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2 June, 2008 - UK guitar research, commissioned by BBZGuitars of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, has found that people who play the guitar are no more likely to come from high income white collar backgrounds than from any other socio-demographic group. A survey of the buying behaviour and characteristics of more than 500 UK guitarists showed an even distribution of players across a broad range of occupations, including accountants, solicitors, builders, company directors, firemen, artists, office workers, warehousemen, electricians, teachers, health workers, civil servants, shop workers, as well as many other professions.

"These findings just go to prove what a great leveller the guitar is, I get people from all walks of life in my Bucks showroom but they've all got just as much chance of making the big time," said managing director of BBZGuitars, Steve Busby. "You’ve only got to look at some of the guitar super heroes, like Clapton, Hendrix, BB King and Peter Green, to see that you don’t need to come from a privileged background to achieve world-class success as a guitarist, and it doesn’t seem to help if you do."

Busby does acknowledges that, in general, famous guitarists tend to have premium priced guitars, such as PRS, Gibson and Fender, and will often have their own signature model as well, however, he is also keen to point out that many competitively priced but inspirational designs are now entering the market from less well established luthiers. And this factor, along with a rise in the number of instruments being manufactured in the Far East is likely to pose a real threat to the pricing policies of some of the super brands.

Busby continued, "With inspired-by guitars from companies like Vintage and Hamer, as well as original designs, such as Gordon Smith, Italia and St Blues available for just a few hundred pounds, or a lot less in some cases, professional build-quality and tone is now attainable within every budget."

For guitarists who would like to test-drive guitars inspired by famous 'axes', such as Eric Clapton’s Blackie, Peter Green’s out-of-phase '59 Les Paul, Jaco Pastorius's fretless jazz bass, Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock Stratocaster, one of the many other 'Super-Brand' tweaked reproductions on offer, or an original model guitar, BBZGuitars showroom is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10.00am - 5.30pm, and is located at Unit 10 Cressex Enterprise Centre, Lincoln Road, High Wycombe, HP12 3RL.