Guitar Shows.

[Caleb]

I like guitar shows and go to my local ones often.  I've noticed in the last few years that attendance seems down in general, and mostly I notice a serious lack of younger players.  It's pretty much an older crowd combing over the guitars at every show I attend.  It makes me wonder what guitar playing will look like in the coming generations.  I know there are plenty of great younger players on Youtube, but I wonder if there are nearly as many learning as did in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s?  What is going to become of the guitar in, say, the next 20 or 30 years?

[tuffythepug]

Younger people want to spend their time chasing pokemon, instagramming, texting, and all that other crap. instead of learning to play an instrument.  But there will always be the few who don't follow the crowd.  Those are the ones who will be the next generation of guitar heroes.    If they called it a GUITAR-CON instead of a guitar show they might get more young people to take an interest.   

[George]

Younger people want to spend their time chasing pokemon, instagramming, texting, and all that other crap. instead of learning to play an instrument.  But there will always be the few who don't follow the crowd.  Those are the ones who will be the next generation of guitar heroes.    If they called it a GUITAR-CON instead of a guitar show they might get more young people to take an interest.   

You are so right Lynn, you have to speak their language....     

[baillieul]

I have probably sold 5 used guitars over the last couple years. Pretty much all the buyers were 50+.  Golf has the same problem.

I lie guitars and golf.

[unclrob]

Back when I worked for a dealer I had to go to a few guitar show's.Back then it was older players and dealers buy/selling vintage guitars plus some nice used stuff.Now most people do either ebay or reverb.The entry cost got really high plus the vintage market tanked a few years back.On top of all that the price of decent guitars has dropped alot so no one wants used old guitars as much.Plus the new players are into newer style guitars played by there hero's.

[tuffythepug]

Back when I worked for a dealer I had to go to a few guitar show's.Back then it was older players and dealers buy/selling vintage guitars plus some nice used stuff.Now most people do either ebay or reverb.The entry cost got really high plus the vintage market tanked a few years back.On top of all that the price of decent guitars has dropped alot so no one wants used old guitars as much.Plus the new players are into newer style guitars played by there hero's.

Great analysis Rob. 

[Walkerman]

Aren't really any guitar bands like in the 60's and 70's.  We need another British invasion to spur guitar sales.

[JOYCEfromNS]

Aren't really any guitar bands like in the 60's and 70's.  We need another British invasion to spur guitar sales.

Lots of truth to that!

[Walkerman]

I have probably sold 5 used guitars over the last couple years. Pretty much all the buyers were 50+.  Golf has the same problem.

I lie guitars and golf.

Same with tennis .... With Conners, Evert, Johnny Mac, Sampras, Agassi, et al, tennis ruled in America.  Now, no one plays tennis.

[George]

Aren't really any guitar bands like in the 60's and 70's.  We need another British invasion to spur guitar sales.

  Now you are talkin'...

[gtrplayer]

Same with tennis .... With Conners, Evert, Johnny Mac, Sampras, Agassi, et al, tennis ruled in America.  Now, no one plays tennis.

Nobody is playing tennis because all those boomer knees are arthritic and we're a lot slower on our feet.  Pickle ball or ping pong might serve us better. 

[Parlor Picker]

Sort of related - I've helped organise our local arts festival here in the UK for about 20 years and my involvement is with non-classical music, so blues, folk, Americana, world, jazz, etc. and our audiences are always predominantly old fogies like me. It's a similar story with another of my interests, natural history. Very few youngsters seem to have any interest in birding, walking in the countryside, etc...

There was a period of popular music where guitars seemed to disappear in favour of strange looking keyboards (played by "trousered wimps"), but there are now indie bands featuring plenty of guitars. Inevitably, this means electrics, but there does seem to be some interest in acoustics as well.