Theres never been a better time to be a guitar player

Kurtis

Technology certainly allows more people to make music. 

Kittyfrisk

Philly_Q said:

OilCityPickups said:

There's never been a better time to be a guitar player 

Hmmm, maybe I should take it up.

Naah, buy all the guitars & gear now while they're cheap, then leave it until you're retired, to grow into being a rawk god.
 It doesn't pay to rush these things  

slacker

Punk happened in the 70s and without it I probably wouldn't be a musician. 

distressed

OilCityPickups said:

I travel around Europe a fair amount ... it puzzles me that it's easier to go see a punk or metal band etc on the spur of the moment, on a Saturday night in Warsaw or Talinn (or even ultra conservative Graz in Austria!) than it is in London. 

Graz is cool, I've played two of my best gigs ever there.

Lestratcaster

You got more distractions these days with smartphones and all those bullshit YouTube videos that say "If you aren't doing this..then.." etc etc.

OilCityPickups

distressed said:

OilCityPickups said:

I travel around Europe a fair amount ... it puzzles me that it's easier to go see a punk or metal band etc on the spur of the moment, on a Saturday night in Warsaw or Talinn (or even ultra conservative Graz in Austria!) than it is in London. 

Graz is cool, I've played two of my best gigs ever there.

Has the tiniest, silly arsed airport in Europe (used to be just an airforce base I think) . 

Kurtis

Lestratcaster said:

You got more distractions these days with smartphones and all those bullshit YouTube videos that say "If you aren't doing this..then.." etc etc.

I suppose it depends how you look at it. To some people these "distractions" are useful tools.
If you look for distractions you'll find them anywhere. 

Philly_Q

Kittyfrisk said:

Philly_Q said:

OilCityPickups said:

There's never been a better time to be a guitar player 

Hmmm, maybe I should take it up.

Naah, buy all the guitars & gear now while they're cheap, then leave it until you're retired, to grow into being a rawk god.
 It doesn't pay to rush these things  

Well, that's kind of what I have done....  Rock godhood in 2025...

joeW

OilCityPickups said:

...  someone shouted one two three ... and you just went for it ... 

You played punk waltz?

Rocker

Kurtis said:

Technology certainly allows more people to make music. 

No it doesn't but it allows people to make musical sounds.  Which is not the same thing.  Making music means putting energy and thought plus emotion into the effort.

A pedal or device will simplify the sound bit, music is more than a collection of sounds as it requires input from the player. 

TTBZ

Surprised we haven't had a thread (that I've seen) on the PRS SE CE24 yet. Looks like a lot of guitar for £499. Almost been tempted to sell my Gibson to get one and pocket the change.

Been quite impressed with all the cheaper stuff I've tried over the past few years. It's actually the higher end stuff that I play and think "is that it?! For a grand+ ?" - shows how far the cheaper models have come to me.

Roland

Shrews said:

Do more beginners progress to intermediate and beyond because of all this better gear, information, opportunities etc, or is that progression is still of a similar level?

There are more guitar players than in the 60s, and they tend to have greater musical knowledge. The top players have far greater technical ability than their predecessors. I guess that the intermediate players do too. The reasons why include those you’ve mentioned.

Kurtis

Rocker said:

Kurtis said:

Technology certainly allows more people to make music. 

No it doesn't but it allows people to make musical sounds.  Which is not the same thing.  Making music means putting energy and thought plus emotion into the effort.

A pedal or device will simplify the sound bit, music is more than a collection of sounds as it requires input from the player. 

That's a bit like saying modern art isn't art. You can still have energy thought and emotion using modern technology. 
Traditional instruments can be used with modern technology too. 

It allows all sorts of musicians to do stuff that you would need a whole studio and much more in your home. 
It allows people to collaborate across the world. 
Plus much more people can listen to it. 

Kurtis

Plus the simple fact there are much more musicians and music than there has ever been.
Modern technology is undoubtedly been a large part of that. 

Whether you like it or not. 

Kurtis

I quite like False Head, from Essex I believe. 

Or Pear? 

bertie

OilCityPickups said:

When I started playing seriously ... fifty years ago (jeez I feel old) learning guitar was really difficult. If you had the money ... or rather if your folks did, you might get lessons.

cant completely agree,  while gear was harder, much much harder to come by, actually   leaning guitar was as easy as it is now  - you got a chord book, or you got a mate or bother who could play write some down in tab form  and off you went, learnt some songs you knew/liked.................. formed a school band.

Only rich kids who learnt classical got lessons. 

Yes It was much harder to learn "more"  and/or be more proficient  for sure.  Learning songs that didnt already have tab you had to get an LP or tape.........and learn it by ear.  over and over and over again......................no googling youtube for sure.

But the flip side was,   it was much easier to be crap and get away with it, cos so many less people actually played, now every man/boy/girl/woman/whatever  plays and plays at a standard way beyond most semi-pros did back in the 70s   - 

HAL9000

There’s probably never been a better time to buy gear.

But I do think (dependant of course on your POV and what you hope to achieve) that there have been better, or at least more interesting, times to be a player. Might be an age thing but I enjoy the rough and ready aspect of figuring out stuff myself, the rough edges, the rawness of things back when we were making do with dodgy Bedford vans, working things out by continually dropping and lifting the needle on a 45, or watching where players on TOTP were putting their fingers. Sure, someone who went to a music college or institute is almost certainly to have better technique and have fewer bad habits but IMHO can often sound somewhat sterile. As has already been mentioned, the opportunities for live performance have also become rarer.

Nerine

The gear and access to knowledge has gotten better. The music has gotten exponentially worse. 

Strat54

PeterHall said:

Although the business model is horrible for musician,Spotify gives you access to just about any style of music. My subscription is by far the best ten quid I spend a month.

I wouldn't have been introduced to Ariel Posen,Chris Buck and a host of Americana artists.

Thanks for reminding me why I boycott it. 
 

bluecat

Nerine, is gotten a real word?