Between 2012 and 2017 the sale of guitars globally dropped to the lowest it had been in a decade, with the instrument apparently moved into the “too expensive, luxury basket”.
In 2019, however, the pendulum started to swing back. An article at the time by Edward Lim stated: ‘Many media outlets and music websites sought to pronounce the death of the instrument, which was once a linchpin in almost all genres of 20th century music.’
Lim reported the Australian Music Association’s research showing that the most popular family of instruments is the guitar, claiming that it makes up ‘just under 50% of all instruments played in Australia’.
Two things have helped this recovery. While many people took up guitar lessons during the pandemic, topping up sales in 2021, we have also witnessed a demographic shift away from a male dominated industry.
And according to Fender (one of the world’s largest manufacturers of guitars), 50% of new guitarists are female. Lim put this down to young artists like Tash Sultana, Stella Donnelly and Angie McMahon, who he describes as ‘a few guitar heroines turning heads both locally and around the world,’ while unmistakably Taylor Swift has also done a lot for the emerging popularity of the guitar among young women.
It is a shift also acknowledged by the iconic guitar maker Gibson. In 2018, the company filed for bankruptcy protection. This year, it celebrated surviving – with 2024 marking the company’s 130th anniversary.
Being on the brink has forced a lot of deep thinking for guitar makers. For Gibson, it meant also recognising the female market, while for festivals – such as the Adelaide Guitar Festival 2024, which is now underway (16-29 September) – the public-friendly, popularity of the guitar, and its diversity, is key to the Festival’s future survival.
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Adelaide Guitar Festival Artistic Director Slava Grigoryan says: ‘Guitars in Bars is a broad celebration of the artists, venues and audiences that form the vibrant core of our live music scene in Adelaide. This event shines a spotlight on the diverse talent and passionate performers who bring music to life in our local bars and venues.’
Memphis Slim’s House of Blues Director Sean Howard adds of the Festival: ‘To be able to create pay cheques for musicians and also create a space that inspires musicians is something that keeps the oil burning hot for us. It’s a huge driving factor. Music in Adelaide relies on consistency, community and acceptance. At the end of the day, everyone just wants to have a place where they feel as though they belong.’
In addition to the ticketed events, Adelaide Guitar Festival will also see the return of the Guitar Expo, where participants can meet and talk with expert makers of beautifully crafted, bespoke instruments and gear and the popular Come and Try sessions are back. These are all geared to making guitars more accessible and bolstering the market.
From grandstands to galleries – guitars rock!
Gibson’s celebrations focused on innovation as its benchmark: ‘The innovative and forward-thinking carved top design that revolutionised the mandolin and guitar world delivering a louder, more durable, more playable instrument, remains the DNA of every Gibson,’ the company said in a statement for its anniversary.
While it saluted the guitar greats who made genre defining moments on their guitars – Eric Clapton, Freddie King, Tony Iommi and Bob Marley among others – it also paid a nod to the current gender shift. ‘Today, female powerhouses such as Lzzy Hale and Olivia Rodrigo are setting new bars for rock and pop stardom with Gibson guitars as their instruments of choice.’
In its formal statement, the company added, ‘Even as Gibson remains dedicated to developing and producing premium, original and modern electric and acoustic guitars, the brand is engaging new generations of musicians and music lovers via a range of offerings, inspired by vintage Gibson amplifier designs reimagined for today’s players.’
It even opened its own flagship store-cum-museum in 2021, the Gibson Garage Nashville, describing it as ‘the ultimate guitar experience and destination for music lovers across the globe’. The 740-square metre space has interactive storytelling and memorabilia exhibits. For its anniversary this year, it also opened Gibson Garage London, recognising the power of connecting with people through exhibitions.
We are also seeing this in Australia.
In Victoria, the Art Gallery of Ballarat is soon to present the exhibition, Medieval to Metal: The Art and Evolution of the Guitar. It includes 40 iconic guitars on loan from the National Guitar Museum (US) alongside an awe-inspiring assemblage of paintings, photographs, drawings, posters and objects.
As part of the exhibition, the Gallery will host a series of late-night encounters and classical concerts, from classical origins to reimagined takes on Australian rock icons Cold Chisel. It will also stage a series of talks with music-loving experts who will go behind the scenes in the industry to understand the guitar’s appeal through art history and popular culture.
Adelaide Guitar Festival is currently presenting performances at Adelaide Festival Centre and Her Majesty’s Theatre until 29 September. For the full program.
Medieval to Metal: The Art and Evolution of the Guitar is exclusive to the Art Gallery of Ballarat and runs 12 October 2024 to 2 February 2025. For the full program.
