[kj] OT: Gibson introduces world's first "robot guitar" line that tunes itself

Alexander Smith vassifer at earthlink.net
Wed Nov 14 08:30:39 EST 2007



Yeah, right on -- who needs individual, personal style anyway?

Alex in NYC


On Nov 14, 2007, at 8:18 AM, B. Oliver Sheppard wrote:


> First "robot" electric guitar tunes itself

>

> By Jill SerjeantTue Nov 13, 10:44 PM ET

>

> Ever get mad trying to figure out why your version of "Voodoo Child"

> doesn't sound like Jimi Hendrix?

>

> Help is at hand from what is described as the world's first robot

> guitar -- an electric guitar that not only keeps itself in tune even

> after string changes but also allows players to access six

> nonstandard tunings at the push of a button.

>

> After 15 years of research, Gibson Guitar is launching a limited

> edition Les Paul Robot Guitar next month that has set players abuzz

> with both enthusiasm and skepticism.

>

> "It will not make you a better guitar player but it will allow the

> average player to access some very sophisticated tunings," Gibson

> Guitar Chief Executive Henry Juszkiewicz told Reuters on Tuesday.

>

> The six nonstandard preset tunings were used on hits ranging from

> "Honky Tonk Women" by The Rolling Stones and Hendrix's "Voodoo

> Child" to Led Zeppelin's "Going to California" and Joni Mitchell's

> "The Circle Game."

>

> Gibson says the robot guitar is aimed at amateurs who have a hard

> time keeping their guitars in tune, as well as professionals who now

> use technicians during concerts to keep about 100 guitars tuned to

> different keys.

>

> "Professional guitar players use a lot of different tuning and

> people who listen to the stars wonder why they can't reproduce the

> same sound themselves," Juszkiewicz said.

>

> Temperature variations, changing strings and simply playing the

> instrument have long been tuning challenges for guitarists with even

> the best musical ear.

>

> But some have already poured scorn on the robot guitar.

>

> "I'm sorry, this is just lazy. With stuff like this, tuning is going

> to be a lost skill," wrote LettheBassPlay on the www.ultimate-guitar.com

> Web site forum.

>

> Gibson said the robot guitar is the biggest advance in electric

> guitar design in more than 70 years.

>

> "It's very addictive," Juszkiewicz said.

>

> Gibson will launch 4,000 limited edition, blue silverburst Les

> Gibson Robot Guitars around the world on December 7 at a price in

> the region of $2,500. It expects to roll out a standard robot

> edition starting in January 2008.

>

> (Editing by John O'Callaghan)

>

> http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071114/tc_nm/robotguitar_dc

> _______________________________________________

> Gathering mailing list

> Gathering at misera.net

> http://four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/gathering




More information about the Gathering mailing list