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Re: loop device endorsement - was Santanas looping bassist
well, this is an interesting thread, I think about this subject a lot.
I think it is a little too easy to say that looping (or any other new
instrument) would be more popular if only manufacturers ran another ad, or
did a clinic, or made a video, or did more sales training, or whatever.
That stuff helps for sure, but I think it only reaches people who are
already familiar with the idea and pretty close to making a decision to go
for it anyway.
I don't think that is the big driving force that causes a lot people to
adopt something new, especially with music gear. I think it has a lot more
to do with what is popular in music and culture. A manufacturer can't make
that happen, they can only hope to be in the right place to ride the wave
when it does. The musicians are ultimately what makes it happen.
In dealing with musical instrument industry for a few years, I've found
that musicians are incredibly conservative people when it comes to how
they
make music. Sure, they'll get funny haircuts and wear crazy clothes, but
they won't try a new sound. Most of them don't want to try new things,
unless they see somebody else doing it successfully first. "Successfully"
is the key. When they hear music that they like and see that others like
it
too, then they want to emulate the music and the musicians doing it. They
become willing to try whatever technique or box is necessary. No video in
a
store gets them to that point.
I think the steps for a new instrument becoming a popular instrument go
something like this:
- a new idea/instrument comes along from some bright person or company.
- a few innovator/experimenter types try it out and find they like it.
Often they are in the more academic circles and not popular music.
- time passes while these musicians learn how to play the instrument,
figure out how to incorporate it in their music, develop techniques for
it,
and begin creating music with this new instrument.
- Since they are experimenter/innovator types, they make music that most
people don't like. They are probably proud of that. But they do reach a
few
new people who also see the possibilities in the instrument once they see
it used.
- Gradually, more people pick up on the idea of this instrument from the
early adopters, and begin making more music. These are still the more
early
adopter type, but not necessarily the ones who want to be first in line
for
everything. Again, time passes while they really learn how to play it, and
reach a point where that instrument is key to what they do and the music
is
good.
- A few people eventually do make really, really good music with that
instrument that a lot of people listen to and like. They become really
famous and date Jennifer Lopez and/or Matt Damon. Their fans want to be
like them.
- Now many people want to try that instrument and make the music they
enjoy
listening to. They buy the instruments so they can.
- Little cottage industries develop as the new users want to learn to play
their favorite music on that new instrument. The experienced users become
teachers and make some income showing people how to play like the famous
guy.
- More people learn to play, more good music comes from some of them, the
cycle grows....
The key to it all is that popularity contest, in my opinion. When you have
good, compelling, and popular music being created on a particular
instrument, a lot of people are going to want it.
Putting a picture of a famous guy in a magazine holding the instrument
doesn't really do much good by itself. The guy has to really use that
instrument while creating and performing the music that people like. That
fact is what will draw people to the instrument. The ad is just a
reminder.
Even with no ad, the fact that he creates his famous music with that
instrument will make a big difference and sell a lot of them. Like Trey
Anastasio and the Boomerang. He doesn't do ads or endorsements for it, he
just uses it all the time. So his fans buy it.
Another key is that it takes time. People need to learn to use the
instrument well enough to make good music with it, which can take years.
The biggest mistake I see manufacturers of new instruments make is their
time horizons are too short. They don't wait long enough for people to
really figure out their creation and put it to good enough use to inspire
others. I think that is why so many things only become popular after they
go out of production. It isn't because people only wanted it once they
couldn't have it, it's because it just takes a while for them to figure it
out.
The independent cottage industry of teachers is important too. Sure a
manufacturer would be wise to teach people how to use their stuff. But in
many ways, that never feels as honest as a real independent teacher. Half
the lesson is an ad. When the teaching breaks free of that and people take
the initiative to teach on their own, I think it really starts to click.
It
becomes real somehow. For one thing, the teacher's whole focus and
resulting income is focused on good teaching, whereas a manufacturer just
wants to sell you their product and are just using the lessons to get you
to buy it. That's a step I've been waiting to see happen with looping.
historical analogies:
Electric guitars were not very popular 50-60 years ago. The guitar itself
was not popular 100 years ago. That didn't change because Leo Fender made
an instructional video. It changed because some people made music with
guitars that other people liked. The music became hugely popular, and
other
people wanted to make music like that too. So they stopped buying
accordions and banjos and bought guitars.
Jim Marshall did not offer clinics about how distorting the crap out of
his
amps was a really useful technique. No, Jimi Hendrix got on stage and got
on the radio and played great music that many people loved, and they all
wanted to be like Jimi. He happened to play a strat and a cranked
marshall,
so that's what they bought so they could do it the same way he did.
Nobody wanted Les Pauls in 1985, but they were huge again by 1990. Did
Gibson run an eye catching ad in Guitar Player with a nice font choice?
No,
"Welcome to the Jungle" blew away all the pink Charvels and all the kids
wanted to be like Slash. That wasn't Gibson's idea, they just got lucky.
Guns n' Roses made the instructional videos, and MTV played them all day
long.
George Van Eps and Steve Vai both are known for playing seven string
guitars. Steve Vai was in plenty of ads holding one. Charlie Hunter plays
with 8 or nine strings. I don't think Ibanez sold many seven string
guitars
because of those guys. It seems to me they sell a lot more now. Why? Korn
uses them. Korn sells more records than those guys ever have or ever will.
To get that nu metal guitar sound you need low tuned guitars, and what
better way to do that than with a low B string, the way Korn does it?
Munky
and Head are not anywhere near as good as guitarists as those other guys,
but a hell of a lot more people listen to them play. So a lot more people
buy 7 string guitars.
where does looping sit then? More later, this is long enough....
kim
______________________________________________________________________
Kim Flint | Looper's Delight
kflint@loopers-delight.com | http://www.loopers-delight.com