The Death of the Electric Guitar

Just figured I'd post this because I've seen it showing up all over the place.....

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/lifestyle/the-slow-secret-death-of-the-electric-guitar/?utm_term=.0d1a48aa2212

Ouch. Here's the Google search volume for "electric guitar" over time. Not good.

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=electric%20guitar

In all fairness, I have not personally Googled the term "Electric Guitar" in my life. With the advent and subsequent rise of site such as Equipboard, and sites like reverb and in no small part, eBay, there is a brand (and in general, product) awareness that has become prevalent dismissing the need for the generic searching google provides.

The fears over the death of the electric guitar while trying to keep a view from a guitarist point of view without repeating the article above ad nauseum, is a bit simpler.

1) There has been a shift in musical trends. Undeniable. This does not mean a death... a downturn yes as two finger typists can release music on the train on the way to go grab a coffee, but the ability and love of playing music on a tangible instrument is still alive and well.

2) Build qualities vs price makes many new purchases a poor investment. The BIG BRAND companies have dilluted the gene pool so much with their budget varieties that they have sullied their own names when people associate them with cheaper guitars. To combat this, the rise of the Boutique guitar has come along with sounds and build qualities that the big names are no longer able to compete with... had this occured at the birth of the electric guitar, the innovators would have carried different names and the future would have been froever changed.

However, as the Big names command still inflated prices for products which have not challenged innovation and whose build qualities have been somewhat sacrificed, the Boutique builders withtheir smaller producions, better quality parts and dedicated workmanship OBVIOUSLY have to charge more than the industry standards that they have surpassed.

3) People prefer the older guitars. Back in my day......

This old addage plays true yet again. We grew up with household names and when we buy new, the quality is not like we remember. So we seek out the old, the dusty the forgotten and even the greats once owned by the greats. We pay for the old... so NEW sales decrease... spiking fears for the death of the electric guitar. And.... with the rise of the Mega Hoarders (who display their collections in museums.... what a waste), deny the honest player (with a love of the instruments) a chance to own some of the quality that we grew up loving.

Electric Guitar is not dying. People spending money on overpriced, poorer quality, new electric guitars is. That is the real story... and the sooner the Big names realise this, the better their continued successes in the industry will be.

he electric guitar may be going the way of the saxaphone as a maisntream pop music isntrument, hwoever , it is super-alive and karate-kickin' in the udnerground and with hobbyists and enthusaiasts in a way the the sax is just not. Its inehrent mutabiltiy is the key to tis popularity. Maisntream musical trends have been slowly leaving the guitar behind sicne Iw a s a kid and I think tis because the synthesizer is even more versatile and creative. Even I am one of thos e"why not just play that part with a synth" people.

I have spoken, back to ym vacation.

I'm glad to see some replies because I agree with most of them. That's what kind of interests me in the article. I don't see guitar as dying, I go to music shops on the weekends and I always see at least some younger person swing by and play some rock.

I don't think it's going to go the way of the sax. It'll probably be back in a few years. I think what needs to happen is we need to break free of the Les Paul/strat/Tele thing and start pushing the technology further.

And yes, we have a overpopulation of guitars - get your strats spayed or neutered. Case in point - I bought an Ibanez RG last weekend for $20.00 at a thrift shob because the output jack was broken and mismatched tuners. It was marked at $125 till I pointed that out! And the guitar was like new otherwise. I go to the pawn shops, they are always wanting to cut me a deal, one local pawn shop has more guitars on it's walls than the local Guitar Center does, and the guy there I swear I could probably talk him down to $200 for 17 of them (before my wife promptly beats me to death with one of them). More than 1/3rd of those guitars were under $100, some as low as $35-$45, and they played better than the $99.99 Harmony H-804 many of my school day classmates started off on.

MEanwhile, because of this huge pile of inexpensive and usable guitars, plus the internet's wealth of information on guitar modification, repair, and customization, there's almost no point in buying anything expensive anymore, and almost no point to even buying period. My last build - the Mosrite copy on my Equipboard - was a coffee can of parts and about $65 worth of new parts including tools, sandpaper, and glue. I think some of this has killed the mystique of the instrument, as well as the long standing legends surrounding what makes a guitar great like it's old wood or aged pickups.

And the most neglected part of that is they are forgetting the pedals and amps. I remember starting out, a "practice amp" was a 2 channel 15 watt combo with an 8 inch speaker, all you had was a volume knob, a switch for the channels, pre-gain (distortion leevel), post-gain (distortion channel volume), a 3 knob EQ (low/mid/high), and a power switch. Now for less than THAT amp cost, I see what kids start with today and I'm jealous. We did not have built-in stereo effects, reverb, custom ported and tuned cabinets (I'm looking at you Blackstar), and then the darn thing probalby has USB at least or even Bluetooth on top of that making it even more editable than anything even in the $1100 price range (I'm talking stuff like the Line6 AX2 212, which I have owned, and the Johnson Millennium amps). Kids don't have to struggle for years with a shitty one channel combo that sounds like an ice cream truck and a box of hornets for a distortion pedal, and some "SG" that has fake humbuckers that are really mostly empty chrome covers with Jaguar pickups underneath, and action so high you can use it as a handy dandy kitchen tool as well as a musical instrument.

And on the subject of music tastes, you can't be a rebellious rocker anymore. For starters, society is so restricted, so watchful, so P.C., you cannot be a cranky asshole anymore without someone arresting you, putting you in a tight white coat, or somehow getting mad. And the record companies don't want to invest in interesting yet unstable rock stars anymore - because they are a liability in the shaky industry as it is now - much easier to bring in an impressionable, good looking young person and give them auto-tune and singing lessons, because as long as they feel better earlier, the less likely they blow their brains out on heroin in a handful of years than the angry guy with the electric guitar and high aggression levels (like me).

Also, guitar was, to the majority, a tool to get laid, get popular, and possibly become a rich rock star. Girls know the truth now - us guitarists are mostly sleazebags. Sleaze bags don't get popular anymore, they are uninteresting to a populace that is no longer somewhat scared of them, especially as much as the edge has been taking off things in society over the years. And popularity is a niche thing now instead of a unified youth subculture that required a monolithic industry or to support it. Honestly, I'm happy that crap is over - means those of us who play for the love of the instrument and the sounds it makes, and those of us who see something more to it that we can add - will be the ones who continue to stick around and play.

Guitar is not dying. Culture is... and it is taking adventure and expression with it. I have lyrics that border on being an act of terror. But i love them just the same and plan to release them regardless.

Guitars will become like Excalibur. Only the worthy will be able to wield them.

dirt bags or nerds, Madmike

i read one persons response to this and they mentioned a big thing its the guitar retailers that are dying, companies like guitar center that have dated marketing are suffering along with big manufacturers that flooded the market, i feel like these new lines fender is starting like the deluxe, american pro and elite are going to start phasing out their millions of models the had out a few years ago, i think soon we'll see Fender only carrying the Mex Standard, Mex Deluxe a few Mex vintage models, the Am Pro, Elite and AVRI. and i feel like gibsons prices are going to start coming down since the introduction of the budget american guitars.

another is companies like reverb and Chicago Music Exchange arent taking this recession like gc or big box companies and the article didnt talk about companies like them or interview young players, the market has just become so diluted that theres little point in buying a new guitar becsause companies liek fender flooded the market trying to keep sales up instead of offering a few models and letting the used market dry up a bit

another thing that really pissed me off is him saying no one is starting guitar because of people like mayer and we no longer have guitar heroes

im 20 years old and in college and started oplaying at 17 because i saw Keith Jeffery playing and that guy even tho he plays indie can let loose and shred and it inspired me and ive met people in school who started playing at 19-21 solely because of John Mayer, we still have guitar players who influence my generation such as Mayer, Adam Hann from the 1975 or Jake Bugg and Dan auerbach, just because someone doesnt feel they are an influential guitarist doesnt mean they arent.

Nothing much to add- You pretty much nailed it. I'd be more interested in the search data for "guitar tab" than "electric guitar".

I still hear guitar all over loads of production, just not always is the traditional sense of say your The Who, Kinks, etc.

A quick peak into how people write tunes you'll often see they start on keys or guitar even if it doesn't make it into the final product in the same way.

"with the rise of the Mega Hoarders (who display their collections in museums.... what a waste)"

God I hate this culture. Only thing more corrosive is Wall Street peeps buying instruments they can't even play as an "investment". If the word "investment" has ever been more bastardized I've yet to hear it. Total waste and contiunes to trainwreck more and more makes...

The guitar ain't goin' anywhere. Even sounds click bait-y. "Death of the electric guitar". Not buying it.

Good idea. Wow, "guitar tabs" is abysmal. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=guitar%20tabs

Like you guys, I'm not completely doom and gloom, but I do recognize culture has shifted. Back in the day, it was guitarist that were mainstream culture icons. Now, it seems to be DJs and rappers that are more influential as a generalization.

Huh, interesting. I'd still argue that even that can be explained in part by apps like Yousician and the like.

JamStick seems to be doing well also.

There definately is a culture shift, I just don't think it's one that spells the "doom" of El Guit. Jesus, I'm not labeling tracks... ELECTRIC GUITAR. Whew, feelin better...

With every shift there's always a reflexive backlash. Grunge, LoFi Recording, the totally madhouse Garage Rock thing 10 years ago-ish, etc.

Could also look to the success of revival tours.

The client I've been tracking this week is playing with Iggy Pop in a few weeks for f's sake...tho that might just evidence of a bit of jelousy on my part.

here's my ppol-side, rambling .02, guys

I feel like the guitar is also suffering from being heavily adopted by rock music fans, replacing air guitar in the 80s as a form of hero worship.... there are a lot of guys imitating their idols, often badly ons tage who are not that itnerested in the isntrument as anything but a conenction to their favorite artists...they don't really care aout music and aren't interested in the history of popular songwriting. This site actually trives on those people and so does the entry-level guitar market and most of all the pedal market. I think that's why pedals have exploded to a certaine xtent and this site's existence lends credence to my theory. Some of us ae just into talking gear in a friendy environment than gear-page, but the majority of members are fixated on certain items sed by a handful of bands they love rather than guitar, recording, synths and music in general. this kidna hero worship and specialization defintiely hurts music and with guitar it is the ruling apradigm. its been building up sicne the 70s and its hurting the whole reputation of the isntrument. When iw as a kid people were impressed if you were the one kid ins chool elrning guitar because it was still cool and special. There was an assumption that if you weren't good yet that you would be good eventually ebcause everyone else wuit after a week! Now people stick with it more, maybe ebcause of the itnernet, but they don't always come out with great chops or an original voice. Everybody and their brother plays and they all do a convincing kings of leon impression.... its not impressive anymore. On the other hand the synth is still a little baffling to most kids. Although the avialability of soft synths that make it asy to crank out EDM bangers certainly is democritizing, degrading and demysifying the synth too... rather than say electric guitar is dying I would rather say that a culture of amateurism is desensitizing the audience to everything. They just don't care about the same things they sued to because no one is terribly good at it anymore. The real virtuosos are the protools master and great mix engineers, you know? And half the time those folks are uncredited so the signer, like Timberlake or Gaga gets the adulation. I don't think teh audience pays attention to whats going on in tehse songs. They don't worry about whether they have a guitar or a weird sequence of samples or maybe some moog plucks holding down the hook. They lsiten to teh whole production and then amdire the vocalist or trash them regardless of what the vocal actually sounds like.

I just don't elt this stuff worry me though and neither should you. I sued to be bothered but I no longer make a living through music and I have just elt it go. I am going tow rite the sort of music I want, play with who I want, record what I want and I'll keep loving my guitars and amps. I learned tos top worrying and love the bomb. The folks at the Post should too... they ahve enough to worry about inS utheast where I used to work! Their whole region is so fucked up.

here's my ppol-side, rambling .02, guys

I feel like the guitar is also suffering from being heavily adopted by rock music fans, replacing air guitar in the 80s as a form of hero worship.... there are a lot of guys imitating their idols, often badly ons tage who are not that itnerested in the isntrument as anything but a conenction to their favorite artists...they don't really care aout music and aren't interested in the history of popular songwriting. This site actually trives on those people and so does the entry-level guitar market and most of all the pedal market. I think that's why pedals have exploded to a certaine xtent and this site's existence lends credence to my theory. Some of us ae just into talking gear in a friendy environment than gear-page, but the majority of members are fixated on certain items sed by a handful of bands they love rather than guitar, recording, synths and music in general. this kidna hero worship and specialization defintiely hurts music and with guitar it is the ruling apradigm. its been building up sicne the 70s and its hurting the whole reputation of the isntrument. When iw as a kid people were impressed if you were the one kid ins chool elrning guitar because it was still cool and special. There was an assumption that if you weren't good yet that you would be good eventually ebcause everyone else wuit after a week! Now people stick with it more, maybe ebcause of the itnernet, but they don't always come out with great chops or an original voice. Everybody and their brother plays and they all do a convincing kings of leon impression.... its not impressive anymore. On the other hand the synth is still a little baffling to most kids. Although the avialability of soft synths that make it asy to crank out EDM bangers certainly is democritizing, degrading and demysifying the synth too... rather than say electric guitar is dying I would rather say that a culture of amateurism is desensitizing the audience to everything. They just don't care about the same things they sued to because no one is terribly good at it anymore. The real virtuosos are the protools master and great mix engineers, you know? And half the time those folks are uncredited so the signer, like Timberlake or Gaga gets the adulation. I don't think teh audience pays attention to whats going on in tehse songs. They don't worry about whether they have a guitar or a weird sequence of samples or maybe some moog plucks holding down the hook. They lsiten to teh whole production and then amdire the vocalist or trash them regardless of what the vocal actually sounds like.

I just don't elt this stuff worry me though and neither should you. I sued to be bothered but I no longer make a living through music and I have just elt it go. I am going tow rite the sort of music I want, play with who I want, record what I want and I'll keep loving my guitars and amps. I learned tos top worrying and love the bomb. The folks at the Post should too... they ahve enough to worry about inS utheast where I used to work! Their whole region is so fucked up.

This is an excellent point.

TBH, you talk about demystifying things, I think that's not a guitar thing so much as everything these days. I think the needless application of science is a big reason people have lots a lot of wonder and interest in things in recent years - and that extends beyond guitar. It's like there's nothing to figure out anymore to some people.

As for the Post, the same guy that wrote it had a second article talking about how the article cost him like $2,400 or something like that - total baloney if you ask me because the whole thing is about restoring his dad's Silvertone or something.

I mostly posted to get some fresh perspectives on this because I kind of thought the whole article was a little one-sided, albeit still a bit correct. That plust all the non-guitar-players around me have been pestering me with it this week.

I get that. I think if the guitar would really die then maybe it will come back ebtter and stronger. We're in a weird era though. Its not unlike the birth of rock n roll in some ways. All the sudden there's a proliferation of cheaper isntruments and weird new music making tools at a time where the music business is chaotic, like the wild west. The psot-war era was actually like this. The guitar amp was being improved and perfected, fender was bringing serviceable, feedback free guitars to the masses. Little local labels and and regional radio DJs were proliferating music thatw as either new or previously unkown to the mainstream (blues was race music until after world warII).... lots of technological rbeakthroughs are available to enthusiasts now thanks to computer recording just like the proliferation of army surplus electronic parts in teh 50s had companies cranking out the earliest affordable tape amchines and selling them to people like Sam Phillips. Major labels are always scrambling to keep up but still lean on repackaging the older, big names they've poured tons of money into. Its an itneresting time in popular music. We haven't seen all these conditions in a while. We're ripe for some Rockabilly to take shots at the Sinatras and Benny Goodmans or some Beatles to render the Frankie Valleys and Bobby Darrins obsolete. Who knows what that music is going to be or when it will happen but the conditions are right in a lot of ways. I just haven't ehard anything new that is ushering in such a drastic paradigm shift. I am not eharing a Buddy Holly or Chuck Berry and certainly I am not eharing any fucking Beatles.

What is dead can enver die! It just coems back ahrder and stronger!!! the iron islands will save the guitar! but first? winter is coming

woah...Kyja brought this article last night in a backyard drinkin' fest/lil' jam with some friends. Dunno why but I couched my thoughts in a metaphorical conversation I might & have had with you...I was close...but well...that was a good read.

Winter is Coming. Buy a Wampler Dracarys. Save the guitarist, Save the world! James has spoken.

valar guitaris!