The problem that may kill Guitar shops but no one tells you
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- Опубліковано 2 чер 2024
- Beautiful PRS Private Stocks, Gibson's Garage, Andertons eCommerce Behemoth and strangely AI and data centers. What does this all of you mean for the future of Guitar shops? Not good news unfortunately
Utkarsh Mohan is a Singapore based writer, musician and artist of Indian origin. Formerly in corporate senior management, he now pursues his passions and is also the owner of the Ministry of Guitar collection
You can also follow him on Instagram @ministryofguitar
Small shops were the best. Sure, selection was somewhat limited but that was part of the charm.
A lot of good points here - sadly I think guitar shops are falling victim to (a) increased online sales for just about anything, so many bookshops, record shops etc. packing up! (b) manufacturers completely bypassing retail outlets ('eliminating the middle man'!), which a kick in the teeth for so many smaller businesses, and (c) the resultant financial pressure the above put on smaller 'local' stores that do not have the benefit of being in a big city where there are way more potential customers than small-town locations. I'm fortunate, living in HK, which is a 'duty free' city so prices remain 'reasonable' with no import duty / VAT etc. and 2 main dealers, Tom Lee & Parsons, who have flagship stores with plenty of inventory so it's easy to try out and compare instruments before buying (I have no desire to buy a guitar online) and both offer a decent warranty. We also have several smaller indie dealers who may offer one or two less 'major' brands like Sire, Suhr, Sadowsky etc. I look forward to visiting the new Swee Lee next time I'm in SNG! Cheers.
I don't see this happening in Canada, where Long & Mcquade, also sells, engineers, and rents its own line of amps, speakers, and PA stuff (made in Canada) through its Traynor and Yorkville brands. It also trades, repairs, and gives lessons for various instruments. I assume that despite their usual fairly large selection of guitars in their stores, they likely do most of their business renting out their own line of amps and PA stuff, along with offering drums, keys, amps, orchestral instruments, servicing, and giving lessons. All of it complements their web presence where anything purchased will be delivered right to the buyer's door from one of their cross-Canada stores. Their stores bring in shoppers beyond someone looking for a guitar, but a whole mix of people who would be interested in anything else but a guitar.
Wouldn’t spend a grand on a guitar I hadn’t tried , so happy to continue to visit guitar stores.
That’s fine but you are in the minority
@@juanvaldez5422 I don't think so. I still think the majority of people buy guitars at real shops.
That concept of a dual purpose space like coffee and guitar is a good idea. I can totally see that happening.
Add a small performance space and a bar also perhaps?
@steveDC51 if a brewery sold guitars, I'd be there all the time getting drunk making terrible financial choices
Agreed, There's no longer need to go to guitar stores (i.e Office space), it's so costly, and you will need to use that "real estate" in something with more R.O.I (return of investment).👍
Physical space is really more for "experience" than the transaction of buying and selling a product.🔥If I need to buy and check new amazing guitars, I'll just visit "Reverb" and "Sweetwater". You can browse thousands of guitars with amazing photographs. It's enough to see amazing, beautiful guitars that will serve as inspiration for the next GAS. (which is just a Hedonic treadmill) but have to admit is still really satisfying even though the feeling will just last for a few days or weeks- it's very therapeutic and benefits your mental and emotional wellness. (another indirect consequence of buying Guitars on store and also online.)😅
Cheers.💯
We are a pickup manufacturer who occasionally does guitars and repair out of the shop but often the guitars and repairs can take a lot of extra time versus selling the pickups online. Here’s a whole range of services we CAN do but lately it’s been about finding the ones that keep everything moving forward.
Thanks again, you bring a unique perspective of the actual overall guitar market which impacts us all as guitarists, instructors like myself, store owners, band members, etc. and Why? We simply cannot do all the things we do in our loved craft if we can't get a guitar, and the gear needed for the end purpose of using them, IF we can't GET them. How we GET them is changing and like you I hope the actual experience as you put it does not go away.
I live in the Birmingham, Alabama metro area almost out of on the edge of an adjacent county/ county not country. B'ham is not big by the world's standards having a metro area of about a million people. While nothing like NY, Chicago, etc, it is very typical of the US in some ways. We have 2 chain box guitar stores, and a handful of local ones that make most of their money in other ways such as lessons, luthier/tech service, serving local school music programs, etc. My point is...
It is a real headache in our area and shared by people on my own YT channel to get a guitar setup, and almost unheard of to walk in and get an immediate "fix" to something as the luthier or techs are JUST TOO BUSY. So we DROP OFF and wait to be called, usually a week or more later.
Maybe we'll see as you mentioned, that service need become something improved on, or done by itself to expedite this need for everyone from playing guitarist in bands, to parents that just bought an internet guitar and need a setup. Hopefully the market and needs will find their way and we all keep making joyful noises with our guitars. Thanks for your unique perspectives.
While I understand your points, there is still something to be said for going to a shop to actually try the guitar. Rather than spending good money on something that's beautiful, but you hate playing. Then, you must re-pack the guitar, re-label the guitar, and take it to where it shipped from to be shipped back. Sometimes, like in the case of FedEx, they might not have a close location to take the package back to, causing frustration finding the place, and extra expense in driving there.
In a shop, you just put it back on the rack and walk away if you don't like it. Or try something else you do like. It's a tough nut to crack. I can see people trying a guitar they genuinely like, putting it back on the rack, and then going home to order one cheaper online. This puts the shop owner in a terrible bind. I don't see the solution. I'm personally really interested in an S-series Ibanez. But, I don't want to spend that kind of money not knowing if I'll like it. I also don't want to pay the extra price to support a local shop, because money still doesn't grow on trees.
What do you think the answer is?
I came across your channel a couple of weeks back, great content Utkarsh! I was just thinking a few days back about how no one has gone into the economics of the guitar world and then I come across your channel 😄 keep it going, and I see you're into the automotive and watch world too and can offer great insights which I'd be interested in myself, think about it!
Very interesting video, thank you very much! I think the internet has made markets, in this case the guitar market, more transparent. So customers have, compared to the pre-Internet time, more options where to buy a guitar and also to compare prices more. The competition became harder, which is usually a good thing for the customer. On the other hand, smaller traditional music stores are fighting to survive. Let us hope, that at least some of them will survive. Thanks again for all your really great work!!
Great insights as always. I think a social gathering guitar store is great. Pre-pandemic there was a local guitar boutique that was set up for hanging out, which I'd spend hours at every Saturday. Sadly the pandemic ended that and it never recovered.
I see that your mic-adapter had a run in with some chewing! I also have many things that bear the marks as such. It's actually kind of a nice reminder of them.
Haha plenty of things have had run in with chewing. Lots of pedals. Luckily no guitars
Guitars have always been visual. The different finishes back to the 40s and 50s prove that. The 70s and 80s yielded lots of visuals. Companies had many graphic finishes. Guitarists and the public at large say they want innovation, but then often gripe if that innovation is different than what came before.
Viewing guitar playing on the internet is just OK. Live music will ALWAYS be better, provided it's actually live playing.
Every single thing in one's life does not need to be monetized nor economically efficient.
I miss the days back in 2000-2003 when I would sit in the locally owned guitar/music shop & spend 3-4 hours playing different guitars on a Saturday. Can't say I'm a fan of reading the specs of a guitar online just to put down 10% so I could try it. I found one I REALLY liked, I got it, it looked great, it felt great then I played it. As soon as I played, something felt wrong. I avoided the newest/most expensive guitar I've ever owned because I didn't read about one piece of the guitar, other than that tiny spec I didn't even think of, it had EVERYTHING right for me.
Sounds like an amazing guitar shop
Yess j do agree.. due to online retailers.. i myself returned the guitar 3 times till i got satisfied... but when it comes to offline shop... u may like some guitars when u initially see it.. but not comfortable with than after couple of days.. also u cannot teturn or exchange it...
Very good analysis indeed. Today is all about experience and your point about guitar shops not being the exception is spot on. This is, isn’t it strange to buy an instrument online as the primary goal of music is to share and be opened to others (music is a language to convey emotions)? It it What it is, but I think that this sort of isolation that technologies brings has and will continue to have an effect on music quality.
I have never bought a guitar in a guitar shop in last 10 years sadly as none close enough and I have never had a problem with any of the instruments shipped thankfully
Guitar servicing is another angle. Setups, refrets, electronics, etc. Good, experienced and techs who care are hard find. Having one or two in an open setting would also generate traffic. And if the price is appealing many of these multiple guitar owners will save a lot of time going that route.
I was a guitar tech for years had a small shop ....if I was out in the open like a zoo I would of hated that....people tend to want to talk shop ...I would not get anything done
As usual, a thoughtful analysis of your chosen topic.
Thank you
Guitar Sanctuary in Dallas Texas has a very nice ambience and host mini concerts and guest speakers
Shark Tank Kevin O’Leary recently posted video of a vintage car dealer that had collectible guitars for sale.
Our 'Mom and Pop' Music store survives by offering music lessons, school band rentals, and Karaoke equipment. Shop owners see people walk in to try out a guitar, but then they order it elsewhere online, only to bring it in for a setup. Thanks.
I miss blockbuster video for the same reasons
The parallels are very interesting
my luthier just bought a guitar shop. I will share this video so that options to add value can be considered
Great video. Totally agree. Loved the jab about investors (both institutional and individual) destroying the natural mechanics of the housing market through their excessive greed too, that’s exactly right and it has destroyed the home ownership dream for many. Glad you slipped that in.
That’s my 35th anny dragon Paul is holding up in the thumbnail 🤘
Feel cannot be experienced digitally. The stores will continue.
The new way forward is "music and" whether it's you as a musician or you as a shop owner.
Well, in Japan there is still hope, that their guitar stores never close.
yeah it is strange
Guitar Center will be here 20 years from now. What this does is help boutique and small mom & pop guitar shops get a spotlight. Don’t think the physical guitar store is going anywhere anytime soon.
Guitar stores won’t cease to exist but they won’t appear in prominent locations. An online business still requires warehousing and a physical space. Many guitar stores in Australia are on the fringe of industrial areas where the rents would be half that of prime retail.
What is the used gear market like? If the big brands are going direct sale, could the used gear market support bricks and mortar stores, perhaps with cafes and used vinal. A hubfor local musos?
Utkarsch, you are so right, in Holland we have about 15 serious guitar shops, but a lot of
Guitarists paying their equipement cash, lets have a little hope? 🤔
Your explanation looking at the real estate as a scarce resource with alternative uses sounds smart, but I don't think that's the driver... Because I don't think shops are closing because other would-be tenants are out bidding them for the space. I expect most of these closed guitar shops will sit empty, indefinitely. There is no alternative use for most of these storefronts in most towns.
I do agree this is a very urban specific argument concerning real estate
"Vinyl bars" would be a tough sell some places. Trusting strangers to not mishandle the records. But I guess that goes the same for handling guitars worth 100s of dollars.
Mixed use spaces I do see as a plus, however. Guitar stores should be a place where you can do more than just buy guitars. Lessons, set up, and technical service are the first that come to mind. Guitar stores have the potential to be a place for people to congregate. Maybe even offer some concert venue space and basic recording studio space as well.
It's a complicated balancing act, but I think the formula will pay off over the long run.
Sam Ash was destined to lose their stores.
chapter's books store and coffee ...worked for a awhile not so much now ....... also more risk-- now you are opening a guitar shop and a coffee shop ..... more space and fancy starbucks decor
I live a few blocks from CME. Down the street from there is a large GC. I am a regular player and i bought like 1 guitar from a guitar store the rest were online bc the price is so cheap - i can get Sweetwater to drop name brands 10%+ ; CME/GC can't/won't. The only thing that guitar shops provide of any use at all is guitar maintenance yet CME at least has multi-week waits for simple truss adj. The guitar "stores" should pivot to service. You can go few blocks from CME to a small amp shop but after that guy retires any moment who's going to do it? Pivot To Service! Guitars need annoying, very specialized maintenance to be any damn good.
I don't think guitar shops will disappear completely but they could decline in number in the same way many book shops have closed.
Coffee's good, wine's better:)
At least in my Counry Mexico, the guitar shops will die cause Amazon and MercadoLibre prices are WAAAAY cheaper, so I can go to the Physical store, try a 500 USD guitar and I buy it online for 300 USD hahaha, it´s sad but it is what it is
The Guitar Industry used to serve the actual Music Business, now it serves a bunch of Hobbyists & Collectors. The Millennial Kidults are impressed with Stuff & Chops rather than Culture so they sure ain't inventing New Musical Trends.. Maybe these developments will stimulate the stale second hand market. Personally I hope the Overblown Guitar Culture will die & the rise of the Mandolins or Keyboards will nail it's coffin.. George Gruhn said 10 years ago that overproduction was 'unsustainable'. He's right
Actual music culture abandoned physical instruments 20 years ago. Not to say that no one cares about actual musicians but they’re not setting trends in modern music, sadly. Technology is making human existence, let alone musicians, obsolete. Mandolins, as much as I like them, ain’t gonna do shyt. I agree that online guitar culture is overblown and that the market is insanely over saturated.
All physical stores will be gone. People will be buying guitars online. If buyers want to try a guitar they will order, try and send back if don't like. Pretty much Amazon model. Sellers will be forced to pay for return shipping and refund initial shipping, which gets quite expensive on guitars - imagine losing $200-300 dollars on a transaction because your buyer changed his mind?
Free returns are factored into the initial selling price as per "free" delivery. Basic retail commerce.
I hope you’re totally wrong. Musicians and music teachers need that human connection.
Yeah I would love for things to be different
I have to disagree with you again on this one... the only stores closing are the big box retailers who haven't listened to their customers, meanwhile independent shops have been growing at an exponential rate! So if what you say is true, then how are small music shops doing so well? You claim that people are abandoning the real world in favor of the internet, which was true 5 years ago, but not anymore... since the pandemic there has been a resurgence of experience based purchases, which has not slowed down and only continues to gain traction. The point about consistency wasn't wrong, but you failed to mention that the quality has gone down significantly. Fender, Gibson, and PRS have had massive QC issues in the last 5-10 years, and your suggestion that Gibson will no longer need its dealer network in the future seems a bit absurd considering they are currently shopping for new ownership in light of a litany of issues and uncertainty for their future.... so the idea that a company barely surviving is about to abandon the lifeblood for their business is absurd. I think perhaps your views are off base because you don't reside in the USA, and the entire world of electric guitar is an American enterprise and always will be... it's more American than apple pie and baseball, so the American market will always dictate the trends. The electric guitar right now is due for a serious rebirth, the quality of the high end has all but disappeared with dogshit relics taking the place of what were once quality instruments. The internet sales model is largely why quality has gone down.... you assert that the writing is on the wall for the end of music shops.... I'm going to place my bet that the opposite will happen.... more small independent stores will open and become the norm again for this industry.
I don’t agree with this. What small shops are thriving? How many shops, period, are “thriving” right now? Let’s be honest how many of us go to guitar shops and play around and feel around for what we like - vs digital acquisition like watching videos, hearing recommendations, liking the materials or look of the guitar ourselves, or whatever the case may be. This has been the trend for years, hence the closing of major music retailers. I don’t think what he’s saying is that controversial, it’s literally what’s been happening over the last decade, at a steady pace. He’s just saying it will continue - I agree and don’t see any massive change happening short of an e-commerce blackout, that would prevent that.
@zz-.- how many people do you know spending 10k on a guitar they never touched? Gruhns, emerald city, casino.... all these shops have basically doubled in size while the big guys have closed up.... why? Cuz they actually know what they're doing.... a new guitar shop just opened in my town and business for them is booming already with sales! Why? Because they cater to the high end.... guitars that cost under 1k won't be around for much longer, cuz they're made using practices that will soon be completely illegal.... people pretend to be ignorant but they know damn well their $600 guitar was made by children in a country that's dumping it's trash right into the ocean, and that's finally getting put under the spotlight. So guitar prices which have been absurdly low, are going to go up BIG time.... and then people spending 3k on the low end again will want to put hands on something before they buy it. Take a look at basically any goods or commodities, who are the most successful moving forward today? Independent retailers with a story to tell... it's not just the instrument but who sells it that matters, which is why faceless brands are failing and Independent shops are thriving, as well as Independent and boutique builders. Boutique guitar sales weren't a thing 30 years ago, now they're all over... and people are buying those instruments because of the faces, names, and story attached to them, and spending a lot more for it! The ones who are growing the most in guitar sales today, aren't the ones investing in cheaper guitars sold over the internet.... they're the ones buying the most expensive guitars and offering them for sale with an experience..... nobody is buying a 1959 burst on reverb, they're buying it in person.
@@MayorMcCheese2000 I bought the 35th anny dragon in the thumbnail sight unseen. I knew I wanted it. I’m not alone, the data backs me up this is literally why these physical stores are closing, exactly as the video states. I appreciate the value of what you’re saying, I just think you may be underestimating this evolution.
@zz-.- again, big box stores are closing. How many Dragons PRS making now? Boutique sales have taken off for a reason.... guys like you aren't the norm now. People spending real money wanna play the instrument now.
Small music shops aren’t
This is nonsense!
No UA-cam video can tell you how the guitar plays and feels TO YOU.
You have to try before you buy.
Plus, I want to inspect the EXACT guitar I’m paying for.
This guy is very annoying and I don't think he really knows what he's talking about. He said that the big music stores music owners probably know more about it than him then why is he commenting on it
At least in my Counry Mexico, the guitar shops will die cause Amazon and MercadoLibre prices are WAAAAY cheaper, so I can go to the Physical store, try a 500 USD guitar and I buy it online for 300 USD hahaha, it´s sad but it is what it is