Metal Health – : Tapping into the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Market to Turn Profits up to 11

Heavy metal. Artists within the genre – and of it’s slightly more respected sibling, “hard rock” – have rarely been critical darlings.

Metal and hard rock is music for the lower classes, the debauched, the unsophisticated. These aren’t the kinds of folks a storeowner necessarily courts the business of.
Or so goes the stereotype.
I’m going to draw a parallel here with Harley Davidson motorcycles. Think Brando in The Wild One, Sonny and the rest of the S.F. Hell’s Angels wreaking havoc at Altamont in ’69, “Sons of Anarchy,” or any of countless other iconic “biker gang” representations – bad guys, right? Outlaws, criminals, hooligans. 
The least expensive Harley in 2016 lists for just under $7,000 with the top of the line model maxing out near $30 Gs. My own friends who ride, own beat-up old Kawasakis and Hondas. The only folks I personally know who drive Harley Davidsons are upper-tier executives and “captains of industry.”
What’s the point?
Just as Harley Davidson can charge crazy markup prices for their apparel ($98.99 for “Harley Davidson sneakers,” whatever the hell that is) and paraphernalia because the customer base now includes well-groomed CEOs and investment bankers, MI retailers would do well (and many do) to recognize that the hard rock/heavy metal consumer isn’t necessarily some penniless pothead. Metal has been around since the late ‘60s and unless you believe that every formerly teen-aged fan of Sabbath, Zeppelin, and the bands they spawned are now incarcerated or dead, simple math would lead one to acknowledge that there’s a hefty chunk of the “music fan” populace that’s made up of folks who like to listen to – and play – rock that’s loud, fast, obnoxious, aggressive, and all other things “metal.”
Metal and hard rock fans and players represent everything from budget-conscious beginners to legitimate “big money” – money that your store could be tapping into. And these musicians are some of the most passionate and obsessive out there, driven to emulate their idols. In seeking to mimic these heroes, most hard rock and metal guitarists and bassists are serious gear-heads. That means multiple amps and guitars, the requisite cables, picks, straps, and accessories to make everything work well together – oh, and effects pedals. These guys and gals love stompboxes and rackmount effects. Show me a gigantic, complex pedalboard and odds are pretty good that the player plugged in on the other end is a metalhead. All in all, it’s a lot of gear and someone is going to be selling it to these folks.
So, if you’re an MI dealer who sells guitar and bass related gear, are you tapping into this market segment? If you’re not, should you maybe consider it?
We’re going to share some thoughts on this market segment from suppliers and retailers, so that you can be sure to stock the gear that might make your store the go-to spot for hard rockers in your town – and might make you some serious cash.

Expert Opinion

Metal and hard rock guitarists and bassists thrive on a mix of channel switching, high gain, EQ control, good low end, saturation, effects loop, reliability, and raw volume! 
Blackstar has products in every price point that resonate with these types of players. Our Series One amps are trusted by some of the biggest hard rock and metal bands and provide the clarity, definition, versatility that’s needed. Blackstar’s patented ISF tone control technology allows players to find their individuality no matter how loud and heavy the sound. 
What I love about the hard rock/metal consumer is that they are ageless and ever-evolving. There really is no “typical” consumer in this genre. You have very young kids just starting out playing metal in their bedrooms and garages, to older players with 40 years of professional experience completely rocking out on the weekends. The hard rock/metal genre has produced a huge number of loyal and eager players that love to discover new amps, sounds, and techniques. 
Having a diverse offering of brands and models for the consumer to experience is key. Blackstar still believes strongly in the importance of hosting in-store meet and greets and clinics. These intimate events allow the consumers to have genuine conversation with artists and brand experts about products. Most importantly, retailers who support their customers with excellent service before, during, and after they decide on a new amp become a real partner to the musician. 
Two major trends we are seeing is the downsizing of gear in both size and wattage and a shift to digital rack-mount style products. Basically consumers are looking for smaller and more portable gear that achieves similar performance to the traditional 100W heads and 4×12 used in the past. Though they want their gear to be smaller for convenience, they still want that big and heavy sound that defines metal. The emergence of better sounding digital processing has made these type of products very popular again.
– Brian Piccolo
Director, Guitar Brands Management, KORG USA

The hard rock and metal community, in my experience, generally views itself as a pretty small, tightly knit group. They have a few names they trust, and seem more prone to gear trends than others. Knowing those names, and knowing those trends is crucial. Knowing which producers of the big records use what gear, and which musicians are using what gear, will add to your credibility and strengthen the value of your recommendations, whether you carry that gear or not. 
For example, if you don’t sell a Kemper profiling amp in your shop, you need to know how it works if you’re going to discuss it in comparison to a Line 6 Helix. Both are completely capable of doing what most folks need; they just use different methods to get there. There will always be the opinion of “better and worse” that you have to deal with, but the real issue is your ability to credibly triangulate. 
Metal producers look to a small handful of big name producers like Andy Sneap, Jason Suecof, Adam “Nolly” Getgood/Misha Mansoor (more recently), and others, to direct the trends in gear preferences. Follow forums, follow these bands, and learn their gear decisions. Like it or not, that’s what is going to direct the trends. 
Accessorizing the sale comes back to knowing the gear.
Always sell a boost pedal – with an amp, preamp, modeler, anything. Modern metal tends to favor more articulate hi-gain tones, and the easiest way to achieve this with most amps (especially Mesa Rectifiers) is to back off on the preamp gain, and hit the front end harder with a clean boost. 
Impulse responses are all the rage right now. Two Notes engineering makes a whole family of products that combine load boxes for silent recording, with the ability to load cab impulses. This is huge for silent stages, and recording. 
Trends in modern metal are starting to favor more articulate, passive pickups in many cases. When selling a guitar, make sure you know the customer’s end goals for the guitar. Are they going to swap out the pickups? If they’re planning on a passive swap, avoid selling a guitar that’s routed for soapbars or actives. 
Today’s market also has very successful metal bands playing comparably small stages, so “footprint reducing” gear is great: In-ear monitor systems; Loadboxes/Impulse Response hosts; amp modelers
– Arend Raby
Senior Sales Engineer, Sweetwater

The most obvious answer [regarding amplifiers preferred by these players] would be “high-gain,” but I would add another crucial characteristic: “sonic definition” – especially in a band situation. Giving an amp high-gain is relatively simple, but doing so in such a way that the player using it cuts through when playing with a band is not. I’ve played amps that sound great by themselves, but get totally lost when used in a band – and it has nothing to do with volume either. It’s being heard and also sitting well in the mix with the drums, bass, vocals and, possibly another guitar. 
Granted, I’m a tad biased, but to many folks – be they fans, critics or players – Marshall is synonymous with hard rock and heavy metal. Our logo has been omnipresent from the very start and also with the many sub-genres – from AC/DC to Accept; Lemmy to Led Zeppelin; Zakk Wylde to ZZ Top; Deep Purple to the Deftones; Death to Def Leppard; Jimi Hendrix to Joe Satriani; Megadeth to Motörhead; Iron Maiden to Yngwie Malmsteen; and Slayer to Slash! To that end, a number of our products (including 4×12″ cabs – walls of them!) fit the bill. 
To quote the late, great Dimebag Darrell: “heavy metal is like that damned mole you can’t catch or kill – it may go underground for a while, but it will be back to mess up your yard!” The same is true of hard rock. If you go to a rock festival you’ll literally see all walks-of-life and all ages – from 11 years old to 65 years young; and from ditch-diggers to doctors, dentists and CEOs. The difference between hard rock/heavy metal and some other genres? It’s a lifestyle and has longevity. Rock is not a trend or fad. As has been sung: “You can’t kill rock and roll.”
Make sure you have an employee or two on the selling floor who really “gets it.” Namely, someone who not only talks-the-talk but also walks-the-walk. Guitarists of any style are invariably passionate, learned and astute. They know their subject and can spot a “fake” a mile off. You also have to stock the right guitar, amps, and pedals, too.
Some trends I’ve noticed lately include: a definite upswing in sales of lower-wattage, all-valve heads and combos; More research (the worldwide web is a wonderful thing!) and also reliance on the opinions of peers they respect; Today’s youth are more open to new technologies than ever before, but aren’t easily duped by mere specs or subjective advertising clichés; tone and feel are still very important; Guitar playing is definitely aspirational and to that end, what gear a player’s heroes use definitely influence trial and possible purchase. Another reason why a good salesperson needs “to know”; Invariably, the longer a player has been playing, the more simpler (and often “old school”) his or her rig becomes; The playing standard has never been higher – thanks mainly to YouTube and all the other learning tools that exist today; Young players are often learning from and aspiring towards “older generation” guitar heroes like Slash, Satch, Zakk Wylde, Dimebag, Randy Rhoads, and Jimi Hendrix. This truth is reflected in reader’s polls and rock T-shirts sold at Target and Walmart! Sadly, as of right now, there is no “new” guitar hero who has had the impact of say a Hendrix, Iommi, Slash, Van Halen, or Dime.
– Nick Bowcott
Director of Artist Relations & Marketing, Marshall USA 

These customers are regular people, [my advice is]: just be straightforward and don’t be a douche.
Pointy guitars with humbuckers [are key products to stock]. There were a lot of 7-strings players a while back, but 8- and 9-string guitars are becoming more common. Other essential gear to stock includes high-gain amps, metal distortion pedals, and a noise gate. With all that gain, there is a lot of unwanted noise unless you gate it. And if you sell extended range guitars, stock strings for them, too. 
Just have a variety of stuff in stock, and point out that you have it. That is the key for retail today. There are so many products available that you can’t have them all of course, but try and hit at least the high spots. 
In addition to 8- and 9-string guitars, another trend is that some are starting to go ampless. The Tech 21 Flyrig or, for those that can fit it in their budget, the ISP Technologies Theta Pro is amazing.
– Bobby Beeman
Owner, Texas Guitar Ranch, Irving, Texas 

The amp has to have the perfect amount of saturation, tight focused low-end, and the attack has got to be fast. The primary thing is the tone has to be great. EVH has been a very popular amplifier these past few years. High profile producers have been using them a lot, too.
I think there are three factors when discussing metal guitars and basses – aesthetic, playability, and tone. If you can combine those three elements, then you’ve got a winner. People gravitate towards something that looks striking and then if it plays well and is made well, you’re that much closer to a sale.
From my experience, retailers who successfully engage this particular market segment pick key brands and offer the customer strong selection – and a selection that gets refreshed a few times a year. It’s also key to have salespeople who are knowledgeable about the products and the genre. Some people can find metal to be “scary,” but these guys buy gear over and over and over and can be great, important customers to your business. But they know their gear, they know the music and they can smell a fake immediately. Once they do, you’re dead to them. Also, being genuinely connected and present in the community, helping bands, being part of the local music scene helps give a music store legitimacy within the metal community.
– Jon Romanowski,
Director of Category Management – High Performance Brands: Jackson/Charvel & EVH, FMIC

ESP and our sub-brands of ESP E-II and LTD have been established as some of the most well-known and popular instruments for the metal/hard rock markets due to design decisions geared toward players of those genres. That means we offer smooth and comfortable neck shapes, heel joints that allow easy access to higher frets, fast fingerboards, and a modern and sleek aesthetic. We’ve also developed a great reputation for quality, as guitars and basses in the realm of metal often take a lot of abuse. Finally, we (and our customers) benefit from the use of established third-party components, such as EMG pickups, Floyd Rose tremolo systems, and the like.
Because heavy metal came to prominence starting in the early 1970s, and was limited at the time to a very youthful demographic, there has been this misconception that only people from age 16-25 are interested in metal. While that’s still very much an important part of the ESP customer base, we also find that once someone gets into metal, it’s rare that they abandon the style. We literally have generations of metal fans that are in their 40s and 50s, along with their children in younger age ranges. Metal consumers will make sacrifices in order to have the right guitar, to attend the live music events that are important to them, and so on. There is no single age or income range that defines metal fans.
The metal community can spot a retailer or brand who is “faking it” very easily. Have a staff that is conversant in both current and classic metal artists that will allow them to better relate to the consumer and develop a good rapport. In stores, that means to also stock the proper pieces that are connected to influential musicians. Finally, the standard practices of knowing your customers’ names, and making them feel welcome while visiting the store, are still crucial. No matter what your personal feelings are toward metal, be appreciative of the level of talent required to play it.
Extended range instruments, which include guitars with seven or more strings, basses with five or more strings, and longer scale lengths such as baritone guitars, have continued to grow more and more popular. Customers are also more likely these days to have a specific brand/model of pickup they want in guitars, and sales can be supplemented by adding those pickups separately when they’re not included in the guitar. Finally, unlike some other genres of music, metal players aren’t only tied to one technology in amplification and recording. Some people remain die-hard traditionalists with tune amps and all-analog signal chains, but another big segment of the metal market (mostly the important younger generation) has found that they really prefer the tones and flexibility of using profiling/modeling amplifiers and software-based plug-ins. 
– Chris Cannella
ESP Director of Artist Relations/ Product Management