An instrument everybody can play....well almost

Two stories that caught my eye in the newspapers which I think are related in some way. First up we have the largest number of people playing air guitar in one place. The charity Action on Hearling Loss claim that 2,227 'played' Purple Haze at the weekend at the WOMAD festival in darkest Wiltshire. To claim the record the participants had to play for 90 seconds and do at least three air guitar moves - that must have taken some doing seeing as the crowd seem to be packed tighter than Robert Plant's Levi's.

The other story, which form some sort of connection in my brain, is the news that wood for electric guitars will run out within the next ten years. Forget oil and fish shortages what on earth are dysfunctional teenage boys going to do with their fingers when there aren't any Les Paul's to be had?  Apparently because of the over harvesting of the forests Rosewood, Maple, Ebony, Mahogany and Spruce are in short supply and Henry Juszkiewicz (CEO at Gibson) says that alternatives must be found, despite the fact that it is the richness of the wood that gives each instrument its distinctive tone and resonance - plus the ability to go one louder.

All is not lost however as it seems that acoustic guitar sales are actually overtaking electrics for the first time since the 1950's so the kids will still be able to rock out, even if they do end up sounding  more like John Denver than Slash or Jimmy Page.