by HAIRY » 02 May 2018, 12:07
Fingers crossed that the money men find a solution. However when the history books are written the fact remains that the golden age of electric guitar innovation was the 1950s. Both main brands, Fender and Gibson have failed to improve their respective products and counter the cheap imports from the Far East. What other category of 'engineered' product has remained unchanged for the past 6 decades? And yet Gibson and Fender products have huge room for improvement, and here are a few thoughts that come to mind: their respective neck joints (Fenders' are agricultural and Gibsons' are hardly ergonomic), Gibsons' headstocks fall off at the slightest provocation and Fender's vibrato is hardly the best a man can get! The amazing fact is that the competition have for the most part let them get away with their respective conservative strategy and blindly followed them both with 'me-toos'.
To the 1960's generation a flamingo pink guitar seemed new and exciting. Sadly, this appeal is lost on the current teenager who is more than likely to see a pink Strat as something his or her grandfather plays, in the way the 1960's generation viewed the banjo.
I accept that some of the guitar buying public appear to be very conservative, and there is / was a believe that 50s & 60s guitars are / were better than current production! However, I would suggest the consumer has not been offered much choice and the problems exist because Gibson and Fender have followed the market. Had they both taken the initiative by driving consumer expectations with creativity and genuine product benefits they may be looking at a better commercial environment.
There is a lot of truth to the adage: innovate or die.