Gibson Officially Announces Self-Tuning Guitar

Gibson Guitar has announced the world’s first self tuning guitar with what the guitar manufacturers claims is “robotic technology.” It is even calling the self-tuner, the Gibson Robot Guitar (Yeesh! Nothing makes you want to run out to your local guitar store with a name like that! —Ed.).

Gibson has been on the forefront of incorporating the latest technology into their guitars, and the Robot Guitar is no exception. The system consists of five high technology components which are extremely light and do not change the instrument’s sound in any way, according to Gibson. A control knob (which also serves at the volume knob) enables the tuning with a simple push or pull. Each tuner is equipped with specialized servo motors. As the motorized tuners adjust the pitch of the strings they are monitored by means of a Tune-Control Bridge.

Features:
• The Gibson Robot Guitar automatically tunes to standard A440 tuning.
• It also allows players to access six commonly used altered tuning presets at the push of a button.
• The Gibson Robot Guitar allows the guitar to be intonated in seconds after string changes, truss rod adjustments or change in weather conditions.
• With the locking tuner, single string changes or changing the entire set of strings are an automated breeze.

The user interface of the Gibson Robot Guitar is the Master Control Knob (MCK). The Master Control Knob has all operating and control functionality contained in 11 different positions. The Powerhead-Locking tuners are constructed with a lightweight alloy housing and are not heavier than common tuning keys. They represent a revolution in guitar technology. Each Powerhead has a motorized high-performance gearbox controlled by signals from the Neck CPU mounted on the back of the headstock.

The Tune-Control Bridge, Tune Core-Controller, Data-Transmitting Tailpiece and Neck CPU work as the command center of the entire Gibson Robot Guitar. The strings carry the control signal and the power supply from the Data- Transmitting Tailpiece to the Neck CPU operating each of the Powerhead Locking Tuners individually.

Guitar players without guitar techs have shied away from the use of alternate tuning due to the time and difficulty require to tune and retune the guitar. The result is the guitar player and the music listener often suffers out of tune instruments. In the studio, or at home, imprecise intonation throws the guitar in and out of tune, up and down the neck, as the instrument requires tweaking with each season and at times with each string change. This all changes with the introduction of the Gibson Robot Guitar.

The first batch of limited edition Gibson Les Paul Robot Guitars will go on sale at 5 PM on December 7, 2007 at 400 dealers throughout the world; no pricing has been announced.. Each store will only have 10 instruments that will be available in an exclusive Blue Silverburst Les Paul model. More information on the Gibson Robot Guitar.

The Future: Although it’s obvious that Gibson needs some serious help in the marketing arena, they are certainly pulling guitarists, kicking and screaming, into the new millennium.

Author: FutureMusic

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