Video: Gibson Dark Fire guitar hands-on

We'll be honest -- we're totally in love with Gibson's Dark Fire guitar. The $3,499 update to the Robot guitar we played with at CES last year is lighter, faster, easier to use and features new Chameleon Tone technology that actually reconfigures the individual pickups to deliver different sounds. The FireWire / MIDI breakout box enables you to record directly to a computer, but you can also tweak presets and control the guitar from the included Ableton Live / Guitar Rig bundle. It's seriously hot -- and it's even hotter when it's being demoed by German inventor Chris Adams, who might be the single coolest dude at CES. Check it out after the break!

Gallery: Gibson Dark Fire hands-on

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[STINK @ Jan 10th 2009 5:57PM]

This makes me want to learn to play...

[Sneakz @ Jan 10th 2009 6:07PM]

Oh, did you say FireWire? Guess I can't use it with my unibody MacBook. Thanks Apple.

[brandon @ Jan 10th 2009 6:17PM]

I jizzed in my pants

[0megapart!cle @ Jan 10th 2009 6:56PM]

So say we all, brandon.
SO SAY WE ALL!!!

[Californian @ Jan 10th 2009 7:28PM]

Yes to both STINK and Brandon. Amazing!

[Brazell @ Jan 10th 2009 6:01PM]

I really like this. First, I love the color and style, being a Gibson guy (well, Gibson guy who settles for Epiphone). Second, I love that the guitar is being made by a reputable guitar maker and they aren't skimping on the quality of the guitar for some of these new features... Usually when you see guitars that are "instantly recordable on your computer," or some other electronic gimick, they aren't good guitars. Of course, if you removed some of those features, it'd probably be like a regular $1,000 Gibson and so this is likely pretty overpriced ... but still, at least the more gimmicky electronics are being added to a good guitar... rather than some Chinese trash guitar.

[sqela @ Jan 10th 2009 6:07PM]

does it go to 11?

[Brandon @ Jan 10th 2009 8:17PM]

Damn, beat me to it!

[username @ Jan 10th 2009 6:07PM]

kinda ironic that he uses the firewire interface with a macbook...

[morganvachon @ Jan 10th 2009 6:15PM]

Yeah, ironic...like rain on your wedding day right?

Look closer, it's a MacBook Pro.

[JJ @ Jan 10th 2009 6:39PM]

This guitar is an overblown piece of crap.
It costs an exorbitant amount of money and does Nothing more than tune itself!
To see gibson make such a lame attempt at bridging the gap between digital technology and analog is depressing. They should be ashamed of themselves.

At least Line 6's Variax models other guitars, allows you to have alternate tunings and simply comes across as a better machine.

[Cassini @ Jan 10th 2009 6:41PM]

That's awesome. Really nice guitar.

Engadget, please get your camera guys to learn about FOCUS. Why is the whole video blurry?

[EMoShunz @ Jan 10th 2009 7:02PM]

the thing that excites me about this over any other modeling guitar (i.e. variax, godin) is the "modeling" is analog, it's achieved by blending the pickup sounds (just like i would do with my "standard" guitar) to achieve a certain sound. just with slick presets. same with the tuning... variax does alternate tunings, but they are emulated.

[Matt @ Jan 11th 2009 12:46AM]

And, the Variax models other tunings, while the Robo-guitar and Dark fire guitar actually changes the tuning . . . quickly. Why does this matter? The Variax strings are still in the original tuning, and if the amplification isn't up loud enough to drown out the actual sound of the strings, you hear both tunings, which can be both dissonant and distracting.

Also, the Variax feels and plays like a cheap guitar (granted, relative to the Gibsons, it is a cheap guitar).

[madrista4ever @ Jan 10th 2009 7:11PM]

As a guitar player. I never liked digital multi-effects board coz they always seems to hard to configure for me. I prefer the simplicity of a stompbox just step on it and rip.

This Dark Fire Les Paul looks like an extra layer of complexity added to the guitar. The automated alternative tunning on the Tone button is cool. Including the Piezo pickup strings mixer. But the banks you can customize on the guitar string looks complicated for an average guitar player like me.

Usually when you want to change how your guitar sounds when you play from Funk to Metal. You adjust the Amp, Effects and Guitar (pickups selection, volume, tone). You don't need a Dark Fire Les Paul for that! What this Dark Fire does is open the door to other creative sound possibilities (or noise as some may call it) for musicians to express themselves. Its sonic possibilities for now is still yet to be discovered.

The steep $ 3,499 price tag is way beyond affordable for any average musician. So this is a niche product. Unless Gibson pays a famous pro guitar player (like Slash) and convince him to play this exclusively live on concert performances. I doubt this would catch on.

[STINK @ Jan 10th 2009 7:29PM]

For someone like me wanting to learn? Way too much. I think I'll start with an Epiphone SG clone until I know what the heck I'm doing.

But -can- I afford? Oh hell yeah...

[Ramses @ Jan 10th 2009 7:53PM]

$3,499??

seriously?? i will stick to my variax and mi podxt live for now.....

[bandigolo @ Jan 11th 2009 5:12PM]

Would you pay $2,300? Cause that's how much these will be in 12 months.

[monkey @ Jan 10th 2009 9:07PM]

If Pierce Brosnan era Bond played guitar, he'd play this. And the supervillian would be that guy.

Spinning tuning pegs? Scrolling text on the knobs? Was it co-designed by a 13 year old?

[Eric @ Jan 10th 2009 9:25PM]

I saw one in a store last weekend, and it's a very nice looking guitar. I didn't play it, so I can't say anything about it as a guitar, but it looks good.

It comes with a white hardshell case, which I really liked - but any musician would have that thing filthy within a week.

[Adisharr @ Jan 10th 2009 10:46PM]

A very interesting product but note worth $ 3500. For that cost, I would expect at least a small LED display in the top of the guitar facing me to manipulate all the parameters. The single scrolling character on that adjustment knob is a joke. I'd rather spend $ 1000 on a nice guitar and then $2500 on other supporting equipment.

[Tim @ Jan 10th 2009 11:07PM]

Well said and good plan!

[Rboyett @ Jan 10th 2009 10:51PM]

That is one awesome axe

I want one..

[Tim @ Jan 10th 2009 11:14PM]

I wouldn't call it a piece of crap, I am intrigued by the technology. But I am also appalled at the high price. It is ridiculous. I think Gibson, Inc. today is trying to be more like the Louis Vutton of the guitar industry, and pull high figures out of thin air. The guitars are nice, of course, but c'mon. Since when did they become luxury items?

[Tim @ Jan 10th 2009 11:15PM]

While I wouldn't call it a piece of crap (I am intrigued by the technology) I am also appalled at the high price.

I think Gibson, Inc. today is trying to be more like the Louis Vutton of the guitar industry, and pull high figures for their products out of thin air. The guitars are nice, of course, but c'mon. Since when did they become luxury items?

Its quite ridiculous.

[bandigolo @ Jan 11th 2009 5:07PM]

All Gibson guitars that are worth owning are humorously overpriced. But most of Gibson's guitars are constructed in the USA, which is sweet and worth at least some premium.

[wonkydonkydotnet @ Jan 10th 2009 11:18PM]

Thank our dear lord Jee-zuss they didn't have freaking Lou Reed demonstrating this, the way Moog did.

[allislost @ Jan 10th 2009 11:28PM]

What a lame demo...he just played 2 different styles.

I wanna hear a blues tone, a jazzy tone, and a neo-classical progressive blackened death metal tone!!!!

[andy.minor @ Jan 10th 2009 11:57PM]

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang.
I have to say, I'd pay it - for that.

[MacMan @ Jan 11th 2009 4:46AM]

Not for me. Call me a purist, but I like the hands on approach of tuning and doing everything myself.

I bet it is a bitch to change the parts on (pickups etc) due to all the tech in there. The Moog guitar has similar effects and that had proprietary strings and pickups.

Great for some, and I like it, but I'm gonna keep it real.

[Nick Fogelson @ Jan 11th 2009 9:20AM]

I played with one of these at the Gibson store in Nashille. It is awesome. The thing that really surprised me was how great of a guitar it is to play, beyond all the electronics. It had an incredible feel with beautiful action. I was also surprised with the price, which at $3500 seems quite low to me given that a really nice Les Paul is at least $2000 and sometimes more.

[Hotrod @ Jan 11th 2009 11:32AM]

Damn dude, that makes me want it even more. Seriously the most bad ass axe, even with all the electronics.

[Thomas Führinger @ Jan 11th 2009 3:42PM]

Apart from tuning itself, pretty much everything this guitar does could just as well be done by equipment outside of it. What is the compelling reason to integrate that functionality into the guitar?
I would rather like to see them build a guitar with a simple six channel digital output of the clean signal through a standard USB port. Then we might see a nice oeco-system of third party processing equipment developing around it.

This seems more like an expensive toy than an instrument for the serious musician.
Even for changing the tuning on-stage I do not see this of much use for the pro. - He would simply switch the guitar.

[bandigolo @ Jan 11th 2009 5:08PM]

And now is the time on Sprockets when we auto-tune our guitars.

[jamo @ Jan 11th 2009 6:05PM]

The demo illustrates how technique always trumps technology. Any guitarist with chops will not sounds better or worse with this guitar or with a plain old telecaster through a blues junior.

[Stereobot @ Jan 12th 2009 11:12AM]

You got that right. I have been playing over 15 years. You know what? I don't mind tuning my guitar myself, and it really doesn't take me long to do it. And all those features in the guitar, I really don't see that being utilized much during a live show - it just takes to long to dial in what you want.

Buy a really nice Les Paul for $2000 give or take and spend the remaining $1500 on an amp and some effect pedals.

HOWEVER, if I was in a higher tax bracket, I wouldn't mind having one of those new Gibsons sitting in my living room with a small amp or something, It would be nice to have those features without extra gear and toy around with it.

I do agree with the point that it is good they at least used a reputable brand of guitars for this.