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Fender's newest Acoustasonic guitar is cheaper, but not cheap enough
Fenders' Acoustasonic Player Telecaster trades versatility for price, but still costs too much.
Gibson files for bankruptcy to ditch electronics, focus on guitars
Yesterday Gibson Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Known for its famous guitars, the company is in a similar situation to Toys 'R' Us, owing as much as $500 million to creditors including private equity firms like Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Silver Point Capital and Melody Capital Partners. It took on significant debt -- which is about to mature -- to finance a series of acquisitions to build up a Gibson Innovations electronics business that it's now in the process of separating from. Other than buying a stake in TEAC, Bloomberg reports it bought Philips line of headphones and speakers, and until recently had close business ties with Onkyo. According to the press release "The Company's Gibson Innovations business, which is largely outside of the U.S. and independent of the Musical Instruments business, will be wound down." While the headphones are likely done, other elements like its Gibson and Epiphone guitars, as well as KRK and Cerwin Vega studio monitors and loudspeakers will continue on. Hopefully, that includes its digital recorder-embued guitar cable.
The original 1954 Gibson Les Paul 'Black Beauty' goes up for auction
If you're an avid collector of music history, you might want to consider emptying your piggy bank for this. On February 19th, the original 1954 Gibson Les Paul Custom -- better known as "Black Beauty" --(left) will be auctioned off, giving someone with deep pockets the chance to own the prototype that became perhaps the most iconic guitar ever made. For the uninitiated, Paul, a musician and inventor, worked with Gibson to create a new electric guitar in the 1950s, with this first model being delivered to its namesake in 1954.
Gibson's Les Paul headphones take design cues from the iconic guitar
Gibson's fitness-minded headphones may get most of the attention here at CES, but venture inside the company's tent, and you'll discover yet another line of cans. And these are much more in line with what I'd expect from the guitar maker. In fact, the inspiration comes from the Les Paul: an iconic guitar that debuted in the '50s and named for the musician who first endorsed it. It's still a popular choice for pickers. Later this year, Gibson will equip Les Paul owners and admirers with a new series of headphones that get their aesthetics from the design of the classic axe. Just like the guitar, there will be a range of choices, including Standard (over-ear) and SG (on-ear) models that pack regular, Lightning and wireless connectivity.
Gibson's Firebird X robot guitar finally ready to ship after a very, very long delay
Like the Droid Bionic of the guitar world, the Firebird X was announced almost a year ago, packed with piles of impressive technology, and delayed so many times that practically everyone forgot it existed. Well, on September 30th the Firebird X will finally start filtering into retail channels for the rather excessive price of $5,570, in your choice of either Redolution of Bluevolution finishes. On board are a boatload of effects as well as an automated tuner, which we've come to expect from the so-called "robot guitar" series. The Pure-Analog sound processing engine is also open to developers, allowing owners to add on new effects and sounds down the road. But, enough with our ramblings. You know the drill, gallery below and PR after the break. %Gallery-135134%
Griffin's StompBox available to order, virtual guitar shredding now a go
Remember that Griffin-made StompBox we showed you back in January? Well, it's finally hit the market, so you can free up those virtuoso hands and get to pedal-pounding wicked sound effects. The four button foot controller works with Frontier Design's iShred LIVE app for iOS, connecting your instrument via an included GuitarConnect cable to a 1/4-inch jack. The device is "designed to work with... a guitar, bass guitar, electric violin and keyboard," so your virtual jam band session is all but guaranteed. This musical f/x dongle is available to order now for $99.99 online, or you can just head to one of Apple's boutiques to snag it. Sadly, the effects switcher doesn't come bundled with a copycat of Slash's hat, but that shouldn't stop your credit card from indulging in this latest bout of Gear Acquisition Syndrome.
Laser Pitch Detection system turns your axe into a luminous, latency-free MIDI machine (video)
Here's a fact you should remember about lasers: they make everything better. Even musical instruments. Anyone who has ever tried to use their trusty six-string as a MIDI controller knows the pain of the latency introduced by trying to convert string vibrations into digital signals. M3i's Laser Pitch Detection (LPD) system skirts this issue by running a laser beam under each string. Instead of detecting vibrations the optical pickup measures the distance between the diode and the depressed string, then converts that into a pitch. That not only means there's no delay, but also that no need to actually tune your instrument -- it combines all the laziness of Antares' ATG-6 with the class of Beamz. If you're curious, there's a demo video after the break.
Griffin StompBox pedal board brings authenticity to iPad rocking
Users of the iShred Live iOS app (no relation to this thing) now have a pedal board to do the job of, well, a pedal board. Up until recently, the app allowed players to connect their electric guitars to an iPhone or iPad, and use said device as an amplifier, with a near endless array of pedal effects at their fingertips. Looking for a way to make the experience more authentic, Griffin teamed with the folks at Frontier Design Group to create the StompBox, which, according to Griffin's website, "effectively recreates the experience of an actual pedal board." It features four separate foot switches, which can be assigned particular effects by the user, and connects to the iPad or iPhone with a 1-meter-long dock connector cable -- guitar connection cables are sold separately. Now the future Peter Framptons of the world can scale back on setup time and concentrate on making their guitars talk.
Best Buy nabs exclusive Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster
If you're in the market for a new Rock Band axe, it looks like you'll be heading to Best Buy very, very soon. That's right, the Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster is seemingly a BB exclusive. The $280 peripheral, which requires the MIDI PRO-Adapter to function, will hit shelves on March 1st. Until then, we'll just have to be happy with the Mustang Pro.
Gibson sues WowWee, retailers over Paper Jamz toy guitars; would rather some other company get all that free advertising (video)
It looks like WowWee is learning the implications of that old saw, "imitation is the surest way to get your company sued." That's right, the company's radical looking, fun for about twenty minutes, paper-thin plastic toy guitars have recently drawn legal fire from Gibson, who recognizes a distinct resemblance between some classic axes (like the Flying V and the Les Paul) and the aforementioned Paper Jamz line. Which we could certainly see -- even if WowWee hadn't name dropped Gibson in its product literature (which seems to us to be rather on par with taunting the company outright). And if that weren't bad enough, the company is going after retailers, such as Toys 'R Us and eBay, who it claimed kept selling the things after receiving a cease and desist letter. Of course, this raises a few questions: At which point is a design so ubiquitous that it becomes fair game for companies like WowWee? And wouldn't Gibson want the kiddies (who will be ready to move up to real guitars soon enough) hooked on their brand? And most importantly -- when are we getting a Paper Jamz Rickenbacker? Because there has to be an easier way to be like Paul Weller. Commercial after the break (it adds nothing to the post, but it's kind of a laugh).
Pianist Pro 1.5 for the iPad adds MIDI Mobilizer support from Line 6
From MooCowMusic comes the latest iteration of their renowned iPad app, Pianist Pro 1.5 (£5.99). Most notably, Pianist Pro now incorporates the MIDI Mobilizer technology from Line 6, enabling Pianist Pro on your iPad, with the Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer adapter (£45) or wirelessly over Wi-Fi, to be used as a MIDI controller as well as connecting with your existing MIDI devices and your DAW. Pianist Pro has been extended further to work seamlessly with MIDI. Two of Its best features, the programmable arpeggiator and the Scale Piano (allowing for scales to be soloed with the swipe of a finger), are both now MIDI compatible, making the functionality of these features applicable to other MIDI devices. Pianist Pro becomes more than just a passive keyboard. The built-in sampled sounds can also be used with an external MIDI hardware device or DAW, allowing Pianist Pro to become a sound source in itself (taking full advantage of its 88 key professionally-sampled virtual piano as well as the sampled organ, synth sounds and guitars). And let's not forget the drum machine, too. Another of Pianist Pro's features is recording and overdubbing. Now, being MIDI compatible, you can do some composing / performing on the road, save it, and when you're ready, export it in a Standard Midi File (SMF) for use with other compatible MIDI devices or your favorite DAW. And don't worry, Piano Pro 1.5 imports SMFs, too. MooCowMusic describes Piano Pro as a "a musical scratchpad or live performance tool." Now with built-in MIDI support, thanks to Line 6's MIDI Mobilizer adapter, it's that, but to a whole new level! Check out the demo video after the break.
8-bit arcade guitar sounds (and looks) like a little piece of nerd heaven
The hand built, 8-bit "arcade guitar" that you see above is the result of a DIY senior project, and it's a pretty cool accomplishment. There's not a ton of detail about how it was constructed, but we know that it's got an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) for logic and function, strings and a joystick for adjusting the pitch, and it also boasts selectable waves and save banks. Most importantly, however, the final product sounds really, really good -- and we'd advise you to check the video below.
WowWee's Paper Jamz: fake guitars make the jump to 2D, gain some musicality
Just when we thought Guitar Hero had removed every shred of dignity from the once proud profession of "rocking out," along comes Paper Jamz to do away with all pretense. WowWee, known primarily for its creepy robotic toys, has put some of its technical chops into a new musical line of utterly flat instruments. The "paper" guitar and drum sets use capacitive sensors to pick up on touch, and there's even a fake amp built of cardboard to complete the ensemble. Surprisingly, it all works. Each $25 guitar is packed with three different songs, and pretend rock stars can strum along in three different modes: a fail-safe mode where all you have to do is keep strumming and you'll jam out the appropriate guitar part, a rhythm mode where you have to strum at the right intervals, and a freestyle mode. The last of these is where things actually get interesting, since there's a usable fret board in so-called open E tuning, letting you select actual cords by placing a finger on its respective fret up or down the printed-on fret board. One finger does major, two fingers does minor, and three fingers does a 7th. It's an approximation, sure, but it actually could teach a kid a lot more about how to play a real guitar than Guitar Hero ever will. Prepare to hear more 12-year-olds playing "Smoke on the Water" than you ever supposed the universe was capable of containing. The modes on drums are similar, and you can pair up drums and guitar to play the same song simultaneously. The $15 amp uses a sonic transducer to vibrate its entire, cheap cardboard mass, and is actually rather loud. The "Series 1" selection of guitars and drums will be out in early July, and you can check out a video of this stuff in action after the break. %Gallery-85965% %Gallery-85967%
Logitech releases another gorgeous (fake) guitar
We're not positive, but we think we're over high-end fake guitars. Check out this Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller for PS3 and PS2 that's going to arrive in the U.S. this month. That's lovely. The company kept the metal tuning pegs and rosewood fingerboard from the last model with "a few minor construction updates." No complaints here, not even with the $199.99 price tag, which is pricey, but not outrageous.No, even with a gorgeous guitar like this we find ourselves curiously ... unmoved. It's puzzling, but it could be because our den already looks like the rehearsal space for a dwarf version of the Polyphonic Spree. It's hard to say.%Gallery-63234%
Zoybar open-source DIY guitars for Steve Vai-types only
If you've ever thought about building a guitar for one second, you know that it's so insanely complicated that it's almost not worth the effort. The Zoybar kits aim to reduce a lot of those complexities -- the components are all open-source, extremely customizable, and modular. They boast seemingly endless options for the guitar (or whatever you choose to build), not to mention the possibilities of the special effects displays. It looks like it's going to be pretty simple to get creative with the kits, but it's a little hard to tell. There's no word on what the components or kits are going to cost, but they claim to be launching in December. Looks like we know what we're getting cousin Yngwie for his birthday! Hit the read link for several insane videos of the extremely wild, ingenious results.
Line 6's BackTrack is here to record all your moments of brilliant greatness
You play guitar, and we know you're very gifted. You haven't been to Juilliard, but it doesn't matter because you're inspired. What you need now is something to capture inspiration, so you can then drag it -- in the form of a WAV -- onto your desktop via USB 2.0. You need BackTrack by Line 6. Just plug your guitar into BackTrack, plug BackTrack into your amp, and start playing. The device begins recording when it detects a signal and it never stops as long as the battery has a charge (up to eight hours). When you let out a truly boss riff -- or a tasty lick -- you don't have to worry about losing that gem. The basic package retails for $139.99, can capture up to 12 hours of audio and comes equipped with 1GB flash memory. BackTrack + Mic comes equipped with 2GB flash memory and an internal microphone, records for up to 24 hours and retails for $209.99. Both models are rechargeable via USB and have the standard 1/4-inch in / out and headphone jacks.[Via CNET]
Introducing the Instrument Compatibility Matrix v3.0
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Guitar_Hero_Rock_Band_Instrument_Compatibility_Matrix_v3_0'; Do you like rhythm games? Heck, who doesn't?! We sure do, as do our cruel overlords at Joystiq, who've fashioned together the ultimate instrument compatibility guide. Wondering if that certain piece of Rock Band equipment will work with Guitar Hero: World Tour? Don't fret, it's answered here! So head on over and check it out. It'll even let those of you picking up Rock Revolution know if Konami's drum set will work with the other games!
Activison: Actually, Harmonix to blame for PS3 guitar issues
Let us explain. ... No, there is too much. Let us sum up. Guitar Hero III controllers don't work with Rock Band on the PS3. Harmonix made a patch to fix the problem, which never appeared. Harmonix released a statement saying that Activision "objected to the release of the compatibility patch," effectively halting it's release from Sony. That brings us up to yesterday when Activision released their own statement that they were (shockingly) blameless, saying "In fact, Harmonix and its parent company MTV Games/Viacom recently declined Activision's offer to reach an agreement that would allow the use of Guitar Hero guitar controllers with Rock Band." So, now it's apparently Harmonix's fault. Great. That's much clearer.Tell you what. While you multi-billion dollar organizations are arguing like toddlers over a couple of toy guitars, we'll be over here being disgusted. Just tell us when you're done. Seriously, drop the he said/she said crap, do like Tim Gunn and make it work already, please.
Activision blocking Rock Band patch, says Harmonix
Imagine this scenario. You have a Guitar Hero III controller, and you have Rock Band. And yet, you can't use one guitar in the other game. Silly, right? Unfortunately, that's a reality for many. A patch was supposed to fix this irksome problem. In fact, a patch has actually been created. But where is it?Harmonix is blaming Activision, saying the publisher is blocking any compatibility patch. In a statement to Joystiq, Harmonix reveals that "Harmonix and MTV Games believe in an open standard philosophy of hardware and game compatibility. We think that there should be interoperability between music instrument controllers across all music games. This is clearly in the best interest of consumers, game developers and console manufacturers and will only help to grow the music game genre as well as inspire innovation and creativity." "Two weeks ago, Harmonix created a software patch for the Sony PLAYSTATION 3 version of Rock Band that allowed for guitar compatibility and support for third party peripherals, including enabling use of Activision's Guitar Hero III controller with Rock Band. The compatibility patch was submitted, approved and had been scheduled for release by Sony on Tuesday, December 4. Unfortunately, Activision objected to the release of the compatibility patch. The patch remains with Sony, but we have been told that it will unfortunately not be released due to Activision's continued objection."Excuse me, Activision? Why object to cross-compatible guitars? Certainly, allowing us to use your controllers in EA's game won't cannibalize your own sales. You have nothing to lose Activision. Do the right thing, or face the wrath of angry PS fans.[Image source: Joystiq]
Guitar Hero III's wireless Gibson available solo in early 2008
If you've grown tired of your Guitar Hero rocking partner staring at you longingly while you wirelessly strum your way through Knights of Cydonia, you'll be happy to hear that at least one of your band's schisms will be repaired soon. Activision announced today that they'd be rolling out the wireless Gibsons sans Guitar Hero III for all platforms early next year.Though we love the black model, we hope that we'll also see the guitar in different colors, if only to give our digital bands something new to argue about. See, much like a young Fleetwood Mac, the conflict feeds the music.
