob Chapman and rob scallon.

[@Deliquescentinsight]

I have met and seen some wonderful younger players, that 'buckethead' is something else too

[@Metal_Scott]

Rob Chapman You're absolutely right! It's just a matter of looking for them. So many amazing artists are now easy to find. Plus now you can watch and listen to hours of content by these incredibly talented players for free. Thanks for doing what you do Chappers. It's because of you and the Captain that I finally decided to make a youtube channel for my band, and we've been having a blast since

[@TMmodify]

If only misha had 2 equally talented players in his band...oh wait

[@theconvert1208]

Metal Scott You wrote:" You're absolutely right! It's just a matter of looking for them." But the thing is, if they were really "guitar gods" in the same class culturally as in the past, they'd be everywhere. No searching haystacks required. I'm not saying there aren't good guitar players. I'm saying that culturally they are niche and don't matter the way they did in the past.

[@Gullintanne]

Hey chappers. I'm a guitarist and a singer, and I have been a silent fan of yours for quite a while. I used to spend hours a day just playing and making music. It made me happy, and helped me through a lot of hardship. In recent years however, I've let my music fall to the wayward and my outlook on life has fallen in turn. Thank you so much for this video. It has served as a reminder that my music hasn't died and that its sitting there waiting for me.

[@EricBlackmonGuitar]

Guitar is ALIVE AND WELL. And that is true in part because of people like you Rob, who do everything they can to keep the guitar ball rolling. I don't sell guitars but I own over 100 of them. I teach guitar everyday to students who love the instrument and love to play. Just like any industry, guitar makers will have their problems and find ways to get past them, but the guitar and the music it it inspires will be carried on by the young people who are learning the instrument as we speak. The guitar is one of the greatest musical tools ever created. As long as players are making music, they will need tools. Keep rocking Rob!

[@LetsTalkAboutMathRock]

Without KZbin, I would have never know people actually enjoyed my music/playing. Thanks Rob.

[@rumbachumba330]

Oh hello there my dude, keep putting out great work you've helped me tremendously.

[@ThinkImBasedGod]

your channel is the shit man

[@iriyanjohannsen1957]

Let's Talk About Math Rock ITS YOU!!!

[@LetsTalkAboutMathRock]

Haha. Yes, it's me!

[@LetsTalkAboutMathRock]

Thanks dude

[@RobChappers]

Here are just a handful of new/old guitar heroes of mine for you to explore, share and enjoy: Rick Graham, Phil Dyer, Tom Quayle, Plini, Lari Basilio, Joey Landreth, Kerry 2 Smooth, Mateus Asato, Matthew Long, Johnny Hiland and Alexandra Zerner \m/

[@joeduncan4487]

Rob Chapman Do you like Daniel Donato?

[@thomasbarchen]

Dear Rob, You forgot Mark Speer of Khruangbin.

[@RobChappers]

Please remember I said “Handful”...

[@petertiffany8096]

Add Julian Lage to the list

[@bclmax]

never heard of any of them, thats why guitar is dead .go ask ask a 18 year old who their fav guitarist is. they might know the old names but new ones?

[@carpocraftguitarscarpentry8469]

I'm a musician and enjoy how guitar is now being pulled into the EDM scene. It's far from DEAD. Just getting started

[@Viper-dz2kw]

Joshua Orr careful there with those opinions people like us can't say that we like guitar in edm or else the traditionalist police will get you

[@MsCygnusX1]

Really? I love some EDM. Which acts feature guitarists/guitars on their songs?

[@carpocraftguitarscarpentry8469]

MsCygnusX1 depends on your interest.... Infected mushroom is one I like. But generally it's just a melding of many genres in the modern days.

[@Viper-dz2kw]

MsCygnusX1 knife party recently did a collab with tom morello that's pretty cool

[@gusgrimm7533]

@Joshua Orr: "guitar is now being pulled into the EDM scene." Thx, U just made my day! "Just getting started!"

[@bestboy897]

How is this video controversial? Everyone who cares about guitar or music in general knows guitar isn't dead.

[@seanmcaleavy2369]

Really? I don't know what you yourself actually see when you view a flute or violin, or a guitar for that matter, but calling something dead just because you don't find it interesting is stupid. That's all. Just wanted to let you know that your comment was stupid. Bye

[@khargrar]

Flute or violin aren't dead either. There's no such thing as "poeple" viewing them dead (or anything).

[@stevemascarenhas3140]

Plenty of people play flute or violin nowadays and are very very relevant.. you need to search more. Hugo Kant for example

[@k.l.graham5860]

Am I the only one who read his comment as sarcasm?

[@Im0nJupiter]

Yall realize he said "isn't dead" right?

[@rezolution6272]

Wow! I really like that post! I'm going to share it out in some of my guitar groups on Facebook because there are a lot of people who believe rock is dead. I think this will help them understand from someone who is connected to music and also inspire them to get their music "Business" started. Thank you so much for the post! \m/

[@LiamJohnsongumby]

you're a bloody guitar hero chappers

[@inevitableveganfuture3915]

Guitar is so dead that my local piano shop has to sell guitars to stay open.

[@jblackwellentertainment7084]

👽 inevitable vegan future 👽 I see what you did there lol

[@petoskeystoned6221]

Guitar isn't dead. Hell man, even my neighbors know that.

[@markeric2997]

Edward Krause haha like it me to

[@heru-tehutire1329]

I bet your neighbors love your loud Marshall stack and Stratocaster! LOL!

[@MusicTherapyLaz]

Best comment! :-)

[@petoskeystoned6221]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKGqeJx5f5WtaLc

[@nath1606]

Even my dad’s aunt’s cousin’s cat’s dog, who is also my da

[@nstrug]

Guitar-based rock music is now niche, in the same way that jazz is (ironically, there is a big jazz revival in the UK at the moment). There are fantastic guitarists out there at the moment, but no-one except other guitarists have ever heard of them. You could not say the same about Hendrix, Slash, Clapton, Richards etc. And you know what? That's fine. Whether or not a particular music genre is popular at any given time is no indicator of its cultural worth or longevity. Go look at the top 100 singles for 1977 - year zero for punk in the UK and you'll be surprised - the vast majority are utterly forgettable dross like Showaddywaddy and David Soul that have had zero cultural impact and are not remembered by anyone - meanwhile, we're still debating the influence of the Pistols and the Clash 40 years later.

[@orlock20]

Beth Hart is as famous as Adele and Katy Perry in Europe so it's not a niche instrument. She plays acoustic guitar and bass, but there is a lot of electronic guitar songs she wrote herself.

[@AlexGunMetal]

Being niche is not a bad thing.

[@Im0nJupiter]

I'd argue there's a rock/psych revival in Australia. King Gizzard and Tame Impala. You have Mild High Club, Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall kicking around in Cali too.

[@simonnielsen3486]

@@AlexGunMetal And it really isn't, you're right. An Oversaturation of sub-par electric guitar-driven rock songs that no one remembers anymore is what pushed rock music out of the mainstream, and to be honest the rarity of guitars in music really just make them matter more when they're there and played well.

[@orlock20]

@Wild Eye Beth Hart's last album was #19 on the UK chart and higher in other countries. She also sells out the largest music halls in Europe and Russia. There are three or four cover bands that make a living off of Beth's music.

[@dudekanic]

THANK YOU ROB CHAPMAN!!!!!! I'm a few years older than you 48, so I grew up in the mist of Metals roots. I've been playing guitar for 35 years and I believe now is my favorite time for music. Most of the players I love are very accessible playing smaller venues where the shows are great and always sold out. I've never cared if I made a living playing, or cared if I got paid. I PLAY LIVE!!! The only way to play. I love it. Love to play with my band, hope others love it too.

[@RandyWillcox]

Right on, Rob! And yeah, if you've offended anyone...bitter. Many people are blind to the "work" part of the music industry. The Led Zeppelins and Rolling Stones of the world are few and far between. People need to be open to discovering ALL the areas of music they enjoy and use them all to make money. It's not just about showing up and playing. And anyone with ill feelings about the social media aspect of it will be the first to fail and perpetuate the "guitar is dead" BS! 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@dc4019]

Led Zeppelin had an insane business arm once they got successful. They were one of the first bands to make their own record label.

[@theconvert1208]

"if you've offended anyone...bitter." = "haters gonna hate", which is BS, because it suggests that any contrary position is invalid. The arrogance of that attitude is that there is no information that is yet unknown that might persuade you. If you cannot be convinced of something different, then you are no longer thinking.

[@RandyWillcox]

TheConvert lol. First of all, I have that "attitude" about this scenario BECAUSE of the information Rob point to out here: the spread of people's musical interest, the sheer volume of guitars being sold worldwide, the massive numbers of people playing guitar and it's presence on KZbin. It's not a blind response to the notion guitar is dead. Second, for there to be unknown information to persuade me otherwise, it would have to actually contradict the facts I just mentioned in the previous sentence. Troll elsewhere.

[@theconvert1208]

Randy Wilcox Well, first: "Troll elsewhere." is a lazy reply to a contrary perspective that you don't want to deal with. Second "BECAUSE of the information Rob point to out here" is the kind of intellectual laziness I was talking about. You take one set of facts from one biased source and reject anything that runs counter to it. Bravo. "it would have to actually contradict the facts": yep, that's how it works. In all seriousness, like the original article, Rob is talking about the businesses of music, and not the CULTURE of music. Personally, I think the business of music is a secondary indicator of the prominence of the guitar as a primary instrument, while culture is a primary indicator. As I've written elsewhere, I don't care for rap, r&b, etc, yet I cannot escape knowing about Jay-Z or Kanye, because they are ubiquitous in our culture, in the same way that Clapton, Van Halen, and others were, but their counterparts no longer are, ubiquitous in the culture. THAT is the counter evidence. You have to seek out guitar bands now, whereas in the era of guitar gods, you couldn't avoid them. See? That is an argument, not "trolling".

[@RandyWillcox]

TheConvert ok

[@niptodstan]

I'm nearly 60 and have lived through this a few times. After Sabbath/Zep we had it. Then we had NWOBHM. Then a lull. Then whoever followed... Blah blah blah. Rock comes in phases. Rock will never die. It comes after every fashion.

[@Jackson0Music]

I would actually say there has been a resurgence of guitarists. Like the instrumental guitar genre is more popular now than it has ever been before with players like Plini, Animals as Leaders, Intervals, Polyphia, Chon, Owane, Toska AND SO MANY MORE that literally play entirely instrumental guitar songs. Which is amazing to me. And I feel so privileged to be a guitarist during a time where there is no lack of appreciation for guitarists and guitar players because it gives me hope that I can be successful just as a guitarist and not have to rely on a band or a vocalist, more so than any time in history.

[@richnnay8159]

Jackson0Music i agree 100%

[@benjaminj3243]

I'm only 57 seconds in and you've already summed up "that" video so well!

[@dj_c0c0]

Goddamnit Rob, you are such a warm, intelligent and inspiring personality! You always seem to come out and say/do something like this right when I need to hear it, and I think I can speak for a lot of people when I say YOU are one of this generations guitar heroes...

[@PaulHofreiter]

I hear another thing often because of what I play and that is “jazz is dead”. And analogous to “guitar is dead”, that statement has to do with the fact that there used to be venues and opportunities to play everywhere. I’m 38 so I’m not looking back on “golden days” like older guys where jazz was actually very popular but I would say before 2008 there did seem to be a lot more gigs. I assume that is the same across other genres for freelancers playing parties, weddings etc. but music has become more disposable and often people just don’t care about having living music or going to see it. I don’t think guitar is dead but it is hurting more than before - I also teach and I have had many more upright bass students take over my studio compared to guitarists - the last big guitar push was when guitar hero came out. Since then (and not just me but also colleagues) there have definitely been fewer guitar students. So I think it is a little misguided to say guitar is dead but equally it is misguided to say that it is better than ever because you are finding success. The landscape has changed for sure and that doesn’t mean it’s dead but it certainly isn’t healthy for working musicians.

[@paulsimmons5726]

My daughter's learning to play guitar now and her favorite band is the Beatles, go figure. I feel safe to say that the guitar will be around for as many generations as enjoy listening and making music. Rob is correct in his assessment of the way the business has changed, being successful in any business is being able to see where the trends are moving. Great video!

[@zagan1]

People use yt to become known. Once you are known you have the ability to ask producer's for session work etc. The known you become the higher the chance that a good band will want you in the band. Phil x got into bon Jovi with yt.

[@spada60]

That's why guitar is dead

[@Fnassau]

It's like people that claim there are no good new bands, but haven't been to a live show in a decade. Just have a look around the music scene and you will see it is very much alive. As long as people have faces, there will be guitar players to melt them \m/

[@cdreid99999]

theres no vehicle for people to find great music right now. Most radio is either pop-hiphop , pop-country (both corporate produced .. like hairmetal was just before it died).. or "classic" crap. I mean i love classic rock but you can only hear the same frigging 50 songs so many times. We need a platform. KZbin isnt it. The music services are garbage.. jokes designed to leech money from you and pay artists nothing. We need the next platform. If i could figure out what it was and had the $$$$$$$ to build it i would. Someone will.

[@carbonepitaph5165]

My favorite video of yours to date. You have my respect for how up front and honest you are.

[@lordofstringss]

Ever since i started using YT for my music educational needs, i repeatedly come across guitar talents that blew my mind and make me work harder. You, Rob are certainly one of them. It's because of enterprising guys like yourself, guitar is alive today \m/

[@JackJD]

Rob, you know what I think? I’ve heard of people that played guitar for years and years and then found out that the guitar players have evolved and the music evolved and is evolving and these guitar players though ‘you know what? This not music anymore, this is not rock’n’roll, this is not what I like’ and they slowly stopped playing the guitar because of this. Well, let me tell you something, this is not passion, this is just something you do because you liked a song and you enjoyed learning it. Now everything is evolving and they don’t like it because it would be hard sometimes to learn a song that came out these days and...this is not passion. Don’t listen to those people, GUITAR IS ALIVE. GUITAR WILL ALWAYS BE ALIVE. Thank you Rob, keep rocking!

[@wingsofpurityofficial4031]

Whats wrong with being the weird kid?

[@1961jscofield]

Rock & Roll ain't noise pollution

[@paulpardee]

Physics is dead. We used to have guys like Einstein, Fermi, Oppenheimer, Planck and Feynman. Now who do we got? Freakin Brian Cox?? The dude was a KEYBOARD player, for God's sakes!

[@kengihepworth5761]

Paul Pardee Gday Paul, I wonder what Brian Cox is capable of, if given the freedom to be creative musically. He could possibly write a piece out of this world. ...

[@DreamArctica66]

I lolled, still profoundly accurate

[@unabonger777]

Have you heard MC Hawking? he's on youtube!

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

and a keyboard player for a fucking shit band too

[@unabonger777]

Don't forget about Brian May.

[@cgeucare276]

Thanks for posting this. I was actually thinking last week about giving up guitar/band b/c I kept hearing it was dead. This gives me hope. Onward.

[@Mark-zi6nt]

Great speech, I absolutely agree with what Rob said. It's great to see people discussing it, sometimes this has to be said and has to be heard. The more people talk about it, the more people it attracts and this is what keeps it going/ alive.

[@SteelSkin667]

I'm glad that we agree. COT's video was just pointless doom and gloom. In recent years I went to several concerts where newer bands played guitar-based music in huge venues. Not to mention the massive rock festivals that are held each year all over the world. Rock music might not have the same mainstream appeal as it once did, but it is far from dead.

[@darkfruitsstan]

You know rob, you’re right and I think you’re somewhat to thank for it. I only started playing last year and I wanted to watch a video just learning about gear so I saw your video and watched the whole thing. Got inspired and decided to buy a squier, I now have a Gibson, and I got my friend into guitar too, things are looking good for rock and roll

[@theconvert1208]

I think the point is in terms. "Dead" is hyperbole. I would say, "Guitar music is now niche, and music culture is not going to revert to its previous standing vis-a-vis the guitar." When mentioning guitar gods, yes there are excellent players today, but almost nobody has the kind of cultural penetration that the 'gods' of the 60s-80s did. For example, I did an informal survey of friends and coworkers: "Do you know who Joe Bonamassa is?" A couple did, but nobody could name a song, etc. He is part of what Rob is ignoring--the bubble he exists in. Joe is famous to a very small number of people who are hyper focussed on a tiny niche. But this makes sense because popular music has moved on. This always happened classical, jazz, blues, etc. have had their heyday and now are niche with small audiences. So now is it with guitar-centric music derived from rock. It's not a bad thing. It's what happens.

[@allthingsclassicrock]

You pretty much said what I was thinking. Rob mentioned how many guitar heros there are now but I guarantee you 99.9% of the general public do not know who Tosin Abasi is. The guitar doesn’t have the cultural/spiritual impact on the mainstream it used to. There are a lot of guitars out there but let’s not act like the instrument still has the impact on every day people it used to. Like you said it’s niche music now.

[@julosx]

I think ultimately the point is : it's even harder to find new bands playing some music you know you've never heard before. The young bands I happened to know for the last 10 years or so either break up before having a chance a chance to get famous or are playing some music that's actually from a long gone past (which they don't realise). The last time something actually HAPPENED in music was the early 90s. It seems today video games took over music as a popular form of entertainment.That's where the big business and big money moved to.

[@thekitowl]

Totally agree. Will just add , if the music kids listen to / fed, isn’t guitar based why would a guitar interest them . Five years ago my sons school Stopped doing a guitar club due to a lack of interest. It’s lovely to hear of kids being inspired to play because of the Beatles & long may it continue but I’m not sure how many kids want to play their parents music.

[@calandraco2888]

The guitar talent here in youtube is unreal. We just need to keep inspiring the new generations. Keep rocking Chap!

[@kakovonborowski8441]

thanks Rob. I'm 23 and very anxious about the music industry, playing guitar is all i ever wanted but i had no idea of what to do. This was a little light in the end of the tunnel. Thank you very much

[@coralfang7137]

Thank you, Rob, for responding to this toxic negative fad of "Rock is Dead" videos circling around. If you read the comments in those videos, you will see a HUGE amount of generational bias from grumpy older guys complaining that things aren't what they used to be. "Where is the next KISS? Where is the next Queen?" (etc.) I would bet money that none of these people would listen to any new bands regardless of the circumstances. They would always just complain that things were better when they were younger, because back then REAL men made REAL music. Trying to talk to these people is like talking to a wall. It was a blessing to hear someone respond with a positive message trying to be uplifting and make the situation better. I choose to stay positive and try to make the best music I can while supporting those around me and looking toward the future instead of living in the past. Thank you, sir.

[@georgewilkins7877]

Rob. I've teased you a few times. In reality you are a very talented and successful metal player. It's about the only thing I don't do in the guitar world. You are absolutely correct about diversification as a semi pro player and often charity gigs player, I do other jobs amongst other things to finance my music and fun it brings. 65 now and still rocking with the guitar at the core. I have revived my classical guitar playing with a vengeance. Classical I believe is the mother of all guitar styles and I find it improves everything else but it's a whole world that can take over. My view Guitar can never be dead as long as music lives. It's a fundamental part of it. A polyphonic instrument that is not the easiest to play. We have to remember that in essence it's a medival instrument with a paint job. Best wishes mate George

[@StenSturesKanal]

Ppl think rock is dead because there is no great and revolutionary new rock band (imo). But there are so many ppl still listening to Beatles, Stones, AC/DC,... and lots of the listeners are young. Btw Judas Priest released their most loved album in years in 2018! Good music sticks and Long Live Rock & Roll.

[@finfogel.382]

Correct mate The Damned have just had their first number one album 40 years after coming into being its never too late or too old......................

[@bluesrocker91]

Rock has just faded out of the mainstream, that's all. It isn't "pop" music any more... It's never going to be as huge as it was in the '70s and '80s, and there aren't going to be any more "rock stars". But it's alive and well alongside blues, jazz, folk, country, or any other form of guitar based music you can think of. Each of these styles has had their day in the sun, and each has maintained a dedicated audience, and a steady stream of new performers long after their mainstream popularity faded. There's every reason to believe that rock will do the same. As long as there are people who want to listen to it, there will be those who want to play it.

[@NicknLex]

Guitar will never die!!! Is this the leading instrument in the music business. Maybe shred metal instrumental guitar albums are not as big as they were in the 80' and 90's but they are still loved and listened too.

[@dreamlifter2701]

Wow! I could not have said that any better. The world needed to hear this.

[@richardkeltr0n149]

guitar isn’t dead..just many of todays guitarists lack soul.. running patterns etc. lack of creativity.. why you can watch gilmour or srv bend one note and it connects with you so much.., they have/had character in their playing..

[@Baghuul]

Those were different times. the 70s was the pinnacle of rock guitar music.

[@richardkeltr0n149]

how is srv 70s. ? we cant blame 70s talent on failed boring music being made today. most of todays crap is overproduced.. and is fighting the never ending loudness war.. losing all transients and dynamic-flooring... why everyone is looking for a safe haven in vinyl again.

[@tdunster2011]

Harvard MBA's are what has killed music. As soon as they took over everything became low risk and purely profit driven.

[@remyQuillmeister]

You hit the nail on the head, man. Artists can write their own songs, record them, market them, and distribute them ON THEIR OWN, and they get EVERY CENT of the proceeds. That's where it's at.

[@Outer0Heaven]

I feel it boils down to 2 things Guitar STORE sales are down And no modern guitar heroes on radio The "common" person doesnt know a guitar hero if it hit them in the face.. And most people only know radio hits. There is a scary amount of people who don't "care" for music either and they are happy with the spotify radio hits Whilst we guitar nerds are always looking for that next big thing, and so we are always searching

[@Podcastforthewin]

Outer0Heaven just like gaming pc’s vs consoles. Yeah they know what a gaming pc is, but they prefer the PlayStation or Xbox.. it’s not dead, it’s just not as prevalent as it once was.

[@danrobinson1137]

Thanks Rob! I bought 2 guitars in the last 2 weeks. Yes, media has moved over the last few years. I love the sharing, i know many more people now than before, some are musicians. Keep doing what you're doing, i'm with you all the way! I luv guitar!

[@Potatoast]

Damn, after watching the whole video, the last 10 minutes reminded me of why I started following you in the first place Rob. You're one of many people who inspired me to just go for it, and do it in a practical way. I still have things I need to jump in and just do as far as moentizing, but I'm very well entrenched in my local music scene now, and it's led me down the path of meeting people who are "in the industry" full time, and I've attended NAMM twice now. My mindset has shifted from the "dream" to a more practical view of the people who are successful in this business. We're all humans, doing the same thing. The famous ones, are the ones who kept at it, and got themselves to where they are. Those are the ones I'm trying to emulate. Keep going sir!

[@tylerhancocks5201]

Would you be interested in creating a modern Chapman SG style guitar with set through neck, locking tuners, some killer pick ups, all the kick ass Chapman gear that still can be affordable for individuals?

[@RobChappers]

Yeah man, probs will vote on that soon ;-)

[@maxsuciu]

Chapman guitars are really great quality wise. I went down to my local shop to see what they have to offer, and I gotta say, really great stuff.

[@herbertplanter2108]

^ This!

[@jameskrys5286]

See LTD Viper.

[@jordanwalsh8171]

Affordable is a very broad term, affordable to me is below £200 and last time I checked Chapman wasn't affordable (to me)

[@edwardjons8684]

I remember as a kid learning guitar in the 80s, guys from my father’s generation moaning that the music I was into was not as good as the Beatles or the Stones. I didn’t get it at the time but I do now: we all have a special affinity with the music we heard as teenagers - everyone is particularly receptive to what they experience at that age. Some people sit with that, and have no interest in remaining open to what comes next, and will always be looking to hear the same thing in the music of the future, or to experience the same kind of excitement. They shut themselves off to new musicicians and music. Of course they will think the guitar is dead: they aren’t really interested in what contemporary guitarists are doing, only in whether it sounds like their old heroes or makes them feel the same excitement they did as teenagers. Well that is an impossible bar to attain, for any generation. Meanwhile there are young musicians today who are just as excited about what they hear today as those older guys were about the 60s, 70s and 80s. Better still, they get to hear everything that went before AND are receptive to what is happening now. I was born in 1971. There was just as much crap music around in the 70s as in any other decade. We listen to the music of previous decades very selectively, forgetting how much crap every generation poduced - and the 60s, 70s and 80s were no exception. So maybe the guitar hero is dead? Sure, we don’t see guitarists strutting out in front of stadium audiences, but we see more guitarists than ever performing fresh material day after day on youtube and getting many thousands of to check out their stuff. As Rob says, the medium has changed, and that has changed the way we experience the guitar, but it is clearly thriving. The guitar is just as dead as it always was - very much alive.

[@ReaperGamesMC]

Edward Jons I’m 16 I didn’t grow up with Steve vai bucket Van Halen Floyd Zeppelin but I love them I think modern music is shit I have friends who agree I think that people are starting to see the over saturation in modern music like disco in the 70s,hair metal in the 80s after all of these over saturations of a certain type of music it bounces back a lot and that’s when it’s the greatest

[@pedraw]

Unfortunately publications such as the Washington Post can publish rubbish articles like the one you referenced and it's bound to have an impact. How many people in the 60's or 70's owned 20 guitars, unless they were touring musicians.......probably no one. How many people today own multiple guitars?.....I know I own about 20 and I'd be willing to bet there's plenty of others like me.

[@PaulHofreiter]

pedraw owning 20 guitars has nothing to do with playing guitar, it has to do with being a collector and I don’t the discussion is about guitar collecting being dead.

[@matthewmeeker8794]

A bunch of people own a bunch of guitars now because the people that wanted to own a bunch of guitars when they were young now have the money to afford a bunch of guitars. NOBODY my age really cares about playing an instrument (besides the basic white girls that buy ukuleles and learn 3 chords). The whole rock band idea has died out, and with it goes the guitar.

[@pedraw]

Ya, you totally missed my point. But just for conversations sake I also play them.

[@mikewhitfield2994]

Matthew Meeker Nobody IN YOUR CIRCLE. While I would agree that there are tons of shiftless entitled snowflakes, there are tons of young people putting in hundreds of hours to master the guitar or other instrument. When I was a kid, absolutely no one I knew played guitar. I graduated in ‘79, which wasn’t exactly the 60s explosion but still abounded with kids my age playing guitar - just not in my neck of the woods. If asked at the time, I would have confidently replied that kids my age just wanted to get high and laid, well and often, and either played traditional school band instruments or had no interest in playing music when they could so easily play great music on a record. I would have been as wrong as are you. Sure, a lot more players have multiple guitars. But old guitars generally don’t disappear. Of my own dozen, three date from the sixties and three from the early eighties. If people weren’t collecting, we’d need a lot fewer new guitars.

[@cdreid99999]

luckily noone reads wapo anymore other than the dc aristocracy. Never in my life seen a teenager sit down at a coffee shop and read wapo.... and guess who decides what the future of music is

[@npthedarkside27]

Guitar is not dead and never will be. As long as great instruments are around, great musicians will use them. I've grown up in a perfect time where You, Capt. Lee, and Pete are some of my guitar heroes, and that is amazing. Having guitar heroes that are alive and have created an organic community in the internet age has lead to amazing personal growth at least for me, as we can ask our guitar heroes how they do things, instead of struggling to find their sound after they are gone. Thank you for this video and for all of your videos!

[@funkyassdeejay]

that was a straight up business lesson and a self development video! love it. great video.

[@christianwhatthataintenoug3604]

Is he talking about Circle of Tone’s video?

[@DragonKidSlayer3]

yes he is and imho he is taking everything from that video and cherry picking and misiterpreting a lot of what that video talks about just cause you see what is making the genre going in decline doesnt mean you are a failure a lot of what I get in this video is it isnt dead is just harder for you and im fine so be it. He didnt talk much about circle of tones video. He just tried to mocked him and sound condescending towards him. I like chapman's content but this video is not that great if its a reply to circle of tone

[@gssuper1438]

www.owengibbins.com

[@NateThunder]

Owen made a video, but I think its a reponse to the The Tone King.

[@RC32Smiths01]

Guitar will never die.....

[@Dahlekx]

Everything dies ;)

[@playbackmusicinstrumentals6714]

never.

[@Froffy_]

You cant kill the metal... The metal will live on

[@Zuhlsmann1]

I've got a couple buddies that play on big tours. They do EXACTLY what you said. When they're on tour, they're on tour. But when they're not on the road they're giving lessons. Giving clinics, session and many other things. I feel as though if you want to make a living off of music. Music has to be your life. I love seeing videos like this!

[@calebdsguitar373]

You have become one of my favorite guitar KZbinrs to follow. I always enjoy watching your videos and most of the time I will learn/gain something from them. Keep up the great work

[@frantisekvtelensky820]

Finally somebody reacted to Circle Of Tone videos. That guy is full of prejudice and his demagogic style of "proving" that guitar is dead and metal bands are only copycats only etc., is really arrogant. "Hey man, it's your fault, guitar is dead, production sucks, now bands are only a copycats, back in my days..." It is the same like if he would say, that classical music is dead, 'cause we don't have "new Smetana or Mozart" nowadays. Luckily many (literally hundreds) great bands/artists are still exists and will exists. For example Bandcamp is full of them. To me, this crazy whole discussion about "guitar is dead" is totally pointless and I'm happy that I can live in this era, where we have so many amazing possibilities in music industry (buy great stuff for great price). :)

[@thatguysixx]

That circle of tone dude is the typical back in my day music was real type of person which is why rock/meal can't move forward as a genre too many gatekeepers

[@Soundscapemind]

I find his rhetoric confusing. He complains that music isn't progressing anymore but wants things to sound like they used to, which is the very opposite. I Don't get it 🤔

[@frantisekvtelensky820]

Yep, he seems to be... It is his personal view and I simply don't share it with him. But another question is, do we really need those forward moves? I mean, many bands are still playing for example old school black/death metal, sludge rock, stoner and doom metal are also starts to be popular again and I found it completely right. :) After all, music is still about expression of particular person/group of people and they have rights to do it however they want. :) Not only in metal of course. I love for example fussions of neofolk and atmospheric metal, or something like music from Alcest, Corpo-Mente, Germ etc. :) Really inspirational, but not so complicated as well. Of course, that we are happy, when our music speaks to another person. But me personaly, my first motivation to create comes from me. That's the most important thing I think in the whole creative process. To express myself first and maybe find something hidden in me that is important to accept as a part of me. Like in therapeutic process. :) Nowadays, it is so easy to find so many good and great bands via internet. If we want, we will find. But our lack of patience in searching process doesn't mean, that everything sucks and is dead. Maybe this "dead" is not outside, but inside that particular person. :)

[@jaakok]

He just creates controversy to gain views and/or ad revenue by talking smack about music. Instead of, you know, actually making the music he wants to hear.

[@Hepabytes]

Rick Beato did a video about the decline of rock music too and he's much smarter and more expierenced.

[@kalab4234]

This video was exactly what I needed right now. I'm a guitarist and I've always had dreams to do what I love (playing guitar) but also make money from it after I graduate high school, but I just finished watching Circle Of Tone's video "Rock IS dead" last night and was feeling overwhelmed. Thinking things like "This guy might be right. What am I gonna do now? Am I gonna have to give up completely?". After watching your video, Rob, I feel great and I feel motivated. Thank you for using your knowledge and space on KZbin to make sure people like me are informed by someone who ACTUALLY has experience in the current industry and knows that they're talking about :)

[@DragonKidSlayer3]

First why did you get a vibe to give up from circle of tones? If anything his video was more uplifting the whole "we need to accept is dead or declining to rebuild " is spot on i gotta admit dead is a bit of an overstatement but it sure is heading the way of jazz could be that the music is evolving. But why must we accept that we have to come to terms that music is harder to live off. I get we must multi task but i agree with circle of tones that a lot of the music thats coming out in the underground is pretty meh with a few good acts. We as musicians must try to make sure our scene has quality content and help each other improve.

[@cdreid99999]

We need the next legendary band man. And to do that a hell of a lot of musicians have to get out, play, write, bandhop... til someone finds that combo.. that kobain or acdc or crue or whatever.. that people fucking love. Before AC/DC.. you did NOT hear that music on the radio.. EVER. Even AFTER acdc became huge a lot of radio stations wouldnt play them. Then they did.. and it changed the musical world. Same with most Great music and great bands. You can bet people looked down on kobain and the grunge scene.. im a hard rock guy.. i HATED them (always loved pearl jam though).. but when i saw the smells like teen spirit video i knew hair metal was Doa. But then Metallica kindof swept grunge away in the rock world (people TALK about kobain.. people LISTEN to metallica...). You have to get out there and play. And write. And... maybe go to school for music....god forbid

[@orlock20]

Once can put their work on KZbin. There are "famous" KZbin guitar players.

[@JohnSmith-oe4bw]

Good luck Kalab - Your only shot, is becoming a bedroom studio KZbin guitar hero, where there is very little (if any) money. You want to be in a band, tour, perform for people, and make money? - That ship has sailed away. Far away. Question: What country/state do you live in?

[@kalab4234]

I live in Indiana in the US. Hoping to move to L.A or New York next year after high school

[@Cell4TR]

Why would guitar die? Thats not a mobile phone model that can be replaced by a better one or something like that. Guitar is a unique instrument like others and live forever like others.

[@crunchoverdryv9358]

"...because music is a business." That phrase just clarifies the fact why I love Lee's riffs and licks more.

[@k73l71]

only a minute and 45 seconds in and I know this is pure gold. Thank you Chappers for being the voice of reason in these difficult times. P.S. I live in Newfoundland Canada and it is very expensive for me to purchase one of your fine musical instruments. Someday when I can afford it, I will fly to England and buy one from Anderton's! :) cheers

[@christopherburnett1745]

I would argue that part of the problem of the perception of "guitar gods" is that there are too many great guitarists out there today, making it more difficult for anyone to stand out. The fact is, there are only so many things that a person can do on an instrument and guys like Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards and Eric Clapton were able to stand out in the 60s, because there weren't a thousand other people doing what they could do. Now, one could make a point about songwriting abilities, but I've seen countless people who are amazing guitarists and it's as if we can't stay focused on anyone because we are just flooded with them. The guitar is doing fine.

[@AlexRamosDrTaz]

Yep. It's also a part of the mix in nearly every genre I listen to... I mean, heck, its sounds are still sampled by all the hip-hop/rap and EDM guys. Guitar is not going out anytime soon.

[@TheDogPa]

Nobody can write a song. Nobody writes movies either. Jaws 47. YAWN!

[@nazmoking3171]

That actually seemed like more of a dialogue on whether you can make a career in music then whether guitar is dead. It's a fact that the guitar heroes of our life and the guitar oriented mega songs of our life are pretty much in the past. You can liken it to Tiger Woods and golf. Everyone didn't stop playing golf when Tiger quit playing, but tournament sales and equipment sales went down dramatically when he was not playing. The heroes are what ignites the interest. The same thing is happening to guitar. The purists will not stop playing or buying - but the broader trend is down for sure because there are no more legendary guitar heroes coming forward. When Joe Bonamassa is the best you've got, that's a far cry from Clapton and Page and Beck.

[@jblackwellentertainment7084]

Nazmo King there will be new ones at some point

[@nazmoking3171]

There are a few new ones and they will need to get air play (some form of airwaves - right?) for us to find them and make them memorable. The guys on KZbin (sorry Rob) are mostly playing snippets of older songs to show off equipment.

[@andymellor9056]

Nazmo King look at classical music or jazz now. Still thriving, just not mainstream. I have several 18 year olds working form me part time who are passionate about jazz brass.

[@nazmoking3171]

Nice to hear that about jazz. Just happens to be my favorite genre after rock. Always loved the Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenauer type players. Glad these categories are working their way down to some of the young people.

[@nazmoking3171]

As I stated earlier, guitar is not dead to the purists that still love and play it - and the older generation like me that remember when guitar was king in the '70's, 80's, and 90's. But let's not get emotional about this. Rap is king now whether anybody likes it or not. Doesn't stop the remainder of us left that still love this instrument from playing and buying them. The reason there has not been a huge drop in guitar sales is frankly because of the population growth (by % of total people playing it's gone down). AND people like myself have a HUGE inventory of used instruments to choose from now vs. new (Reverb getting wealthy on us all :-)!

[@dawnrussell4838]

I can't wait for the day when the Post Reports that rap and hip-hop is dead! Then youth can get back to reality and Listen to " music " you know music, The art that you actually have to have Talent, some say a gift. And mabe we May see the new un- discovered SRV, Hendrix ect. rise to the top !

[@nazmoking3171]

Yes Dawn, all these things go through cycles and that is the current one. We'll just have to live through it. Haha, so I just play my 70;s, 80;s and 90's music on guitar and go my merry way! And I notice the good newer guitar players do the same thing - they're all playing Hendrix etc. so it never went away.

[@MsCygnusX1]

Dawn Russell Let's hope so🌻

[@korn454]

Rap and EDM are really popular now but in time it will run its course and become stale and not as popular as it was especially if you have everyone jumping on board the genre it will get stale fast due to all the artists trying different styles causing it becoming over saturated by a bunch of mediocre artist making mediocre music and people will eventually get tired of it and try to find something els.

[@cdreid99999]

Rap is quite literally dead. It was entirely replaced by hiphop. And all we need is that one band.. like metallica.. or ac/dc.. or bon jovi.. with the next new thing. And its on again. Those old artists... from WAY back who are worshipped by the old farts? Most of them played for damn near nothing most of their lives. Maybe made a little money at one time in their lives. Didnt care. Kept playing

[@alexanderdenchev7967]

Wow, that has been one of the most inspiring videos I've seen recently. Thanks, Rob.

[@chipperhippo]

always nice to hear rob's refreshing take

[@chesapeake566]

Guitar isn't dead, but it is 33% smaller.

[@dillipphunbar7924]

video killed the radio star

[@waynebrown1394]

The computer killed the instrument players

[@mattycee5412]

It's just weird that all these super talented guitarists like Guthrie govan, matteus asoto etc don't get the mainstream recognition that they would have got even back in the 80s guitarists appreciate other guitarists the general public maybe less so??

[@MrCleitus]

matty cee Because they do not have the talent to compose popular music, simple guitarists like Billie Joe from Greenday has sold far more music than Govan will.

[@mattycee5412]

Peter Gagnon if green day came out today would they have been as big?

[@216trixie]

matty cee Weird?? I don't think so. Slash was the last mainstream popular guitar hero , and he came out almost 30 years ago. It's been awhile, lol.

[@mattycee5412]

Neil Aspinall if he had been around in the 60s he would have been huge

[@mattycee5412]

Neil Aspinall not really he's a ridiculously talented musician and gets 0 recognition aside from guitar players, in the past that talent would have been appreciated so in a way the guitar is dying

[@misterknightowlandco]

You brought up some points I never thought of. You've changed my mind of this subject. I think what is dead is the old way of doing things. The narrative of playing pubs, writing songs with your buds, a guy in a suit hears you, discovers you and poof makes you a star is what's dead. I think in popular mainstream culture guitar driven music isn't the flavor of the month anymore, but like you said we have so many more people now that even if it isn't the number genre, there is enough people who do dig it that you can still have a career playing it. You make very interesting points and thanks for sharing them.

[@stephenwevans]

Thanks for the rebuttal, Rob. I can understand people being frustrated with low sales and lack of good music on the radio. Yes, corporations share a blame in that, but I like that you point out that people who want those good musicians have to look elsewhere because they ARE around. They just aren't on the radio. There's a huge community online to support new artists who frankly amaze me with their talents. And I try to support them when I like their music. But the days of tuning in the radio and hearing the latest tune by your favorite modern rock band are over. And they won't be selling out concerts. But they will probably be coming to your town to play at a bar or theater. Music has become less corporate and more personal for these types of people. And I think that's better for the craft, in general.

[@hops2099x]

"...I wack on KZbin on my TV..." 😳😂 the word wack must not have the same slang meanings in the Queen's English as it does over here 🤭

[@wackyfours]

What are ya saying mate? Huh? Huh!!!!

[@doseofreality100]

"whack" here in the US could mean jerking off... rubbing one out.... masturbating - you get the idea. So it would be, " I jerk off on KZbin on my TV"

[@Mustaine1ify]

James Mears Tea Mate not Coffee

[@Xubuntu47]

If you whack on the kettle, are you easily called away?

[@Xubuntu47]

Hope not, I want him to be around a long time.

[@willvarela5187]

OMG! Guitar is not dead. Disco is dead. Tap dancing is dead. My mother in law is dead. There are many guitar hero's around. New and old.long live rock. I am 65 and still rock. My so. Played the classical violin growing up, but enjoys himself more playing one of my guitars. A musician is a musician. Anyway long love rock. Long live music of all kinds. Long live GUITAR.

[@richardharrold9736]

Disco is NOT dead! Disco is back and more diverse than ever, from discofunk to electroswing...

[@willvarela5187]

Richard Harrold , maybe in Europe. Lol but not in the USA. Rock, Rap, are big here along with line dancing in the southern states. Country music has some great guitar players also. Disco is computer music. Anyway keep dancing dude. Life only has one end unless your a sausage which has two. Rock on!

[@richardharrold9736]

Disco is no more computer music than rock! Real drummers, real bassists, real guitarists, real keyboardists, real singers... but much of modern metal is partly or even totally computer-programmed, and it sucks. You can always tell when programmed drums have been used, there's a lifeless metronomic rigidity to it...

[@willvarela5187]

Richard Harrold wow dude. Your just a hater. Did you read the whole post. I guess you have not seen all the electric drums, guitars, synths, for disco. I didn't say disco is bad. I said its dead. I guess your a club guy. I am a musician who has been playing for 55 yrs. I play guitar, bass, and the drums. I used to do session and studio work. Disco is dance music. When disco came out the music companies didn't want to hire live musicians. Instead they wanted computer system music. Now back in the day live musicians were used in live appearances. But on the record or lp, the music was put in by electronically. Musicians cost money. And in disco you only need a DJ. So please, enjoy your disco. Stop hating. The world has plenty if room for real musicians and music. Rock on.or disco on dude. Enjoy life. Dance away.

[@richardharrold9736]

I'm not the one hating! Most disco doesn't use electric drums... synthesisers are real instruments. If you're going to start arguing about electronics all being bad, then we've got to ban electric guitars and amplifiers. You're conflating disco with EDM, which ain't the same thing at all - and even then, a lot of EDM acts put together live bands to perform their stuff, from Faithless to William Orbit, and I could go on. I'd much rather listen to that than programmed drum-machine metal.

[@mattgilbert7347]

I was going to click on that other video then I saw yours. No way is it "dead". Maybe there won't be any more HUGE guitar heroes like Page, Hendrix, Gilmour etc, but that's ok. Or maybe the next Hendrix will emerge from Asia/Subcontinent. Either way, guitar *itself* is not dead. The democratization and globalization of music is a double-edged sword. If everyone can do it (online) then the whole thing gets somewhat diluted. Unfortunately, the business element is now dominating the creative element. I'm just not hearing a lot of well-written songs. It does seem we are stuck in a kind of nostalgia. It's a symptom of what the late Mark Fisher called "Capitalist Realism".

[@JasonLee-gx5en]

It's a great story. I am a foreigner working in music field and living in China. I think not only music and musical instruments, but all fields are moving too fast these days. Your story made me think a lot today. thanks!

[@jpdenk]

I'm an old geezer who has been a huge fan and player (amateur level) of guitar music since I was a little kid in the 1960's, and I couldn't agree more, Rob. Well said. :-)

[@acommon]

*** grabs sandwich supplies ***

[@A.J.K87]

People that say there are no guitar heroes need to look on youtube: Jared Dines, Stevie T, Rob Chapman, Davie504(bass hero), Adam Neely(bass hero), Rob Scallon etc. These are all guys that have millions of fans. They don't fit the classic picture of the lead guitarist in a band like Brian May or Jimmy Page, but that doesn't mean people don't look up to them or are inspired by them.

[@A.J.K87]

I suppose you're right, but I would contend that it's a pretty big niche. Big enough at least to sustain itself. Your example of jazz is pretty apt. It's true jazz records aren't topping the charts anymore, but if you look at the jazz scene it's still pretty big. There are still very influential people creating new music and pushing the genre forward. I think it's the same with guitar music. Maybe we need to ask ourselves what's important to us. That everybody knows who Rob Chapman is or that there is still great guitar music being made for those that love it.

[@A.J.K87]

Thank you :)

[@MichaelLeeMetalProject]

the only reason Dines, stevieT and Scallion have millions is because of KZbins Algorithm setting. If you search anything about guitars and solos or learning the guitar the Algorithm recognizes the search word and instantly starts recommending their videos to the masses while an ocean of other great musicians are going No Where.. 10 yrs ago I had so many views I was sick of answering the same questions over and over in my comments, now I don't even get 50 views or any comments, it's clear that some guitarist get recommended while others Do Not. They are the ones having success, because youtube is making money from them so the more they recommend dines vids the more money they get.

[@A.J.K87]

Money makes the world go 'round. Sadly that means that when art starts to involve money, the art invariably suffers because the money is more important to the people in charge of it's distribution. But to be fair to Scallon, Dines, Stevie etc., they do work hard at their art and create quality content. It has always been like that in the music business; It takes hard work, dedication, and a lot of luck. Luck might be the most important thing. Getting noticed by the people who can help you further in you career. It used to be record companies, now it's the youtube executives. It sucks, but it's the hard truth about being in a business that needs to make money instead of doing it just for the art.

[@mattkeen3811]

Rob Scallon, in particular, deserves the popularity that Hendrix, Gilmour, Vaughan and Clapton had/have... He is a fantastic guitarist who is wasted on KZbin.

[@crazycakemanflies]

Rock isn't dead, it's just getting old and evolving. It's becoming niche, just as jazz and blues and swing music all used to be popular roughly 100 years ago, but are now niche underground movements that people can discover. Rock is slowly moving Into that and it's okay! Let Rnb and Hip Hop take over because they are the two genres currently experimenting the most with music and sound. Whether you think mumble rap and trap is stupid or singers like Frank Ocean are just some wannabe pop stars is irrelevant because they are doing things no one has done before!!!

[@crazycakemanflies]

Scott Stapp you either have to be troll or haven't listened to rap properly since the 90s... there is heaps of experimentation in both beat making and flo and delivery. From singing and using autotune (whether you like it or not doesn't detract from the fact someone had to experiment with it). The whole trap scene and "mumble rap" on top of the rise of gospel and country rap has created a completley different and evolving scene that is doing things with music no one else is doing or has done...

[@trillhennyson2245]

Scott Stapp Don’t be ignorant. It’s people like you that make guitar players look bad.

[@crazycakemanflies]

Scott Stapp no one is saying lil pump is a genius for Christ sake... however, I would argue that future, lil uzi vert, migos (to an extent) Travis Scott have pushed trap music past what it was originally, which has pushed hip hop into new territories too. And then we have the SUPER experimental stuff coming from death grips, Danny Brown, Tyler the creator and Kanye (whether you like him or not, 808s and the life of Pablo where hugely ambitious) and then we have rappers like kendrick ect who have been fusing jazz with rap to create even more sounds! Raps hardly dying dude, if anything it's flourishing and it's ability to melt into either soul or funk or jazz or rnb or rock or what ever it wants give a it HUGE potential for future exploration. Stop hating for the sake of hating m8

[@Open4991]

I mean autotune was considered played out by the middle of last decade ffs. Fifteen fucking years of something in every single isn't 'experimentation.' I'm trying to figure out how music listeners consistently say such dumb shit; out of every fan of every art form, music listeners are the worst.

[@nopehead]

Hey Rob. I'm Drew and I spent 2002-2017 working like a slave in a warehouse. In January 2018, I had a drastic career change and became a guitar repair tech for Guitar Center. I love my new career, however I have been discouraged by all the news about the guitar being dead. I just started a new career in an exciting industry that I love, and I've been afraid that it will all be over and there's nothing I can do about it. Your video makes me feel better. At least I know there are people out there who still feel passionately instead of negatively. Thanks. P.S. I love Captain Lee. He owns a music store. He provides rockstars with their weapons. He's my hero.

[@danieljones1782]

Very encouraging and awesome video! I really need more of this kind of positivity in my life!

[@Harrysound]

Yeah this is great and all that but your talking about youtubers...who’s going to headline the festivals in 10 years time

[@Jorgetime]

Parkway Drive, Avenged Sevenfold, Bring Me The Horizon, A Day To Remember, Ghost... You probably don't like them but these are headliner-worthy artists and they are all rock/metal bands.

[@Harrysound]

Jorgetime nah. Avenged Sevenfold have already been headlining for about 10 years, they are long past their best IMO. I like all those bands though none of the other are worthy of headlining. They might get a headline gig at the O2 arena or in Manchester or whatever but 70,000 people arn’t going to make the trip to donnington to see them primarily.

[@Harrysound]

Brendan Mather it did your right, but don’t worry about it :)

[@HalfDuck]

Guitar is dead... The second you chopped down that tree, it died

[@jimbobjimbob8275]

HalfDuck ...no the tree died, but the guitar it became came to life.

[@theyeetmeister4019]

Jimbob Jimbob it's a joke

[@sprintcarsandguitars959]

i thought the opposite?

[@user-vz8rl5tq4u]

I've never hit my snare and cymbal so hard *DADT-DADT CHAA*

[@jimbobjimbob8275]

Pharoh you don't say! Lol

[@ilyarogozhynsky5477]

Guitar is one of the best musical instruments ever made, and it will never die!

[@bluegiant244]

Agree 100%. Couldn't have said it better myself. If anything, I think KZbin has really been a great medium for the whole community to thrive and gain a voice outside of just music alone. Keep it up man, you're a real size guy. (Btw, are we still trying to make "size" a thing? I think we should.)

[@kramerbaretta6383]

Ahhh - a voice of reason. Well done Mr. Chapman! Subscribing and looking forward to future content.

[@johnnorth9355]

So between the smart phone and the dead head bread heads who run the industry, live music (which is really the point) is so marginalised that the opportunities for young kids to get together and experiment as we did in the 60's and 70's and then find small venues to cut their teeth on have gone - even if you can find somewhere the Health and Safety/Environmental protection mob stop you. The funnel mouth for getting into a career in music has shifted to home production rather than live experimentation. I'm glad I grew up when I did.

[@julosx]

But this isn't new. Think about Beck whose first album was entirely home made.

[@Pranav-dq3tj]

People who say that probably say that you can shred using Yousician

[@ethanvardy3379]

Pranav this is amazing 😂

[@imakestuff177]

Learning an instrument iS ReAlLY HaRd To BeGiN WiTh

[@itsCONTROVERSY]

Just because you can make a living playing guitar (by living on social media to do it) doesn't mean success. Okay you pay your bills... Misha, a great guitarist probably making good money... 9 out of 10 people never heard of Periphery! And they certainly aren't selling out stadiums like bands from the 60's and 70's still do today. A successful guitarists that drives guitar sales, is MUCH more than just paying bills and teaching lessons on skype or youtube. No kid is asking dad to buy him a guitar because Post Malone has a new album, or Eugene posted a tutorial on youtube

[@letmeooze]

Success is unique to the individual and the individuals goals. If the goal is to make a reasonable livable wage while being a musician full-time, then doing that would be succeeding at your goal. Also, I think you'd be surprised the influence youtube and instagram are having on guitar related music.

[@itsCONTROVERSY]

God dammit. Ill say the exact same thing again... just because YOU are satisfied with YOUR success..., doesnt mean shitttt. All you do is pay your small bills, go home.. maybe play to 200 people at Gary's Bar and Grill and call it success.. Really all you're doing is saturating the guitar market with more SHIT. Do you really think you are boosting guitar sales by having a Wonderwall tutorial on fucking youtube? Nope. Search ANY song and there are 100 lessons.. Do you remember who any of the people who taught them are? do you give a shit? Are they going to be selling out stadiums like Pink Floyd? KZbin warped your reality. I bet there are 100 HOMELESS guitarists on hollywood blvd right now who can play better than 99% of "successful youtubers." In the end, what are we talking about here?... Gibson filing for bankruptcy right?? You think youtube is going to turn Gibson around? Or then next Jimmy Page?

[@Open4991]

"...Like bands from the 60s and 70s still do today..." They really aren't selling that well, though. Adele easily packs out stadiums better than any of your Classic Rock favorites.

[@itsCONTROVERSY]

yeah, Adele is really going to boost guitar sales... come on man. people who like Adele are sheep. they dont count. Me watching led zeppelin videos, buys 3 guitars. me watching taylor swift.. 0 guitars.

[@saumitrakarmakar8336]

I completely agree I am 15 IAM a teenager and I have been studying music for three years and I know what good music is and it is any fucking thing except pop or rap but my friends on the other side who are non musicians think that they are good musicians and know good music without even studying music for a year just because they can she'd tears on a pop singers song about feminism this is so ridiculous who was on the top of charts in the 70's Bohemian Rhapsody by the queen and now it is Gucci flip flops by badh babhie if u know who she is she is a psychotic girl who appeared on Dr Phil has no musical experience and never has sing a song in her life she was called my a random studio artist and she just mumbled a few words in the microphone and now she is on the top of the charts Freddy Mercury would have cried of shame seeing this people don't understand there maybe another Freddy Mercury just somewhere around us or jimi Hendrix but they are not coming out as now on the forefront of the music are 2 of the most disgracefully generes of music which are pop and rap folk music evolved into jazz jazz evolved into some kind of blues blues into rock but now we have these generes which are not evolving but degrading music

[@bigupbebop4706]

Throughout the 70's and 80's in the UK Hendrix was pretty much forgotten about. I became obsessed with him in 1978 and didn't see any film footage of him till an Old Grey Whistle Test new years eve show in 1980, showed him playing Wild Thing from Blackpool of all places. That 3 minutes Changed my life. Thank God for social media these days where people can have direct access to genius guitar players. In my day it was a tape deck and a pair of headphones. May the guitar live forever!!!!!

[@NormanWoods]

Love you for this one, Rob! I feel the same way.

[@HPPrintervx4p5q]

Everything against circleoftone, shouldn't trust the guy

[@TobyBurt]

He's just a bit sad I think, I agree with some of the things he says but he just comes across as an elitist telling everyone else they suck because their influences show in their music.

[@fodassenaosei]

A B yeah , he expects a new ground breaking metal style but fails to understand that metal has been around for half a century and its not a popular instrument anymore.

[@ZerstoerenDieStille]

It's like he puts forth a genuine effort to be wrong about everything

[@generalkenobi6869]

Saw Jack White last night and it was an absolutely fantastic performance. Rock and roll is far beyond it’s most popular cultural influence. But there are still good new musicians. Queens of the Stone Age. Radiohead. Just take your head out of your a** and you can find good new music.

[@julosx]

Errm, QoSG and Radiohead are hardly new musicians… Neither are the Breeders (that I'm quite more into).

[@generalkenobi6869]

julosx They still put out good new music though

[@eparock]

queens of the stone age and radiohead are decades old bands you fool.....

[@markfuller6464]

I think he has a point within his context. But, the reality is there are less guitar driven bands making it to the big time (at the moment), than there has ever been. So while I agree Guitar isn’t dead, it is possibly suffering more than it has done in the last 70yrs. That’s the truth of it.

[@orlock20]

What is making it big? There was a recent article that said the band A-ha died in the 1980s yet it holds the record of having the largest concert ever in 1991 when 191,000 people showed up to watch the band in Rio and played at later concerts when 10s of thousands of people showed up. Beth Hart isn't that famous in the U.S. but recently sold out the Royal Albert Hall, the same venue Adele had a concert at and will be playing at a 17,000 seat venue where Katy Perry will be playing a week later.

[@TheRealHeavyG]

I agree.

[@markfuller6464]

orlock20 Aha (great band btw) had their moment in the 80s, it was a big moment for sure and has kept them afloat ever since. I’d say the last great decade for guitar bands was the 90s. Big is big ie selling out stadiums etc, I can’t think of a band started in the last 10 yrs that have hit this spot.

[@Tonks143]

Name one mainstream band that has made it in the past 10 years

[@Open4991]

You know what else is rocketing to the mainstream? Opiate abuse, Tide pods, and Rick and Morty. We're better off in the underground.

[@kencohagen4967]

Thanks Rob! Guitar is not dead. It's not even on life support. Rock still lives, and is seeing somewhat of a resurgence. Pop isn't using guitars much anymore, and that's what the record companies are pushing. The funny thing is that I've talked to so many young people are listening to classic rock, progressive rock and metal. Things will turn around. There is only so long people can listen to the Drabble being produced today, loaded with vocoders and midi. Alternative rock is experimenting with the guitar, using more clean tones and different effects that what has been used before.

[@masterbluesrockguitar4966]

"You have to treat music like it's a super market or a burger chain". Great advice, thank you very much!

[@skateandfingerboard1]

You should be on Joe Rogan’s podcast

[@SpectrumAudiophile]

Dom Altieri - agreed. Next time he's in LA....

[@Baghuul]

Why?? Chapman is a cool guy, but what would be the purpose? I don't think he has anything to add to any topic really.

[@RWulff007]

Wtf?

[@skateandfingerboard1]

So Rob is not only an excellent player with years of experience playing, recording, that side of the industry, but also is a very big influencer in the gear community. Joe Rogan is a big music fan and often has artists and business people on his podcast, Rob is both of those. I feel like they could have an excellent conversation about the current state of both the music and music gear industries, and a lot of other things, as well as being good PR for Chapman, and it would just be really cool to hear the both of them talk. They’re both cool guys. Whether you like Rogan or not, don’t act like you wouldn’t sit down and have a beer with him and talk to him for a little bit, I genuinely think he’s a good dude

[@alanfender123]

@@skateandfingerboard1 I think that's sort of the point of the Washington Post article. All respect to Chapman, guitar based music has become commoditized and thus is not longer as special or relevant as it used to be. That's what the Washington Post article meant with its title. So as influential as Chapman is in the realm of guitar based music, relatively few people outside that realm know about him and would find his views on music to be relevant. Joe Rogan tends to have people who have a broader appeal and relevance on his podcast. So doctors, physicists, psychologists, etc.

[@Syldar]

Piano is so dead. Oh, nevermind.

[@pnoman19]

Guitar, like any instrument or musical genre, will never die. BUT...rock and roll is no longer the music of youth in the Western world. Hip hop and electronic music have over taken it. The electric guitar and rock music are synonymous with each other, and when one wanes the other moves with it.

[@FzNd]

Not sure about hip hop and electronic music being the music of youth. To me it very much seems that the vast majority of (young) people is into pop music of some sort, but I might be wrong about that. It is of course sometimes difficult to determine, where pop ends and hip hop/electronic/rock begins. Also, there's still quite a lot of young people who are into rock. There's a reason that pretty much every weekend from now on for the next 5 months or so has a rock festival taking place. It's just that (heavy) rock is no longer part of the broadcastable main stream, as Rob says in this video. But it's been that way for a while now. Rock and guitar based music in some form have been very much part of the main stream for ages, from Hendrix to Queen to Guns n Roses to Linkin Park. It seems like this stopped being the case after the Nu Metal/Alternative heyday in the early 2000s was over. But that doesn't mean noone is listening to this kind of music anymore. Rock and Metal are still massive in Europe, Latin America and Japan. And the US also has a very healthy scene with super succesful touring bands. And then there is the DIY scene on youtube and social media that's bigger now than it has ever been. And a lot of that involves youngsters, both as creators and consumers.

[@JohnnyArtPavlou]

pnoman19, this is what I say all the time, mostly to myself. I'm in my 50's so classic rock is my thing. It's not dead or irrelevant to me, but it's nut no longer the cultural force it once was.

[@pnoman19]

Exactly. It no longer has the cultural pull it had when you were a kid. Rock and the electric guitar grew into something great because it had mass appeal, not just a niche interest.

[@terminalglimmer]

THANK YOU FOR SAYING THIS. This has always been my take on it, and I'm glad you agree.

[@polypin2147]

Very timely Rob. I'm a professional countertenor who has had a (modest) career in opera. Classical music has a hard time accepting its niche status, yet I still get up every day and work at my singing. I also mess about with my band on a Tuesday evening, accepting that what matters to me is enjoying making tunes. If I happen to make some money then great. But my ambition has no bearing on what is successful... neither should anyone's nostalgia, whether they be rock enthusiasts or classical aficionados. Commercial gain is only one measure of musical worth. Just ask Mozart - his body was chucked into a mass grave.