Last time we saw the Gibson Robot Guitar it was in the hands of Yngwie Malmsteen, who was laying down gorgeous, undulating waves of pure classical-metal fever. The first version of the self-tuning Les Paul was a rather limited edition, but now Gibson is sharing the wealth by introducing two more widely available models. The guitar-maker will issue the original iteration of the axe, but it will now be joined by Gibson's other familiar face, the SG. Both models will apparently be available in a funky, purple-metallic finish (which we suspect only Prince could truly love), and will go on sale for a "limited time" -- though Gibson hasn't said what the cutoff will be. So, if you've got $3,999 for the Les Paul, or $3,599 for the SG, now might be the time to buy.

[Via TrustedReviews]

Sure, it's been out for a little while, but considering how many Engadget editors play guitar (and the fact that Pete just started RCRD LBL), we figured we had to stop by Gibson's booth-bus complex and give the Robot Guitar a shot. The self-tuning axe actually weighs a little less than a regular Les Paul, even though it has gigantic motorized tuners and all that extra circuitry. To activate the system, you pull out a special tone knob and select one of the eight or so presets, and then simply strum until the lights flash blue three times. It's really fast, and undeniably cool, but for nine hundred extra bucks, we'll stick with our trusty TU-12. Video's after the break -- and make sure to check out the gallery for a shot of the weirdest thing we've seen in a while: eight dudes all plugged into Line6 Pods and headphones, rocking out quietly in a circle.

If the endless amount of platform combinations between Rock Band and Guitar Hero III have you stymied already, here's a little tidbit to make it just a little bit harder to choose: Guitar Hero III wireless controller are going to be available early next year for all platforms. Rock Band has wireless controllers on the way in a similar time frame for both the 360 and PS3, but for some reason the 360 version costs an extra $20, so hopefully Guitar Hero guitars keep some better price parity.

For all you rockers out there who are too lazy or too busy to tune your own strings, Gibson has just made your day. The self-tuning Les Paul we told you about back at the beginning of October has just gotten its official release date and a brand-spanking-new name: The Gibson Robot Guitar. Sure, it won't fix you breakfast, watch the children, or make a logical decision to wipe out all human life on the planet, but on December 12th, it will tune the hell out of your Ernie Balls. Check the video after the break to see the guitar in action.

We're not exactly sure if this problem is widespread, but for those currently dealing with malfunctioning frets on the new Guitar Hero III Les Paul, you should certainly give this a once over. An incredibly industrious gamer went out of his way to show us all what a few rubber bands and a 3M Utility Hook can do to solve your Guitar Hero blues, and if you haven't already slammed your axe into the floor, lit it on fire, or ceremoniously bludgeoned your Xbox 360 in frustration, there's hope for you still. This low-fi fix reportedly holds the connector plate in the neck and the pins in the body together more securely, enabling users to resume shredding sans trouble. Granted, this may not cure every single faulty axe out there, but it's certainly worth a try. Go on, roll up your sleeves and hit the read link for an (immensely easy) walkthrough.

There's been a lot of guitar gaming related news lately for some reason, starting with the spotting of a wired version of the Rock Band virtual guitar. Joystiq speculates that this could mean a cheaper guitar for the Xbox 360 version of the game, but then again they've been playing a lot of Rock Band lately so the rockin' out may be affecting their minds. The second tidbit of news comes from the ever informant FCC, which has just taken a look at the Guitar Hero III Les Paul. We've seen this particular model before a couple of times -- albeit without the black lick of paint -- so it's not a great surprise to see this hanging around at the Federal Comm' Comm'. A much bigger surprise is the fact that the FCC shots don't include blurred pictures of the approval team (and cameraman) rocking out: an FCC tester position evidently ≠ a rockstar lifestyle. You can also see hands-on with both Guitar Hero III and Rock Band over at Joystiq.

Read - Guitar Hero III guitar at FCC
Read - Wired Rock Band guitar?
Read - Wii's wireless Rock Band guitar
Read - Hands-on: Rock Band
Read - First-look : Guitar Hero III

As the axe battle continues to heat up, here we have a first look at the Guitar Hero III controller for the Wii, which looks an awful lot like the first Les Paul-modeled iteration we saw -- save for that handy Wiimote slot and Nintendo-esque toggle switch, of course. Reportedly, the white faceplate is also removable, but we know the most of you won't want to disturb the color mojo that will be going on between your Wii and Gibson. Click on for an enlarged view.

[Via Wii Fanboy]

Are you ready to rock? I can't hear you... are you ready to RAWK?!

If you answered yes to both the above questions, please check out the early sneak peak of the Guitar Hero III wireless Les Paul controller IGN's got. It's got an improved button layout, it's wireless, and just generally makes our crappy white X-Plorers look totally ancient and pathetic. Thanks a lot, guys.

[Via Wii Fanboy]

This one has been in the cooker for quite a while now, but Gibson has finally released its HD.6X-Pro Guitar System, known as the HD Les Paul amongst the cool kids. The new guitar marks quite a shift for Gibson, featuring an all digital setup, and uses a Cat5 cable instead of a regular guitar cord to transfer your musics to an amp or computer. Gibson calls this technology MaGIC, and it allows you to transfer string data from all six strings individually, along with a mic signal and a full-on six string signal (the normal kind). MaGIC also supports two channels of upstream, to offer a stereo monitor to the player. Most of the "MaGIC" happens inside "BoB" the Breakout Box, which converts the digital info into analog, and can send each string or combinations of strings to different amps. You can also plug the guitar straight into your computer, to record the digital signal directly, for which all necessary plugins are included, and the eventual plan is to allow for jamming over the internets in a low-latency form. Lastly, if you get bored of all this digital voodoo, you always switch the guitar to all analog mode, which bypasses the digital circuitry entirely and outputs a signal via a traditional 1/4-inch plug. The guitar is currently going for $4000, with 100 signed-by-Les-Paul models available for $8k. Sounds a bit steep, but that's the price you have to be willing to pay for the privilege of unadulterated face melting.

[Via gizmag]

If you're a Radiohead or Muse aficionado, you've probably considered matching some of their Korg Kaoss Pad-generated sounds with your own guitar prowess. The Kaoss Pad generates all sorts of space age effects that can be naturally controlled through the touch-sensitive pad, and works fine right out of the box, but guitar hackin' Phil wasn't appeased. He found the effort to reach away from his guitar and fiddle with the Kaoss to be too immense, so instead he drilled a hole into his Epiphone Les Paul and mounted the touch pad right next to the bridge for ultimate access. The pad connects to the processing part of the Kaoss via a serial connection, but Phil did mount the box's "hold" button on the guitar for locking in effects. If none of this is making any sense to you, peep the YouTube video after the break and watch Phil shred on his new hacked-up axe.

[Via Hack-A-Day]