Robot guitars: self tuning, intonating etc..

shedshrine · Post by **shedshrine** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:10 pm

http://www.gibson.com/robotguitar/guitar.html

Haven't had a chance to read it all, but that's what it's touting.

ctmsound · Post by **ctmsound** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:16 pm

I've played it. It's retarded. Motorized tuners and a selector knob. About as dumb as this back in the day:

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/robo ... 137648.php

joel hamilton · Post by **joel hamilton** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:49 pm

This has been posted a bunch.

That thing is prety neat. I would never in a million years use one, or hope that any person I know would use one, or anyone I have ever worked with would use one, but it is neat as a technological curiosity. I would put one on the wall, in the bathroom of a club or something... maybe it could just play a rush song for people that are going to the bathroom at a truck stop.
If I had a pal that was a robot, I would get him this guitar for whatever holiday a robot would celebrate.

shedshrine · Post by **shedshrine** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:54 pm

joel hamilton wrote:This has been posted a bunch. .

Whoops..

joel hamilton wrote:That thing is prety neat. I would never in a million years use one, or hope that any person I know would use one, or anyone I have ever worked with would use one, but it is neat as a technological curiosity. I would put one on the wall, in the bathroom of a club or something... maybe it could just play a rush song for people that are going to the bathroom at a truck stop.
If I had a pal that was a robot, I would get him this guitar for whatever holiday a robot would celebrate.

ledogboy · Post by **ledogboy** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 7:22 pm

Maybe it's just me, but doesn't calling it "The Robot Guitar" make you instantly think it is the cheesiest thing in the world? I mean a self tuning guitar sounds somewhat interesting, if wholly unnecessary- but "Robot Guitar"? Sheesh, sounds pretty lame.

I also thought it was amusing that the promo materials forgo the usual basics of guitar description (ie: feel, tone, etc) in favor of focusing on the Robot-esque qualities.

shedshrine · Post by **shedshrine** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:38 pm

yeah, I think Joel nailed it's "highest and best usage". One of those fifties diner style chrome table top song selector changers would be cool in that truck stop bathroom stall he mentioned.

Scodiddly · Post by **Scodiddly** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 6:49 am

Can anybody comment on the actual sound?

Can't be any worse than the Strat which apparently does electronic pitch tweaking instead of using powered tuners.

hughmanatee · Post by **hughmanatee** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 9:29 am

I hope it can play Stairway To Heaven by itself. Just to piss off every music store employee everywhere, and besides kids looking for a guitar cant play the same song a guitar plays by itself, but who knows maybe theyll grab a bass and play along.

AHHHHHHHHH!

lefuquaire · Post by **lefuquaire** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 9:42 am

if you buy it, leave it in the box and put it in the closet for 30 years...

i mean is tuning your guitar up a few times in the course of the night really that much of a chore?

plus hopefully this thing comes with a robot tech to do a setup on it after it leaves the gibson plant.

Knights Who Say Neve · Post by **Knights Who Say Neve** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 11:00 am

Wow, I hate to say anything good about this now that TOMB has passed its verdict, but- wouldn't this be useful for someone who uses a lot of different tunings, and doesn't want to drag out multiple guitars?

Jeff White · Post by **Jeff White** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 11:07 am

Knights Who Say Neve wrote:Wow, I hate to say anything good about this now that TOMB has passed its verdict, but- wouldn't this be useful for someone who uses a lot of different tunings, and doesn't want to drag out multiple guitars?

Yes, but it's marketed all lame and shit. And it's BlueBurst. And Gibson has been turning out clunkers lately. And it has the word "robot" in it's name.

Jeff

rongineer · Post by **rongineer** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:00 pm

The color is ...not my thing.

But I actually think the idea is cool. Especially if I can have it tune to dadgad while im playing the piano live. I wonder how programmable or flexible it's software is.

For 2500$ I could buy a way better guitar, or a nice pre. And do setup and tune myself, which is what i do anyway.

I wonder what demographic of people will buy this. ??

The Scum · Post by **The Scum** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:01 pm

Not to mention that it's not exactly cutting edge.

Transperformance(.com) have been selling self-tuning guitars for about a decade now.

It reminds me of the hi-tech guitars that Gibson always have at trade shows...the G-mics, and the one with Ethernet. Real commercial smashes, those were.

joel hamilton · Post by **joel hamilton** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:10 pm

Knights Who Say Neve wrote:Wow, I hate to say anything good about this now that TOMB has passed its verdict, but- wouldn't this be useful for someone who uses a lot of different tunings, and doesn't want to drag out multiple guitars?

It certainly would be useful, sort of like a tuner and my left hand are kind of useful in that situation. I can almost guarantee you that this thing would not be faster or better at changing tunings... at best, you would still have to write a set list with the tunings in mind, and pace the set accordingly. Like fumbling with that ding dong of a "super knob" thingy would make things way more efficient than just tuning for the next song while someone addresses the crowd? I would be more bummed that I didnt notice the TINY little blue dot wasnt over the red G# on the dial and I tuned to the wrong tuning and ripped into the next song completely wondering how the fuck to just get the thing BACK to where I wanted it... it is too clever. Stuff like that seems to always fail under real life conditions. I dunno... I wouldnt use one. Good for anyone who thinks it is an awesome idea (G.E. smith and kevin eubanks , maybe?)

JES · Post by **JES** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:12 pm

one of my basses has a graphite neck. It pretty much always stays in tune, even if I go away for a couple weeks and then come back and pick it up. No robot needed.

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Robot guitars: self tuning, intonating etc..

Robot guitars: self tuning, intonating etc..

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