dmbaer
I was talking to a fellow who was involved in marketing at a major instrument manufacturer on my way to NAMM in 2015.  He was saying that sales are *way* off compared to what they were 15 - 20 years ago.  Much of the reason, he assumed, was that the iGeneration had no use for such pursuits as making music (unless it was via a no-investment vehicle like Garage Band).  Very, very sad, IMO.

One should note that the phone in our pockets has more processing power than a flagship HW synth from 20 years ago, and there are lots of $5 - $20 apps that prove it.
 
So with a fairly inexpensive audio interface and midi controller added to an iPad or computer you can blow away the equipment that we learned on for a fraction of the cost - and that's without even accounting for inflation. That really is progress, but it isn't for certain manufacturers and retailers. My first digital reverb was a big deal for me back in the 80's, but now you can get a $5 app that more than equals what cost hundreds of 1980's dollars. 
 
Really cheap DSP power accompanied by lots of excellent cheap SW has changed the rules of the marketplace. Coupled with current musical and societal trends, it's just a completely different marketplace today. Over the last 20 years, it seems to me the boutique musical instrument market has had explosive growth whereas the mass market stuff has declined and the SW market has matured and became saturated with good options.

Instant gratification.  Just add unrealistic expectations and mix thoroughly.  

Plus in order to go play with the drummer down the street you have to go outside (Gaah!)

bitman
Plus in order to go play with the drummer down the street you have to go outside (Gaah!)

Why?  Don't they have their computer video share set up yet?  

outland144k

dmbaer
....the iGeneration had no use for such pursuits as making music (unless it was via a no-investment vehicle like Garage Band).  Very, very sad, IMO.

Money's not the only thing the iGen have no interest in investing; the other is time. Immediate gratification is the highest goal for them

That was exactly my point - the time involved.  Maybe I should have said "no-involvement" rather than "no-investment".  Heaven forbid that anything requires that members of the iGeneration take lessons and practice!

dmbaer

outland144k

dmbaer
....the iGeneration had no use for such pursuits as making music (unless it was via a no-investment vehicle like Garage Band).  Very, very sad, IMO.

Money's not the only thing the iGen have no interest in investing; the other is time. Immediate gratification is the highest goal for them

That was exactly my point - the time involved.  Maybe I should have said "no-involvement" rather than "no-investment".  Heaven forbid that anything requires that members of the iGeneration take lessons and practice!

I did take you as commenting on Garage Band's being included as part of the Mac package (rather than a time investment), but it works on that level as well. Well-put regardless, dear sir.
 

Hi,
 
I don't play a guitar so my ability to say something may not sound right.
 
My take on the whole thing? ... since the guitars all look the same and sound the same ... what's the point of making yet another one exactly like the previous one?
 
Been watching a whole bunch of different things, and in a TD video, there was this guy playing an electronic acoustic headless guitar ... and no one talks about that ... or different instruments, that have a very different sound and capacities which could/would/might impress a younger generation into taking one of those into account ... nooooooo ... you have to try and learn the saints go drow'ing in paradise yet again, because most guitar and piano teachers don't know any music beyond 5 songs, right?
 
I think this goes back to one of the Bush's and possibly prior to that, when they started cutting out the artistic budgets so they could finance their own private wars, and we thought that was great for our ego and world emancipation that our membership had more inches than any others!
 
The interest in the arts has dropped so much, that even here in Portland, their Symphony is having a really hard time ... never mind that the guy running it was born in some planet where they only play the top ten, and he thinks that Chick Corea, Frank Zappa, and Keith Jarrett are not composers ... he thinks they are note hackers.
 
All in all, we just have to get rid of this uneducated bunch of politicians out of office and maybe cut down the USC/ND and other big school's football budget in half so we can concentrate on the arts a bit more ... 
 
Oh heck, even Sonar/Cakewalk aren't doing crap about it ... so why should the politicians?
 
BTW, Harley Davidson is also in dire straits, as are many American companies because they went for the big buck a long time ago, and now can not live under that bigger buck ... and are pricing themselves out of the newer generations of folks learning music. 
 
The awe and far-out-ness of what a Les Paul and many others did ... is missing today ... and none of those geeks that created the music programs give a damn, and they need to be shown that ... they are geeks, not artists, or musicians!
 
When we know the difference, I think things will change. Until then ... we will lose a lot more than we can gain!
 

 
I think I want some of whatever the Mosh is smoking.

slartabartfast

 
I think I want some of whatever the Mosh is smoking.

That was a fascinating read.

michaelhanson

slartabartfast

 
I think I want some of whatever the Mosh is smoking.

That was a fascinating read.

All in all, it was the synthesizer that ushered a new era in music, and it will be a new instrument and sound that will help usher (more than likely) another ear in music. I think the electric guitar should be involved in this as well, but in the end, the only thing it has given us was loudness ... and more loudness!
 
Right now, too many things sound the same, and that is not a recipe for creativity, and eventually it will bore everyone, not just me.
 
This is where progressive, experimental music has the edge. New sounds and new creative works that defy our ears to be able to listen to it, but in a few places, it's like most folks only want more of the same and more of the same and more of the same, and more classical hits .. and after a while we think that music has to sound like that ... and new things do not click with your ears ... and, honestly, this has to change,