It's a struggle to sell an electric guitar these days. Some major manufacturers, like Gibson, are deep in debt or rapidly expanding their offerings.
Houston sales aren't down right now, just flat, says Rockin Robin Guitars and Music online sales Director Cassandra Quirk.
“A lot of it may be because there aren't really any huge guitar heroes anywhere,” Quirk says. “There was a pretty big spike when the White Stripes came around and, acoustic-wise, girls wanting to play guitar when Taylor Swift first started.”
Quirk's business sells a lot of vintage and high-end items and sales there are steady. She thinks the sales of electric guitars will bounce back with the next big star who plays one.
“The next grunge or the next punk comes out,” she says, “then kids will probably return to wanting to play guitar.”