Small guitar shops started the boom in instruments sales in the 60's and they should always have a place in the world, especially for guitars, basses, drums, amps etc. Guitar Center started small, as did Sam Ash Music.   They & others rode the baby boomer BOOM especially in the 80's when guitar music dominated and MTV was showcasing instruments on televisions 24/7/365.   Then the boomers got older.   I reluctantly agree that millennials seem to be the type that want to be a rock star but want to do it by tomorrow. IMO, this is about failed leadership and failure to grasp the meaning & needs for a post-baby boomer world. For this I believe NAMM must share in the blame while it's members are dropping like flies. For the guitar industry, the best hope might well be what worked before. It worked in the 60's, it worked again in t he 80's and it's cheap and highly effective. All we need is another Jimi Hendrix (saved the strat almost single handedly), Edward Van Halen (changed the world with his simple strats & a Floyd Rose tremolo) and others such as Slash, Steve Vail and other actual guitar players that did, alone with their band, that giant corporations, NAMM and others could not figure out how to do. Those guys inspired people to play. Somewhere in the USA, right now, their is a kid in his garage dedicated to learning how to play the instrument despite the lack of encouragement from his parents or relatives.   He drives himself to learn and all he has for inspiration is a musician he once saw or heard.   If you want your industry back, then learn to care about, find and inspire this guy. It's really not that hard to do. Typically, this guy will go to a small guitar store in his town. Here's hoping some snobby, want-to-be at GC does not send him the other way.