MARKETING AND MANUFACTURING
The electric guitar’s “ideal” stems from its evolution, including economic, technological, social, political and visual decisions that shape the technology (Libin, 212). Experimentation and an inclination for “tinkering” with mechanics played a large role in the invention and masculinization of the electric guitar. “Many Americans valued electrification as a symbol of modernity. With electricity in male hands and the increased linking of other technologies to masculinity, the electric guitar also became a male preserve” (Bourdage, 44). Attaching values like these to technology is a standard practice in marketing, but doesn’t make those values true, and they certainly don’t have to carry throughout history.
Erasure of women in the study of the electric guitar is equally prevalent in performance as it is in the marketing and manufacturing side of the music industry. As noted earlier, many of the ideals we cling to are perpetuated for marketing and advertising purposes. This is explicitly evident in regards to the electric guitar, because corporations attach the ideal of hyper-masculinity to marketing campaigns. Dean Guitar’s founder Dean Zelinsky once stated, “You played the guitar so you could get laid. We found out that a hot chick sold more guitars than a hot rock star” (Bourdage, 46). Guitar World Magazine is equally notorious for using images of scantily clad women for pandering toward male audience.
One of the most groundbreaking marketing campaigns for Guitar World was a 2016 cover featuring St. Vincent. By her own design, Annie Clark (St. Vincent) wears an oversized t-shirt featuring the image of a bikini. In an interview she says:
“I did a quick Google search of women on the cover, and all I really saw was girls in bikinis holding guitars like they’ve never held a guitar before,” she said. “I started thinking about that and just wanted to make my own absurdist comment on it. I couldn’t really let it slide without poking a bit of fun and taking the piss a little!”
Her contributions to the magazine did not go unnoticed, and unearthed the sexism frequently exploited by the magazine. Guitar World has since stated that they will no longer feature women in bikinis on the cover, and try to reach out to a female audience (Gilbride, 2016). This is a huge step for modern marketing of the instrument and can no doubt begin to alter the perceptions of the technology.
A new publication entitled She Shreds has emerged to give voice to the many female guitarists who have been a part of performance, past and present. Founded by Fabi Reyna, and run by three other women, their mission is to “change the way women guitarists and bassists are depicted and presented in the music industry and popular culture” ("About the Magazine"). It is the only magazine in the world dedicated solely to women, and has already garnered over 20,000 Facebook likes and 30,000 Instagram Followers. The publication features a diverse selection of global performers, fostering inclusion and awareness of many perspectives.
Some women have even created their own instrument companies based off of their experience as female players, or their recognition of a market of female instrumentalists that has not been met. Yvonne de Villiers founded Luna Guitars based on her mother’s experience as a bass player. Her mother played for many years, despite the heaviness of the instrument, but the weight affected her later on in life. Villiers recognized a market for performers like her mother saying, “I witnessed the joy that her bass brought her (and still brings her) and I thought it would be wonderful if more women were inspired to take up guitar or bass” (Paule, 2014). Her creation of Luna Guitars makes a fascinating contribution to the technology, because she simply amends her instruments to fit the needs of a variety of clients. She let’s women’s experiences with the technology shape how she creates and sells the guitar. She even notes that the promotion of her company does not reflect the standard practices of the industry. “We haven’t done any advertising to speak of, so it’s all been very word of mouth, very grassroots, and we have some amazing advocates.” She wants to tap into the “joy of playing” and simply provide instruments for a broad market of players.
St. Vincent has also delved into the the guitar manufacturing world, creating her signature model through Ernie Ball. The ingenuity of this model stems from a similar mindset about female guitarists that Luna Guitars highlights; that is, giving women a voice, by simply asking what they want and reflecting on their experiences as instrumentalists, not telling them what they need. Stark separation of gender is not required to sell guitars, nor is guitar altercations an indication of diminutive playing ability. St. Vincent is undeniably a technically proficient and creative guitar player, despite her preference for smaller models. The Ernie Ball St. Vincent Signature isn't "feminine" because it is the preferred choice of a woman, it simply reflects her individual preferences as a guitarist. This is all it means to play like a girl.
While many companies seek to highlight women’s existence as guitar players, one company, Daisy Rock Guitars, arguably does not contribute to the new ideals of the technology. Founded by Tish Ciravolo in 2000, the company seeks to inspire women of all ages to play. However, a brief glance at their product selection shows that the imagery reinforces standard gender roles. The guitars all have glittery finishes, flower shapes or decorative inlays and are referred to as “girl guitars”. Unlike the models set forth by Yvonne de Villiers or St. Vincent, these models imply that women only want “pretty” guitars. While there is nothing wrong with offering these models in conjunction with standard models (many girls and even men might be interested in a decorative model!), exclusively referring to a “girl guitar” as being something that has dainty or traditionally feminine qualities reinforces negative associations of women and the technology.
“To this day, because I know no other way of being or feeling, I don’t know what it’s like to be a woman in a band — I have nothing else to compare it to. But I will say that I doubt in the history of rock journalism and writing any man has been asked, ‘Why are you in an all-male band?’”
– Carrie Brownstein, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl
