Guitar that tunes itself

[monkey star]

Gibson hoping to hit right note with self-tuning guitar

Dec 3, 2007

LONDON (AFP) — The world's first self-tuning guitar was unveiled to the public in London Monday -- an instrument that automatically detects when a string has fallen out of pitch and corrects it.

The Gibson Robot Guitar was unveiled to the public in the British capital by Mike Peters, lead singer and guitarist from The Alarm, the biggest band to come out of Wales in the 1980s and famous for rock anthem "Sixty-Eight Guns".

Guitar-maker Gibson, based in Nashville, Tennessee, promise that the instrument, whose technology has been 10 years in the making, will "change the guitar world forever" when it goes on sale around the world on Friday.

It will retail in Britain for 1,400 pounds (1,970 euros, 2,900 dollars). Ten first run limited editions in the Blue Silverburst Les Paul model will be available in each Gibson store worldwide.

The regular model hits the shops in the new year.

In an interview on the firm's website, inventor Chris Adams, who hit on the idea after becoming frustrated by constant manual tuning, described it as the "Mercedes of guitars".

He said the self-tuning device was already being used by guitarists such as Billy Corgan, from the Smashing Pumpkins, and Matt Bellamy, from Muse, while The Who strummer Pete Townshend was intrigued.

Fans of Gibson guitars include Slash from Guns N' Roses, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Lenny Kravitz, Eric Clapton, Paul Weller and Paul McCartney.

Bet it sounds like shit

[Kenny Everett]

I tried one of the first ones a few weeks ago, it's fucking incredible.

It's just a Les Paul Studio with a nicer finish and neck binding, the guitar as an instrument is stunning.

I'd have one in a second, they really do work.. contrary to my initial suspicion!

[monkey star]

What if you want to play atonel stuff

[Kenny Everett]

you can still tune it manually, no problems.

It automaticall tunes to standar pitch, open G etc in a manner of seconds. Totally amazing when you see it working. It ever does intonation, which is mindblowing.

[monkey star]

So if you lay something fucked it wont start tuning to correct you. When the making the guitar that plays itself then.

[Kenny Everett]

See, why on earth would you WANT to play out of tune

But no, you can switch off the self tuning system easy enough... it doesn't actually make a tuning adjustment unless you tell it to.

[monkey star]

Ah then thats awesome

[softparody]

Sounds hella cool.

Sarah xx

[Rio Ohki]

ooft!