Fall from Power?

dallasobserver.com Music Fall From Power? | CONTENTS | UNFAIR PARK | Claims of the slow death of the electric guitar may be exaggerated. BY CHRISTIAN MCPHATE he Washington Post called it the “slow death of the electric guitar” SC H Shutterstock U in its June 22 doomsday article, TZE | “Why My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Blues guitarist Lance Lopez disagrees says. “We need to have good guitars at a The story opened with one of Eric Clapton’s with the Post’s article, he says, because he cheaper price for real musicians.” T F old guitar dealers from Nashville, George knows firsthand that people are willing to The quality of a guitar also affects its EAT Gruhn, who indicated that guitar makers pay $250 for a ticket and fill 3,000- to 5,000- lifespan. In his interview with WTVF-TV U RE | were oversaturating a stagnant market be- seat theaters to see guitar heroes like Joe in Nashville, Gruhn said that a Fender or a fore providing an age-old argument re- Bonamassa or John Mayer slay the guitar. Gibson can last several lifetimes. N peated by a lot of old-timers: Kids today just “There are guitar heroes out there, but One difficulty in identifying up-and-com- IGHT+DAY | C aren’t interested in guitar-driven music. whether that crosses over to a mainstream ing guitar talent is that it’s not always obvious They want electronic beats. audience is another matter,” he says. where to look, other than YouTube. In the Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney also Some of those heroes include young past, fans read guitar magazines or attended reiterated this claim. “Now it’s more elec- blues guitarists like 21-year-old Marcus shows in their towns, but these days, older U tronic music, and kids listen differently,” he King from The Marcus King Band. He ig- guitarists tend to hog the covers. North Texas LT U told an interviewer. “They don’t have gui- nites his guitar with a fiery brand of Ameri- musicians are also finding that attendance is RE | MOVIES | DISH | M tar heroes like you and I did.” can roots music that he calls down for rock bands that play original music, The Observer reached out to music in- “soul-influenced psychedelic Southern particularly in the metal genre, compared dustry locals to get their takes. rock.” King is the son of bluesman Marvin with what it was in the ’80s and ’90s. The Post’s article claims that oversatu- King, and The Philadelphia Inquirer said he “My personal opinion is that live rock ‘n’ ration has caused a drop in annual guitar was poised to become a “guitar superstar.” roll is going the way of jazz and blues,” says sales from 1.5 million to “just over a mil- Then there is Christone “Kingfish” In- local metal guitarist Jim Crye, formerly of lion” and paints a bleak picture of the ingram, an 18-year-old guitar slinger from Volume Dealer. “You can see it in the de- strument’s future. Big guitar makers Mississippi whom Lopez says is “leading cline in attendance [for original music].” U Fender and Gibson are in debt, and PRS the way with the blues.” He’s been playing Crye spends his days as a high school SI C Guitars is laying people off, it points out. guitar since he was a child and found inspi- teacher and his nights and weekends as a | Even Guitar Center is hurting and “fearful ration in the Delta blues of Robert Johnson, guitar slinger for hire. He’s been playing in C of publicity,” with a $1.6 billion debt. Elmore James, Muddy Waters and Light- the local metal scene since the late ’80s and LASSIFIE Sam Ash music store executive Richard nin’ Hopkins, as well as the electric blues of considers himself part of the last big wave B.B. King, Albert King, Big Jack Johnson of metal bands to hit the area after Pantera D Ash told the Post that that its customer | base is aging. and Lucky Peterson. and Rigor Mortis signed record label deals. But the crux of the argument that the And we can’t mention Ingram without In recent years, he’s been playing with electric guitar is slowly dying is found in paying homage to 28-year-old guitarist Sa- tribute bands, which he says draw bigger DALLASOBSERVER the statements by McCartney and Gruhn: mantha Fish, who’s shared the stage a time crowds. the lack of new guitar gods to replace the or two with him and racks up views in the “It has been musically rewarding [to old ones as they approach their 60s, 70s triple and quadruple digits on YouTube. play in a tribute band], but it sucks because and 80s. “What we need is guitar heroes,” She’s dropped four studio albums since hit- you have to sell your soul to play DIO, Gruhn told the Post. ting the scene in 2011, including her latest Randy Rhodes and Pantera because you’re After the article was published, Gruhn release, Chills & Fever. regurgitating the stuff,” Crye says. “Guys told a Nashville TV station that he was sur- Of course, blues isn’t the only genre with like me, our dream isn’t to get signed as an prised by the Post’s take. New and used gui- talented young guitarists paying homage to original musician but as a hired gun who tars are both available in abundance, which the legends. Dallas-based guitarist Kelley can play your band’s stuff.” wasn’t the case a couple of decades ago. Juett is inspiring a new generation with his “But we do need a new guitar hero to “I would say that the guitar market is classic rock inspirations as part of the band spark the electric guitar sales,” he adds. M under stress from oversaturation. But by no Mothership. He’s touring in Europe and re- Jimmy Adcock has been teaching guitar at ONTH means is the market for the guitar simply cently unveiled The Kelley Juett Galaxy Arlington School of Music since 2001, and XX–M dying,” he said. guitar collection from Boult Guitars. he’s noticed that a lot of his young guitar stu- Is electronic music really supplanting Lopez, who’s represented Gibson Cus- dents mention Eddie Van Halen, Randy guitars? Or is oversaturation to blame? And tom at music trade shows, agrees that the Rhoads and Zakk Wylde as their inspirations ONTH where are all of the guitar heroes? electric guitar market is oversaturated but — but no one from this decade or the last. Some local music lovers argue that they says the problem has more to do with gui- “There are not many current bands that XX, 2014 can still be found filling arenas like Ameri- tar prices. Fender and a lot of big compa- have a recognizable guitar hero,” he says, can Airlines Center, playing in the low light nies offer good guitars at prices that an “and lot of guitar players don’t have that of Poor David’s Pub or driving loved ones average working musician can’t afford. recognizable fingerprint. When you heard crazy while perfecting their guitar craft in “The guys who can pay the money are Van Halen, you immediately knew it was garages or at music schools like the School either established musicians or doctors and them. They are missing that signature of Rock. lawyers who play them just for a hobby,” he sound.” 1.

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