Mason has played guitar since age 14 and has remained a charmingly amateurish musician ever since. Mason joined zZounds in 2014 and serves as editor of the zZounds Blog, as well as Accessories Merchandiser. Prior to zZounds, he earned a degree in journalism and worked as a newspaper editor and freelance writer. When not writing or editing for zZounds, you can find him playing his Strat, hosting bar trivia, and chasing his toddler around the house.
Part 4: Predictions for What’s Next
Well, here we are. After interpreting the history of the electric guitar, questioning what happened to rock music, and examining the state of the guitar industry, there's just one thing left to do.
Part 3: State of the Guitar Industry
As we attempt to predict the electric guitar's future, let's place a stethoscope on the heart of the industry behind it. By parsing statistical sales data and trends, as well as the observations and opinions of experts and stakeholders, we will get a sales-driven view of how successful the electric guitar is today.
Part 2: Guitar is Off the Charts
When the electric guitar was pronounced dead a few years back, would-be coroners were quick to identify one of the main causes: the languid state of American rock music. This was a bitter blow: the electric guitar and American rock music grew up together, each helping to influence and refine the other over time, as we saw in Part 1.
The Future of the Electric Guitar
You’ve probably heard that the electric guitar is dead, or at best, on life support. It’s true that the industry and culture behind it have seen plenty of challenges and changes in the last few years, but what does the future of this instrument look like?
This four-part series interprets the past, examines the present, and predicts The Future of the Electric Guitar.
Part 1: The Electric Guitar is History
The Future of The Electric Guitar Part 1: The Electric Guitar is History Read the rest of the series:Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Before we can predict the electric guitar’s future, we must understand its past. Created to serve guitarists who needed more output than an acoustic guitar could provide, the electric […]
Vanessa Wheeler (VAVÁ) on Building an Indie Career, Brazilian Music, and Complicating the Guitar
LA-based musician Vanessa Wheeler, who goes by the performing name VAVÁ, has hustled over the past few years to grab the ears of listeners and build a following. Her soulful sound stirs together pop, R&B, and rock influences, with a pinch of the Brazilian music she grew up with to shake up the rhythms. If […]
Tomo Fujita Shares Guitar Wisdom, Talks Ibanez Collab
Don’t compare! Don’t worry! Don’t expect too fast! Be kind to yourself! Apart from the licks, funky rhythms, and musical theory students learn from Tomo Fujita, these four tenets, recited in most of his videos and emblazoned on his custom picks, are what tend to stick in the mind. On both his free YouTube videos […]
Gibson Teases the Return of Maestro
The legend of Maestro pedals gets a new chapter January 18! Gibson just released this teaser video that’s got us all tingly for the return of the classic pedal brand. Best known for effects like the FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone, (the sound behind the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” riff) the PS-1 Phase Shifter, and the endlessly versatile EP-3 […]
PRS Unveils SE Silver Sky
Fans of smooth John Mayer tones have something to look forward to in 2022 as Paul Reed Smith announced an SE Silver Sky model yesterday. The Instagram post revealed the four new finishes: Ever Green, Stone Blue, Moon White, and Dragon Fruit. A list of specs was also posted, and highlights include a familiar 635JM […]
