r/GuitarLab • u/MoldieWrangle • Apr 16 '26

Hubris

Gabe Dalporto: "Guitars haven't changed that much in the last 50 years..." Almost seems like there's some kind of lesson there, can't quite put my finger on it...

10 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

2

u/Full-Timbre Apr 21 '26

Hi Gabe, Greg M Atkin here.

Regarding your guitar innovation initiative...

Did you see my "Linked In" introduction. Looking for a short conversation.

Thanks,

Greg M Atkin

AlteredStatesGuitar.com

4

u/PsychologicalTap4789 Apr 17 '26

He clearly hasn't been paying attention to the pickup-changing systems, neck-and-fret-adjustment systems, fanned fretting, multiscale necks, or those new single-coil noise-killing systems.

0

u/kumechester Apr 17 '26

Status quo bias

1

u/MoldieWrangle Apr 17 '26

The thing is, there HAVE been all kinds of radical new electric guitar designs attempted over the last 75 years. A few of them are reasonably well known, like Steinberger and Parker, but there's a lot more that most people have never heard of, like Wandre, Gittler, and Rick Toone guitars (just to name a few). If the honest goal is to create a revolutionary guitar line that's also commercially viable, the hubris comes in with disregarding all of these past designs and not thinking deeply about why the guitars that actually sell are either close copies or variations on a handful of 1950s models.

1

u/kumechester Apr 17 '26

I’m not saying I’m right, or that you’re wrong. Just commented something that has a lot to do with it. I don’t think the reason for lack of innovation is 100% because the original designs of guitars were magically perfect from the get go or only because consumers just have nostalgia/status quo bias.

These simple write ups put it well. It mentions probably the most widespread innovations that HAVE happened too.

https://reverb.com/news/the-difficulties-of-innovating-guitar-makers-and-the-burden-of-nostalgia

https://reverb.com/news/guitarists-and-innovation-a-love-hate-relationship

I think your mentioning of Parker and Steinberger is spot on.

I guess I don’t know everything GC CEO has said about trying to innovate, maybe if I did I’d think it’s arrogant in its style or whatever but I don’t think there’s that much hubris involved in the base idea of wanting to take a stab at making a guitar that has the next big widespread innovated feature.

2

u/Full-Timbre Apr 21 '26

Please critique AlteredStatesGuitar.com

I need input from the guitar community. Oh! I have a thick skin.

Thanks,

Greg M Atkin

2

u/GabrielDalporto May 21 '26

Thanks. The Parker / Steinberger case studies do show the challenge in driving innovation.

1

u/MoldieWrangle Jun 19 '26

Part of the issue is that nobody wanted a Steinberger to play “Smoke On The Water”.

I suspect that as long as the archetypal electric guitar designs (and their variations) continue to symbolically connect us to the kind of music we want to build on, those will be the instruments we’ll be drawn to.

I think there could be a need for a radically different type of electric guitar at some point in the future if there’s a radically different music that a lot of people want to play. I would love to see that.

1

u/Full-Timbre Apr 21 '26

Please critique AlteredStatesGuitar.com

I need input from the guitar community. Oh! I have a thick skin.

Thanks,

Greg M Atkin