Forget Amazon. The Real Disruption in Guitar Retail Is Already Here⚡🎸

By Lee Alexander

The guitar industry loves to talk about “disruption”… but we usually spot the real shifts after they’ve already happened.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: the way players buy guitars is changing faster than most of our industry realises. And if you’re relying on how you used to do things, you’re already behind.

This isn’t about Amazon. It isn’t even about Thomann.

The biggest shake-up is happening inside our own ecosystem — and it’s already reshaping:

• where players spend their money

• who owns the customer relationship

• how trust is built (and lost)

Here are the three big shifts shaping MI retail right now — and what to do about them.

1. Brands Are Going Direct — And It’s Not Slowing Down 🚀

I’ve lost count of the number of conversations this year where brands have said:

“We love our dealers… but we can’t ignore DTC anymore.”

Players expect to buy direct. It’s normal for phones, trainers, watches — guitars are next.

• DTC websites are now the brand “flagship store” — slick videos, bundle deals, premium packaging.

• Social ads bypass dealers entirely, targeting players directly with offers you’ll never see in-store.

• Even heritage brands (yes, Fender & Gibson 🙄) are experimenting with hybrid models — supporting retailers, but keeping the best content, exclusive products and offers for themselves.

For retailers: You’ll never out-Amazon Amazon. Your edge isn’t price or scale — it’s experience.

• Same-day setups

• Exclusive in-store events

• Stock players can touch and hear before buying Double down on what brands can’t replicate online.

For brands: DTC is coming whether you like it or not — but be strategic.

• Surprise discounts undercut trust

• Protect margins

• Give retailers reasons to stay invested in your brand

2. The Second-Hand Boom Has Gone Mainstream 🔄

Five years ago, most retailers treated used gear like a dusty side hustle. Now? It’s becoming a core strategy.

For Gen Z especially, buying used isn’t a compromise — it’s the default.

But here’s the catch: eBay and Reverb have turned into the Wild West.

• Fake listings and products

• Overpriced stock

• Questionable seller practices

• Scams that burn players and frustrate retailers

Players are losing trust. Retailers are losing control.

That’s why we built reSound Market:

• Verified sellers and buyers → trusted, dependable transactions

• No sales fees → healthier margins for retailers

• Kept inside the MI ecosystem → so players come back to you, not a faceless platform

For retailers: Stop treating used stock like an afterthought — treat it as tier-one inventory.

• Build trade-in programmes

• Bundle used with new

• Own the customer relationship before someone else does

For brands: Players buying used today are buying new tomorrow — but only if you stay top of mind.

• Support verified marketplaces

• Create official pre-owned programmes

• Control your brand narrative

The second-hand market isn’t the future — it’s the present. The question is whether you want a stake in it.

3. Gen Z Doesn’t Buy Like We Did 📱

If you think your catalogue, website, and Google ads are enough to reach the next generation of players… you’re already invisible.

Gen Z discovers gear differently:

• 40% search TikTok before Google when deciding what to buy

• They trust creators and communities, not catalogues

• They expect short-form, visual, authentic content

This is where MI is falling behind. Most strategies are built for players who shop like it’s 2015.

The future players are influenced — not advertised to.

For retailers: Forget chasing “big” influencers. Focus on micro-creators — local guitarists with 1k–10k followers making authentic, trusted content.

🎯 Insider Playbook: Create a “Creator Corner”

• Dedicate a small, bookable space in-store with your logo backdrop

• Equip it with: • A quality, versatile amp (think Boss Katana) • A tripod • A basic audio interface

• Invite local creators to film demos & reviews of your stock

Why it works:

• Creators get content to grow their audience

• You get authentic promotion across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube

• Your branding features in every clip

This isn’t just marketing — it positions your store as the hub where creators and players connect.

For brands: Treat creators as a core sales channel, not a side project. Equip them. Trust them. Let them tell your story their way.

Gen Z isn’t ignoring guitars. They’re ignoring you if you’re not where they are.

The Bottom Line 🎯

MI retail isn’t dying — but it is shifting.

The players shaping the next decade are:

• Brands going direct

• Verified used marketplaces

• Gen Z’s buying habits

Ignore them, and you’re playing last year’s game while your competitors move ahead.

Your Turn

In five years(maybe even two years…), MI retail won’t look anything like it does today.

Will DTC dominate? 

Will used gear take over? 

Or will Gen Z force us to rewrite the rulebook entirely?

👇 Drop your take in the comments — I’ll share my prediction next week.