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

[Alexander Smith]

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

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