It’s hard to imagine Joe Perry strumming with a Tinkerbell pick or Slash rocking out on a daisy-shaped axe. But the guitar is taking on a decidedly feminine tone thanks to instruments and accessories geared toward girls.
“We had guitar picks in the shapes of skulls and things for guys, but my teenage daughter said, ‘Dad, what are you going to do for the girls?’ Girls like to rock, too,” said Stephen Key, creator of Hot Picks USA. “She said ‘You should match picks to the fashions that girls are wearing.’ ”
Thus, the Girls Rock line - including plaid, polka-dot and candy-heart designs - was born two years ago after Key found up to half of guitar students at schools and stores he talked with were girls. Hot Picks has expanded “girl” options to Tinkerbell, “High School Musical,” Taylor Swift and others, and this year rolls out make-your-own jewelry kits.
“Picks aren’t only for guitar players - they’re a lifestyle product. People like to collect them, play with them, wear them,” said Key.
Ten-year-old guitar student Haley Hauck of Sherborn says girls - even those who don’t play it - like the instrument because “there are so many designs and guitars just look cool.”
“When I shop, I always see tees and earrings and stuff like that. I think they’re really cool and I’m going to get some,” Hauck said.
Robin Hauck says her daughter “has definitely always loved guitar or rock ’n’ roll-themed clothes. Since she loves pop music so much she clearly associates musicians with fashion. Musicians are cutting-edge, daring, cool and stylish, so she wants to emulate them.”
That admiration is about more than fashion. Haley Hauck has taken guitar lessons at Natick’s Allegro Music School for almost three years, where director Doina Simovici says the size of the program has doubled in five years thanks in part to more female students.
“Young people feel the need to express themselves and music is a great way to do it,” said Simovici. “Children turn 11 or 12 one day, and guess what - they look to the guitar to express themselves. Especially the girls.”
Joel Paul, manager of Guitar Center in Danvers, agrees. “Especially in the past five years or so, after Avril Lavigne got popular, we’ve definitely seen a steady increase in the number of young girls who want to come in here and play all sorts of guitars,” he said.
One of his best-selling guitar lines is Daisy Rock, designed just for girls. The instruments are shaped like hearts, flowers and stars, are lighter weight and have slimmer necks than traditional guitars, making them easier for girls to handle.
“I think it gets them excited to play, number one, because the styling is geared toward girls, and because physically it’s easier,” Paul said. “For any beginner, it’s a rite of passage making your hand do these things it’s not meant to do. If we can alleviate any of that by at least putting an instrument that’s the appropriate size in someone’s hands, that’s going to help.”
If sales of flower power are any indication, guitars may not just be toys for boys anymore.
“The Daisy Rocks are extremely popular. We can barely keep them in,” Paul said.
OUR PICKS
Guitars are more popular for girls than ever before, but the music’s not the only thing making a statement - axe-themed fashions are selling faster than tickets to a Hannah Montana concert. Here are a few playful options:
