Guitar Hangar
Brookfield
Rick Tedesco, Owner
Outlook for 2014? I do niche, high-end guitars as my main thing and my theory is that there’s just been a shift in the entire industry. There just aren’t any more kids worshipping Eddie Van Halen wanting to be guitar players or anything else. Lots of kids’ inspiration seems to be American Idol – “Never mind those guys in the back, I want to be a pop star.” Therefore, sales are down.
Evolution in the industry you’re excited about? The web continues to be a double-edged sword. It’s great that you can reach people across the globe, but the competition to be seen on the web is harder and harder. The big corporations like Guitar Center, Sweetwater, and Sam Ash seem to dominate the web. Meanwhile Google changes their algorithms every five minutes, so SEO is always changing. It can take some money to compete on a level that’s going to make any kind of difference.
New lines or brands you’ve taken on with success this year? I took on Music Man and am really happy with that. I took on Ibanez as well and that’s been a great line because it covers so many bases.
Product of the Year? Suhr Pro series have been my most successful line this year. It’s a fantastic product for the price point. It’s like getting a $4,000 Super Strat for half the money.
