Anybody pick up a Robot Guitar yet?

[thirstypirate]

I went to the local place today (Alpha Music) just in time to see a demo before they sold their last one. It was unbelievable. This is truly the next step in the evolution of our instrument.

I would like to hear a first hand account from anyone who bought one.

 

[fatoni]

how is this the next step in our instrument? (not sarcasm or any ill will but i havent done any researching and all it seems to me is that it can tune itself)

 

[devilrob1979]

Self-tuning guitars aren't new:

www.transperformance.com

 

[thirstypirate]

What other new technology has really changed that guitar's main functions since the 50's?

This would allow for someone who uses multiple tunings during live performances to only have one guitar and to shift around to all the tunings without extended breaks between songs.

You can go from Standard to Open G to Drop D in in under thirty seconds.

It also tells you which way and how many turns to adjust your screws to keep the axe intonated during all these shifts.

 

[phyrexia]

It does not intonate on the fly, is that correct? Are you expected to just bust out a screwdriver in between songs?

 

[thirstypirate]

You are correct, it doesn not intonate on the fly. If you access the feaure menu there is an intonation aid.

I would like to hear from someone who has one if the intonation gets jacked up as the guitar switches through different tunings.

 

[phyrexia]

You are correct, it doesn not intonate on the fly. If you access the feaure menu there is an intonation aid.

I would like to hear from someone who has one if the intonation gets jacked up as the guitar switches through different tunings.

I can't see how the intonation wouldn't be out of whack.

 

[thirstypirate]

I don't think it would get out too bad either. It might be slightly off when going from open tunings to standard and vice versa. I don't know anyone who has one to ask them. They sold out quickly here in VA.

 

[Rocky]

It does not intonate on the fly, is that correct? Are you expected to just bust out a screwdriver in between songs?

It doesnt intonate on the fly but the guitar does have an intonation setting.

 

[fitz8005]

i dont know, it kinda seems like a waste of money to me, maybe a bit of a gimmick. i'd gladly pay the same amount for a PRS or other high quality instrument and have to deal with intonation on them instead. thats just me though.

 

[thinskin57]

i bet it'll flop. do i really need to explain why?

 

[Rocky]

i bet it'll flop. do i really need to explain why?

My understanding is that they virtually sold out in a week.

That is n ot how I would describe a flop...especially since there are thousands upon thousands of them out there.

 

[thinskin57]

if they actually DID sell out, it's probably an initial surge due to collectors and whatnot. selling out also doesn't mean great success if they shipped in small quantities which i'm willing to bet would've been the case. just because i stated that it would probably flop doesn't mean that's what i'm hoping for. let's just wait a year and see how many touring pros have them in their hands...

 

[Rocky]

It was a MASSIVE and coordinated release all across North America. Gibson released 10 000 guitars at 3:00 PM on a friday afternoon (Dec 7 if memory serves)

They were pretty much all gone within a week.

It was a huge release and a huge success. Both Gibson dealers in my city had lineups for the Robot guitar and sold all units within 6 hours.

The Robot guitar is a huge initial success....I suspect that subsequent releases will also be very popular.

 

[thinskin57]

wow, good for Gibson. sorry but it just seems like a nerd guitar with absolutely no vibe. that's just my opinion. everybody's got one. plus, i have no problems keeping my guitars intonated and in tune just fine. i guess i forgot that i was speaking for myself. sometimes i forget that everyone doesn't think like me...LOL. maybe it WILL be a great success due to all the rookies out there with no ear who have money to burn. honestly, i can put play quite agressively- even w/my strat that has a vintage style vibrato and keep it in tune quite well. play a whole gig without having to touch a tuner. it's all in the setup. if more people knew how to string a guitar and stretch the strings out properly.... intonation? there's tricks to that too. you never get it perfect with guitars. and even if you do somehow, (feiten system) you don't! next time you tune your guitar and everything is in tune, watch what happens to your low E and A string when you start to dig in even just a little. they go sharp! so unless you've got a super light touch, we're always out of tune to some degree. i think it's really cool that gibson pulled it off. very cool accomplishment from an engineering standpoint. i've just got no uses for it personally. didn't mean to make anyone go limp.

 

[Rocky]

I noodled around with one....wasnt impressed at all. Switching to tunings takes a few strums and is cumbersome....and it is a stupid looking guitar in my opinion.

It was a success but I think it is dumb guitar. Tab has made for a generation of tone deaf players that need books to learn Green Day tunes...and now they can buy a guitar that tunes itself.


wonderful

 

[Jak0lantern01]

I noodled around with one....wasnt impressed at all. Switching to tunings takes a few strums and is cumbersome....and it is a stupid looking guitar in my opinion.

It was a success but I think it is dumb guitar. Tab has made for a generation of tone deaf players that need books to learn Green Day tunes...and now they can buy a guitar that tunes itself.


wonderful

LOL! Not that my ear is the ultimate, but that's a funny statement. A guitar that tunes itself. I thought I was being silly getting a guitar tuner that beeps when you get it in tune (I wan't looking for this feature, it's a Boss). I think I use it just to drive my bandmates crazy. Anyway, I dunno about a self tuning guitar. I was always under the impression that if you change the tuning on your guitar (drop D, for example), you would have to set the intonation for that tuning or it would be out of whack. That's why I keep a guitar for each tuning my band may play in. Not for me, thanks.

 

[Jak0lantern01]

I noodled around with one....wasnt impressed at all. Switching to tunings takes a few strums and is cumbersome....and it is a stupid looking guitar in my opinion.

It was a success but I think it is dumb guitar. Tab has made for a generation of tone deaf players that need books to learn Green Day tunes...and now they can buy a guitar that tunes itself.


wonderful

LOL! Not that my ear is the ultimate, but that's a funny statement. A guitar that tunes itself. I thought I was being silly getting a guitar tuner that beeps when you get it in tune (I wasn't looking for this feature, it's a Boss). I think I use it just to drive my bandmates crazy. Anyway, I dunno about a self tuning guitar. I was always under the impression that if you change the tuning on your guitar (drop D, for example), you would have to set the intonation for that tuning or it would be out of whack. That's why I keep a guitar for each tuning my band may play in. Not for me, thanks.

 

[Machine Gun]

I think that most people would gladly spend a hundred bucks or so on the tuner that they like rather than buy this guitar. This is just my opinion but it looks like a waste of money to me.

 

[zappaslaughter]

I do dig the assignable string effects. Thats a cool feature. but I will never buy one.