Findings from a study by Fender released on Tuesday have revealed that women account for 50% of all “beginner and aspirational players.” Fender worked with the consulting agency, Egg Strategy, to conduct a study of guitar players in the US and the UK, asking various questions of new guitar players.
The findings of the study suggest that the guitar market is more solid, but also much more diverse than many would have expected – it’s not just adolescent boys trying to copy Hendrix licks anymore.
According to the findings of a new study by Fender, half of all beginner and aspirational guitarists today identify as women.
According to Fender, the study was performed to understand the current generation of guitar players, including their needs, desires and overall lifestyle preferences. In fact, a similar study was conducted three years ago, which prompted Fender to wake up to female-led bands, spurring a millennial targeted marketing campaign that featuring Warpaint and Bully.
Fender CEO Andy Mooney told Rolling Stone magazine that the 50 percent figure was found both in the US and the UK, and quelled doubts that the spike in female guitar players might be a result of a ‘Taylor Swift factor’ maybe making the 50 percent number short-term and aberrational.”
“In fact, it’s not. Taylor has moved on, I think playing less guitar on stage than she has in the past. But young women are still driving 50 percent of new guitar sales. So the phenomenon seems like it’s got legs, and it’s happening worldwide.”
The findings also delved into players habits and reasons for learning to play. 72% said they picked up a guitar for the first time to gain a life skill or as a means of self-betterment, while 42% viewed guitar as part of their identity. Interestingly, 50% of UK players listed playing privately as their preferred environment, which was 18% more than in the US.
“As a brand, we are committed to creating tools—both physical and digital—that this generation of creators needs for self-expression, now and in the future,” said Moony.
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