Fender, Taylor, and others have indicated a shortage thru ~June 2022
I've been in and out of a bunch of guitar stores these past few months as we build the Guitar Necktie business partnerships, and one thing at stores that specialize in new guitars (and basses, synth, electronics, etc), is that the walls haven't been as filled as they were when I grew up.
According to the research from Guitar MAX, there are a few reasons for this pervasive low inventory, and why you'll find so much on backorder:
- COVID has impacted manufacturing, chip shortages, logistics chain, even for the guitar industry (not just automotive!)
- ~7% of US now plays (or at least owns) a guitar(!) - due to so many staying at home, revisiting/building upon old passions, and picking up new hobbies. Around 40% of the uptick are people between the ages of 16-34.
One thing Guitar MAX and I certainly agree on - if the above is true, it seems really hopeful for a future generation of guitar-driven music, albeit in an ever-growing ocean of players. I say the more the merrier ✌️
Check out the full video below for more from Guitar MAX.