It's the early 1980s, and for the first time in 30 years, the U.S. guitar market has gone cold. Bands are switching to synthesizers and kids are ditching their garage bands for computers and video games.
A group of employees has bought the Fender brand but not its factory. Now they need to find a place to keep making guitars — fast. And Gibson has new owner ... Show More
Aug 2019
Business Battles | Monster vs Beats by Dre | 1
<p>With all the hype around portable and smart speakers, it’s easy to forget that they didn’t always exist. In fact, it took one fateful meeting with Monster Cables and Interscope Records to really kick the industry off. In this one-episode Business Battle, we explore the time wh ... Show More
26m 16s
Oct 2018
Have guitar will travel--the only gear Richard Smith needs to keep running
Guitar player Richard Smith lives out of his car 70% of the year, touring the country gigging. He joins Jefferson Graham on Talking Tech to explain the technology he uses to keep up with dates, the latest music, his website and fans. Hints: it's one small device. See Privacy Poli ... Show More
6m 51s
Sep 2023
The History of the 2010s Part 2: The Role of Indie Rock
Traditional wisdom says that the recorded music industry is dominated by the major labels...there used to be a bunch of them, but over the last 25 years, their number has been whittled down to just three companies: universal (the biggest), Sony, and warner music...
Here’s somethi ... Show More
27m 19s
Jan 2024
Modern Guitar Heroes: The Men
What is a guitar hero?...yes, yes, it’s a video game that vaguely simulates playing a real guitar…what else?...
Yes, yes, it means someone who can rock the “expert level” at guitar hero, the video game…but before that, it meant something totally different…
A guitar hero was a guy ... Show More
27m 51s