Gibson Self Tuning Guitar

[sloop_john_b]

Well, by playing in Eb, using really light strings, and abusing a Strat tremolo on a scale that few if any have since ( locking tremolo users need not apply), he was kind of shooting himself in the foot, no? Nobody plays/sounds like Hendrix anyway.

[blue330]

It would indeed be pretty alarming (or really funny?) to hear a bendy, bluesy solo played on one of these if the auto-tune had been accidentally left on! Ooops. But I think the prospect that you could eliminate multiple guitars on stage for odd tunings, etc., is great. I know there are those pro folkies out there who can whip these tunings out in seconds, but not many people can really do it. Of course, when computers go crazy, they really go crazy...I hope the system has an easily accessible escape button!

[marc61]

Not sure if anyone here recalls a band called Half-Japanese. They would have had a lot of difficulty with this guitar.

If my memory serves me correctly, their tuning was archaic to say the least. In fact, there was no structure to their tuning at all.The band however, was certainly entertaining live.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_Japanese

[teeder]

"But I think the prospect that you could eliminate multiple guitars on stage for odd tunings, etc., is great."

Our guitarist does that now with a Line-6 (Variax?)

[tennis_nick]

that's virtual tuning. I couldn't possibly enjoy that. I feel vibrations from the guitar on my stomach, and I feel them coming out of my amp... if they don't line up... ergh... you'd have to play pretty loud in your bedroom to not hear the strings being played in standard while you're doing White summer in DADGAD

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

I'm keen on the concept. I would assume this prototype will need several improvements before it works as well as they claim, but as far as the whole idea, I like it. Some may view it as a dumbing down of the musician's role in keeping in tune, but the same was probably said about frets.

[teeder]

I understand Nick, but we're covering a lot of varied stuff out, and he's the only guitarist. He only needs one guitar all night and can leave his Marshall at home.
For example, in Audioslave's "Like a Stone" he uses two different tunings plus two different electric sounds and an acoustic. All with a touch of a pedal. It sticks in my throat to say, but it sounds great!

[alanz]

Combine this with Gibson' Ethernet guitar and a wireless router and you could stream yourself an audio file of your real time performance to the web browser in your amp.

[tennis_nick]

Where did my other post go???... seems I added something else... well... here goes again.

I was just using Hendrix as an example of out of tune playing. the clip I have of him in Paris doing Litte Wing makes me cringe half the time from him playing chords!

The point I ment to make, was that being in tune is essential for the music to be enjoyed. watching people tune isn't music to me, I'd rather push a button, and start the next song! It joins frets as tools used to keep us in tune.

I bet intonatable bridges weren't ALL that popular amongst purists when they came out...

[longhouse]

I for one tune between every take in the studio and between songs as much as possible when on stage. So I LOVE the idea here. Still I do not like the idea of an extraneous (it's integrated, I know, but it seems foreign) device on my peghead ...yet. It is low profile however.

We'll see if it becomes a footnote or a fixture in guitardom. The ethernet guitar or whatever that thing was did not revolutionize music as Gibson's CEO hope. But I like that they're pushing the envelope in ways. And I'll endorse them wholesale for a matching Beale Street Blue Country Deluxe and Casino.

[kcole4001]

I must say, at second glance, the alternate tuning at a touch seems very handy, but for the price, another guitar is just as practical.

However, if you're doing material where a third, or more tuning is necessary or desirable, it's much more palatable.

[kcole4001]

Also, I wonder if it makes broken string replacement any slower/more difficult.

[tennis_nick]

Apparently, as soon as you get the string to make an audible note, you can use the auto-tuner to wind the rest. seems handy.

[kcole4001]

Still a bit pricey.

Right now, that $900 would look pretty much like firewood money for the winter!

[tennis_nick]

Yeah. my thoughts exactly. In my mind, if the idea catches on, next generation will be less pricey, and probably have more features. I'm thinking, Locking tuners like the Grovers, you just put the string in and it locks!