No that white stuff on TV is called Cocaine.
Yes the tires are white once you get into the deeper stuff.
I think part of what holds the DIY community back is the messaging. If the message is that DIY lets you save money, it's becoming less and less compelling with time as imports and mass-manufacturing gets ever better. When I first got into the hobby, it was because the product I wanted simply didn't exist (this was when headphones started taking off with the smartphone and mp3 industry). Today there are tons of choices.
I currently work in the musical instruments industry and we face some similar issues. No one has revolutionized the electric guitar in the past 50 years and it has resulted in the same brands fighting over the limited market of existing guitarist consumers. About six or seven years ago the ukulele suddenly exploded and turned all of that on its head. Suddenly people weren't picking up an instrument to become the next Hendrix/Clapton; they were picking up an instrument just because it seemed like a fun hobby. These were people that had probably never set foot in a music store before. The uke's success was just messaging. The uke says "I'm fun, try me, no pressure" while the guitar demands "you need me to play like a rockstar." Turns out everyone wants to have fun but only some people want to be a rockstar. The result grew the market instead of trying to steal a share from something else.
In my opinion, DIY as a hobby needs a similar message. "Try me, I'm fun and rewarding" rather than "build this for better fidelity/lower cost than commercial." This is a major shift in attitude that the whole community should embrace, not just a slogan. Spend time helping newbies, encourage experimentation, be mindful of how you nit-pick technical aspects, know your audience. Simple circuits and technically brilliant circuits both have their time and place (usually we just focus on the latter). More people in the hobby makes it better for all of us.
There are several designers that I think really embody this attitude (I won't name them because I'll feel bad when I forget someone). But that's not enough. We've all got to do our part.
Anyways, that's my 2 cents on the state of DIY.
I currently work in the musical instruments industry and we face some similar issues. No one has revolutionized the electric guitar in the past 50 years and it has resulted in the same brands fighting over the limited market of existing guitarist consumers. About six or seven years ago the ukulele suddenly exploded and turned all of that on its head. Suddenly people weren't picking up an instrument to become the next Hendrix/Clapton; they were picking up an instrument just because it seemed like a fun hobby. These were people that had probably never set foot in a music store before. The uke's success was just messaging. The uke says "I'm fun, try me, no pressure" while the guitar demands "you need me to play like a rockstar." Turns out everyone wants to have fun but only some people want to be a rockstar. The result grew the market instead of trying to steal a share from something else.
In my opinion, DIY as a hobby needs a similar message. "Try me, I'm fun and rewarding" rather than "build this for better fidelity/lower cost than commercial." This is a major shift in attitude that the whole community should embrace, not just a slogan. Spend time helping newbies, encourage experimentation, be mindful of how you nit-pick technical aspects, know your audience. Simple circuits and technically brilliant circuits both have their time and place (usually we just focus on the latter). More people in the hobby makes it better for all of us.
There are several designers that I think really embody this attitude (I won't name them because I'll feel bad when I forget someone). But that's not enough. We've all got to do our part.
Anyways, that's my 2 cents on the state of DIY.
My wife did that and bought one for each of our grandchildren. I work with a guitar collector and he tuned them up for free and made it fun.
The uke has really been an interesting phenomenon. The music is usually simple, the instrument is un-intimidating, it is often taught in group lessons. From the perspective of a non-musician, it's so inviting. It is a bit like the drink-while-you-paint places or even cross-fit gyms.
These emphasize the social aspects and the fun and experience of the hobby (music/painting/exercise), not the technical proficiency.
These emphasize the social aspects and the fun and experience of the hobby (music/painting/exercise), not the technical proficiency.
For me it's because they're so easy to take apart and swap parts 
DIY through and through.
Beyond that, it has a lot to do with the artists that have played them. The scale length and pickup placement/type have an impact on the feel and sound, making it easier to mimic a certain style or artist. Many guitarists will have several guitars of different types (a strat, a tele, a les paul) for that reason.
In my experience Fender has been a reliable brand for quality. All of the above tends to help support resale value.
DIY through and through.Beyond that, it has a lot to do with the artists that have played them. The scale length and pickup placement/type have an impact on the feel and sound, making it easier to mimic a certain style or artist. Many guitarists will have several guitars of different types (a strat, a tele, a les paul) for that reason.
In my experience Fender has been a reliable brand for quality. All of the above tends to help support resale value.
While we're staying off topic here.
I had a wonderful dream.
I had a dream that I was a teen in the Kennedy years and I was John F Kennedy's son and at one point in the dream I was in middle school playing american football and then I got to watch one of the first rocket launches with dad (who was Kennedy).
Then I had a dream about high skyscrapers and I was on top of one trying to run away from zombies but I was too afraid to sail down and the wind was pulling my sail and me off the top of the building. So I decided to use a rope to get down. Oh well can't win them all.
I had a wonderful dream.
I had a dream that I was a teen in the Kennedy years and I was John F Kennedy's son and at one point in the dream I was in middle school playing american football and then I got to watch one of the first rocket launches with dad (who was Kennedy).
Then I had a dream about high skyscrapers and I was on top of one trying to run away from zombies but I was too afraid to sail down and the wind was pulling my sail and me off the top of the building. So I decided to use a rope to get down. Oh well can't win them all.
Yes indeed it has, maybe like it was back in the 1920s. I knew a man who ran music shops for years in Florida. He loved selling ukuleles because "I never saw someone pick up a ukulele and not smile." That joy means a lot.
Of course I worked around music in Hawaii for years and there ukuleles are a part of the landscape - everyone plays, and at many different skill levels. Great fun.
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