Recent

Kepma USA Appoints Industry Veteran Marty Kloska as National Sales Manager

July 11, 2025

Geddy Lee and Tech 21 Present the Special Charity Edition MP40 Signature SansAmp

July 11, 2025

uitar Center and The Offspring Launch ‘Why Don’t You Get a Job?’ Sweepstakes

July 11, 2025

Gibson Les Paul Music City Special

July 11, 2025

OMG Music Names Misha Guiffre as Sales and Marketing Director

July 10, 2025

Gibson Celebrates 50 years of Crafting Guitars in Nashville with the Limited-edition Les Paul Music City Special – 50th Anniversary

July 11, 2025

Martin Guitar Honors Chris Martin IV’s 70th Birthday with Two Limited-Edition Vintage-Inspired Model

July 8, 2025

Introducing ADJ’s New WiFi NET 2 Wireless-Enabled DMX Node

July 2, 2025
Saturday, July 12, 2025
  • Contact
MMR Magazine
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
MMR Magazine
No Result
View All Result

Higher-Quality Instruments, Broad Consumer Base, Concerns about CITES Fallout…:The 2017 Acoustic Guitar Market

Christian Wissmuller by Christian Wissmuller
August 8, 2017
in Survey
0
938
SHARES
2.3k
VIEWS
Share on Facebook
ADVERTISEMENT

Overall, the acoustic guitar market seems to be a relatively rosy segment for MI retailers in 2017, with nearly 75 percent of participants in this month’s survey reporting that sales are either up or level when compared to this same time last year.

“Guitars with rosewood components are becoming difficult to obtain in a timely manner,” observes Mundt Piano & Organ Co.’s (Burlington, Iowa) Timothy Dehner, who was just one of many who expressed frustration and concern with enhances CITES regulations and their impact on making, selling, and owning acoustics – probably the topic most frequently commented upon by those taking part in this poll. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Other commonly cited trends included an increased consumer preference for smaller-bodied instruments and a noticeable uptick in the quality of acoustic guitars being produced today.

 “Customers have begun to shop new, instead of used or repair to an older instrument.”

Dan Patterson

Roger’s Music

Ft. Payne, Alabama

 

“Everyone owns two guitars either from Craigslist, Musician’s Friend, or Maury’s and they want the third in the set for nothing.”

John Diffley

Diffley Guitar Studio

Stewartville, Minnesota

 

“We are unique because last summer we had an abundance of ‘Trimmigrants’ – younger people from around the world that trim Marijuana in the hills. Due to state legalization, we have 90% less Trimmigrants this year. While the store smells much better, I am losing out on ‘green’ sales!”

Anthony Mantova

Mantova’s Two Street Music

Eureka, California

 

“Most of the independents in Queens have ridden off in to the sunset… It’s basically me, Ash, and GC. Survival of the fittest in the small pond.”

Dave Caldwell

Caldwell Connection

Whitestone, New York

 

“Acoustics are improving in quality and becoming more affordable. The offerings are also growing, with Taylor offering guitars at $499, guitar sales are just sky rocketing for us.”

Jericho Sombrio

Easy Music Center

Honolulu, Hawaii

 Describe your “typical” acoustic guitar customer.

 “20-50 years old, male. Home player, studio player.”

Wes Smedsrud

Uptown Music

Keizer, Oregon

 

“Male, accomplished guitar player, over 25 years old.”

Wildwood Music

Coshocton, Ohio

 

“18-30. A lot of beginning players or people who are just wanting a new guitar, not a particularly good guitar.”

Greg Lyons

Royal Music Co., Inc.

Bowling Green, Kentucky

 

“Late teens, early 20s, buying their first guitar.”

Shelly Morris

Morris Music Store & Studio

Sheridan, Wyoming

 

“Our ‘typical’ acoustic customer is a beginner looking for a first entry-level instrument (or the occasional broke jamoke looking for something cheap). Age and income levels of the beginners are all over the map – no real set demographic. We get some more advanced players looking at intermediate price points, but they tend to just be ‘tire-kickers’ and not buyers more often than not.”

Timothy Dehner

Mundt Piano & Organ Co.

Burlington, Iowa 

Have you been noticing any significant shifts in the acoustic guitar market – either on the supplier or consumer sides?

“Quality is getting better with broad selection of colors and body sizes. Smaller body sizes are popular.”

Wesley Edwards, Sr.

Draisen Edwards Music

Anderson, South Carolina

 

“Yes, because of the woods import issue [it’s] hard to get certain instruments, period.”

Donald Whalen

Swansboro Music & Pawn

Swansboro, North Carolina

 

“Reduced vendor SKUs and improved quality make it easier to stock wide selection of model variations vs. finish variations of the same model.”

Eric Murphy

Firehouse Guitars and Music

Decatur, Georgia

 

“Quality is the best ever but customers still need to be educated about humidity control.”

Bob Willcutt

Willcutt Guitars

Lexington, Kentucky

Previous Post

March ‘Em Off to Class: Back to School Season and Marching Band Instrument Sales

Next Post

VOX and Chicago Music Exchange Host Anniversary Event for VOX

Related Posts

Current Issue

To DI For… Bass DI Boxes in 2025

March 25, 2025
Survey

Pick of the Litter

March 25, 2025
Magazine Archive

Sticking Around: Sales of Drum Sticks & Mallets in 2024

December 17, 2024
Magazine Archive

They’re (Almost) Baaaaaa-ack! – Back to School Sales

September 9, 2024
Survey

Standing Tall! – Trends in Music Stand Sales

August 15, 2024
Survey

Rack ‘em Up! – Sales of Keyboard Racks & Stands in 2024

July 11, 2024
Next Post

VOX and Chicago Music Exchange Host Anniversary Event for VOX

Please login to join discussion
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

Kepma USA Appoints Industry Veteran Marty Kloska as National Sales Manager

July 11, 2025

Trade Regrets: Mudge Miller

May 16, 2021

OMG Music Names Misha Guiffre as Sales and Marketing Director

July 10, 2025

Snark Launches New High-Precision Tuners

June 27, 2025

Kepma USA Appoints Industry Veteran Marty Kloska as National Sales Manager

Geddy Lee and Tech 21 Present the Special Charity Edition MP40 Signature SansAmp

uitar Center and The Offspring Launch ‘Why Don’t You Get a Job?’ Sweepstakes

Gibson Les Paul Music City Special

Kepma USA Appoints Industry Veteran Marty Kloska as National Sales Manager

July 11, 2025

Geddy Lee and Tech 21 Present the Special Charity Edition MP40 Signature SansAmp

July 11, 2025

uitar Center and The Offspring Launch ‘Why Don’t You Get a Job?’ Sweepstakes

July 11, 2025

Gibson Les Paul Music City Special

July 11, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
The Latest News and Gear in Your Inbox - Sign Up Today!
  • July 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • June 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • May 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • April 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • March 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
© 2005 - 2025 artistpro, LLC
7012 City Center Way, Suite 207
Fairview, Tennessee 37062
(800) 682-8114

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!

© 2005 – 2024 artistpro, LLC 7012 City Center Way, Suite 207 Fairview, Tennessee 37062 (800) 682-8114

This is Modal Title

Click Me
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?