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Why Are We Haemorrhaging Members?


IanHenry

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I believe I'm correct in saying both members felt that there was, effectively, a very noticeable censorship-imbalance in the the way some members were being treated in comparison with certain others.

 

Pip.

 

Thought I'd poke my head in after a few years away. So what you're saying is, in the last 10 years not much has changed? :)

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It's a maxim in religious circles that churches die when they can't attract newer, younger members.

Churches die-out and fold their tent.

 

Same with civic organizations, such as Kiwanis, the Shriners, and the Rotarians.

All their local chapters fold when they can't infuse fresh young blood into their membership.

As well-intentioned as their goals and purposes may be.

 

Maybe Gibson forums is the same.

 

Most of us are well over 50 years old.

 

The big question is, "How do we attract Gibson fans who are 20, 30, 40 or younger?"

 

[unsure]

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It's a maxim in religious circles that churches die when they can't attract newer, younger members.

Churches die-out and fold their tent.

 

Same with civic organizations, such as Kiwanis, the Shriners, and the Rotarians.

All their local chapters fold when they can't infuse fresh young blood into their membership.

As well-intentioned as their goals and purposes may be.

 

Maybe Gibson forums is the same.

 

Most of us are well over 50 years old.

 

The big question is, "How do we attract Gibson fans who are 20, 30, 40 or younger?"

 

[unsure]

 

Definitely a slow time for the musical interest that got many guys like us here.

don't know about you guys, I'm waiting for the next revival...

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Speaking of guys that have disappeared, whatever happened to ... ME?

 

The last time I experienced Mr. Natural, your eyes shown like suns, lightning shot out of your fingernails and beams of energy shot out of your navel.

 

As for not having younger participants, maybe it's because guitars are too hard to play (despite having a gazillion youtube video lessons and videos), the trend is away from guitar in pop music, and Gibson is no longer the model for modern guitars (not to mention their elite pricing)... maybe.

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perhaps... There's more resources today to learn and advance then I ever had.

 

but there's a trend to instant gratification and the reset button when that is not going well.

 

I would have LOVED having this many resources 40 years ago. Back when I was learning, guitar instruction books were Hal Leonard or Mel Bay. Aaron Shearer if you were going classical. Music books were geared towards piano with basic chords occasionally included. Tablature wasn't around. Guitar teachers were scarce, or at least good ones. I actually had a teacher tell me once, after listening to a Neal Schon solo, "There's no way someone can play that fast. He's using a sequencer to play that fast." Then I started hearing guys like Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Yngwie Malmsteen, Al DiMeola, and that kind of shot his theory, so I got a different teacher.

 

Now you have all these books, tablature and music, youtube instructional videos, websites with guitar instruction, apps on your smartphone and who knows what else. Sure, some of the information on the internet is wrong because it's a guy learning songs, perhaps correctly, perhaps not and posting it. Sometimes just knowing that a chord is an Amaj11 and not A7 is all one needs to make the song sound right.

 

The biggest problem I see is that there seems to be less places to play than there was a few years ago (or at least around my area) and a lot of people are taking to the internet to play.

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Not sure if this has been said regarding the attraction to younger people here but I suggest that their “music” has less guitar in it than ours, in some cases none.

 

Might be a reason.

And now that you mention it, I noticed lots of videos and even "live" performances where no guitar can be heard, (or other instruments) but still there's a guy up there shaking a guitar around and pretending he's playing.

 

 

Sometimes it's a she!

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The last time I experienced Mr. Natural, your eyes shown like suns, lightning shot out of your fingernails and beams of energy shot out of your navel.

...

 

I retired last month and slowed down quite a bit; no more eyes shining like the sun, no lightning from my fingernails, and only lint in my navel.

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There is a constant stream of new members joining but many of the old regulars have either stopped contributing or don't contribute nearly as much, for whatever reason.

 

I hope we can welcome new people.

 

And I send best wishes to absent members. It sure is quiet round here right now.

 

Hope you are ok 4H....Capmaster.....Bence....Rocketman....

 

JohnM

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There used to be lots of posturing and fighting on this forum and now it's pretty much gone. It's like people are much nicer than they used to be but lots of people are going other places anyway. Maybe the fighting increases exponentially with the amount of activity. Who knows? #-o

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There used to be lots of posturing and fighting on this forum and now it's pretty much gone. It's like people are much nicer than they used to be but lots of people are going other places anyway. Maybe the fighting increases exponentially with the amount of activity. Who knows? #-o

 

Permanent bans mean they've probably taken it to the streets.

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Not sure if this has been said regarding the attraction to younger people here but I suggest that their “music” has less guitar in it than ours, in some cases none.

 

i think that's an important factor, along with pricing. gibson's branding keeps their guitars out of reach of most young people. it will be their downfall, eventually. especially with the reputation of spotty QC. i have not experienced that myself, but there are enough people out their saying it to scare off people who might otherwise spend the ridiculous amount some guitars cost.

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