Is acoustic guitar an old man's instrument today?

[James Hart]

OMFG! That kid is amazing! And the fingers on that guy!

He has got some chops! He is part of a genre that has caught my ear (and practicing time) over the last couple years. Some of his stuff seems more about the complexity instead of saying something, but you cannot discount the mechanics and precision of his craft!

Steve Vai even sat in with them last year...

 

[MLBob]

A lot of us are over the hill and soon to be under it.

But when all is said and done, who cares whether acoustic guitars are waxing or waning? I say let's just enjoy 'em and let the future take care of itself.

+1. Let's enjoy the hell out of 'em!

 

[chazmo]

+1. Let's enjoy the hell out of 'em!

+ 2

 

[plaidseason]

+ 2

Yes! I support this. I don't really need someone to affirm that I really enjoy playing acoustic guitars, or writing songs. I just do.

 

[Central Florida Folkie]

I am delighted to say that while my eldest son lives on his computer, his younger brother at 16 has been playing violin since 5th grade, then took up ukulele on his own, then wanted to play guitar with Dad and has become incredibly proficient at it on his own. He also taught himself 19th century penmanship, is a voracious reader, talented sketch artist, painter, writer….he’s my little Renaissance Man. He delights in sitting on the couch just noodling on his guitar like his Dad does. One day, my Guild will go to him. Societal trends will do what they will, but I believe that there will always be people whose heartstrings are moved by the sound of steel and wood and the magic it makes. I’m glad my little guy is one of them.

 

[West R Lee]

I am delighted to say that while my eldest son lives on his computer, his younger brother at 16 has been playing violin since 5th grade, then took up ukulele on his own, then wanted to play guitar with Dad and has become incredibly proficient at it on his own. He also taught himself 19th century penmanship, is a voracious reader, talented sketch artist, painter, writer….he’s my little Renaissance Man. He delights in sitting on the couch just noodling on his guitar like his Dad does. One day, my Guild will go to him. Societal trends will do what they will, but I believe that there will always be people whose heartstrings are moved by the sound of steel and wood and the magic it makes. I’m glad my little guy is one of them.

Doesn't surprise me in the least given your talent Shawn.. I have two sons myself and it's funny how different brothers can be.........like me and my brother for example.

West

 

[Central Florida Folkie]

Doesn't surprise me in the least given your talent Shawn.. I have two sons myself and it's funny how different brothers can be.........like me and my brother for example.

West

Hah! Yes, you speak the truth, Brother. I am quite unlike my younger brother, as well. Hope all is well over there in East Texas! Warm and humid here in central FL - 80 degrees.

 

[Rayk]

I learned on acoustic and mostly played acoustic through out my life . I don’t know about younger players but maybe it just depends on the parents .lol

Honestly I’m more creative and expressive on acoustic then electric . lol

 

[Westerly Wood]

 

[plaidseason]

I learned on acoustic and mostly played acoustic through out my life . I don’t know about younger players but maybe it just depends on the parents .lol

Honestly I’m more creative and expressive on acoustic then electric . lol

That's where I land too. I've played and considered archtops and single-coil electrics, etc. But always end up back to an acoustic. Maybe ironically, my live acoustic sound is via a magnetic pickup with compression and some kind of either reverb or tape echo, which more than once I've been told sounds like a "jazz guitar." But it's that resonance, I can't ever get over it! So I own a bunch of acoustics . . . four of them with magnetic pickups.

 

[zulu]

dwasifar may be on to something here. I just checked my acoustic guitar and it is, in fact, an old man's instrument.

 

[West R Lee]

West

 

[adorshki]

West

Too bad he'll never be able to play a guitar that's older than he is.

 

[Br1ck]

It comes down to how much time you can squander. Younger people are working long hours and their weekends are chock full of the kid's activities if they have families.

It is getting to the point of cost being a factor too. My benchmark for a used guitar is the D 18, D 40 level.

Gaming is a huge activity in the formative years.

So there are more time filters than ever. So I imagine fewer are getting hooked in their teens. I keep waiting for another Beatles, but they hit on all cylinders. Right time and place not likely to come again.

I built a Heathkit guitar amp.

 

[Bernie]

He has got some chops! He is part of a genre that has caught my ear (and practicing time) over the last couple years. Some of his stuff seems more about the complexity instead of saying something, but you cannot discount the mechanics and precision of his craft!

Steve Vai even sat in with them last year...

Though everything is very impressive, and seems to show a lot of skill and virtuoso playing, it is interesting to note that none of the music played in this video is actually performed in front of the camera : no electric guitars have an electric sound without an amp nearby, wireless equipment and so on (effects). And I don't see any of these !! ...
It's all staged

 

[James Hart]

Though everything is very impressive, and seems to show a lot of skill and virtuoso playing, it is interesting to note that none of the music played in this video is actually performed in front of the camera : no electric guitars have an electric sound without an amp nearby, wireless equipment and so on (effects). And I don't see any of these !! ...
It's all staged

Yes that was a music video... you know like Mtv use to have

Here is some live

 

[West R Lee]

And then there's this.



West

 

[vates]

Guitar forums have become old man hangouts for at least a decade now, and that's where you might get that impression. I have worked part-time at a small local guitar shop for the last eight years, and I'm happy to say that guitar in general is fast becoming a young  woman's instrument, which I think is pretty cool.

This.

The problem is rather with the "forum" format: it's not popular among the younger folk.
I play and visit acoustic gigs from time to time and I can see a lot of acoustic guitar players in their 20s. And they are much better than, say, 20 yrs ago.
Another noticeable trend: more female players and songwriters emerged during the last decade.

 

[Bernie]

All that's needed is a famous artist (young preferably I suspect) playing a Guild guitar...
Send one to a pretty girl who can play, or to a guy who can really write songs...
Ed Sheeran's got his own brand, John Meyer is already endorsing Martin guitars, Taylor Swift runs for Taylor (you would have guessed)...They've tried with Bob Marley, but between the fact it wasn't really a Guild he once played, and the one that he's been dead for quite some time, no wonder why it didn't quite work...
Quite a few musician play other makes that are not obviously better.

Unveiling the new Polaras won't be 2024's major event I'm afraid - I've just discovered that S 100s were called Polara (is that right ?), so youngsters wouldn't know much about them...

 

[plaidseason]

All that's needed is a famous artist (young preferably I suspect) playing a Guild guitar...
Send one to a pretty girl who can play, or to a guy who can really write songs...
Ed Sheeran's got his own brand, John Meyer is already endorsing Martin guitars, Taylor Swift runs for Taylor (you would have guessed)...They've tried with Bob Marley, but between the fact it wasn't really a Guild he once played, and the one that he's been dead for quite some time, no wonder why it didn't quite work...
Quite a few musician play other makes that are not obviously better.

Unveiling the new Polaras won't be 2024's major event I'm afraid - I've just discovered that S 100s were called Polara (is that right ?), so youngsters wouldn't know much about them...

What's famous though? I suspect that Taylor Swift and John Mayer fans aren't that brand specific when buying guitars. Working musicians are. And I see enough Guilds out there (not as many Taylors, but Taylor has smartly targeted that working crowd).


And the current Guild Artist roster has some solid names . . .

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