Guitar heroes getting serious with the real thing

Feb 12 2009 by Richard McComb, Birmingham Post

Sales of electric guitars are booming in Birmingham as stressed executives follow in their rock idols' chord strokes. Industry experts believe white-collar workers are getting lost in music as a way of beating the credit crunch blues.

The hugely popular computer game Guitar Hero is also thought to have contributed to a lucrative spin-off in demand for the real thing.

One million guitars are sold in the United Kingdom each year and sales of electric guitars are going from strength to strength at the city branch of Professional Music Technology, where demand for legendary models such as Fender and Gibson is up by 15 per cent.

Garry Chapman, director of the Birmingham store which is part of one of the country's biggest musical instrument retailers, said it had just posted one of its best Christmas periods ever and business was continuing to be brisk through the start of the year.

He said: "Considering how hard it is in the economy, we seem to be having a really good time. It is easy for people to talk themselves into doom and gloom and it is nice to hear people talk about bucking the trend, which is what we are certainly doing. Our guitar business is probably up a good 15 per cent and it's still growing."

Chapman thinks the success of the XBox Guitar Hero game, which allows would-be Claptons, Gilmours and Santanas to strum like their idols, has boosted interest in the thrill of owning and playing instruments.

Chapman said: "A lot of people have picked up Guitar Hero to get into playing and have then decided to take up the real thing. Guitar Hero has been phenomenally successful, selling millions of copies and it's had a terrific effect on sales of traditional electric guitars."

And it is not just rock virgins buying £150-£200 starter packs. Chapman said: "During the last month-and-a-half, people have been buying Gibsons and Fenders for £2,000 to £3,000. Dealers are struggling to sell cars, but we are selling all our big stuff. We're selling it within days of it arriving. It's hard to keep up with demand."

Chapman's customers include financiers, bankers and other professionals ­ as well as hardcore rockers ­ many seeking to escape the realities of the recession. "I think people get an emotional lift when they come here. Buying a guitar is a great tonic," he said.

Paul McManus, chief executive of the Music Industries Association, which represents instrument manufacturers and retailers, said rock-lovers can't help themselves when it comes to buying new guitars, leads, amps and picks.

He said: "With musicians, it is a bit like comfort-eating. They have to keep buying new gear but they don't always tell their wife. It is their fix.

"Guitars are a very passionate thing between the consumer and the seller. We are not shifting double-glazing. People are living their dreams and changing their lives with musical instruments."

McManus said Guitar Hero was helping introduce a new generation to the power of classic rock. "There are kids saying, 'Aerosmith are all right.' Or 'Who are Led Zeppelin? They're great'."

At the other end of the spectrum, baby boomers and their offspring are refusing to give up their rock-and-roll heritage. "Instead of going bowling, people in their 50s are going to gigs," added McManus.

Nick Whitcher, Fender's Great Britain and Ireland marketing manager, said sales were holding up well. "Trade was brisk over Christmas and some stores had their best days ever" he said.

Whitcher said consumers were attracted to electric guitars because they were a comparatively inexpensive "luxury" item. "You buy a guitar and that is it. All you have to pay for after that are strings," he said.