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Fender Play doesn't judge -- it just teaches you guitar
If you ask Ethan Kaplan, chief product officer of digital at Fender, about the death of the electric guitar, he gets a bit incredulous. And it's easy to understand why. As he's quick to point out, "for some reason, there's still a guitar on every stage." But while he's adamant his company and the industry is perfectly healthy, it's clear some of the cultural cachet of the guitar has dried up. Fender is hoping to turn the tides.
Fender's new guitar amps can be fine-tuned from your phone
Fender first revealed its mobile software plans back in August of last year when the guitar maker's digital arm debuted a tuner app for iOS. In November, we learned the company had guitar amplifiers in the works that would wirelessly sync settings with its library of apps. Today, we finally meet the pieces of Fender connected guitar gear: the Mustang GT amps.
The Roadie 2 gives you no excuse for an out-of-tune guitar
I have what has been described as a "really crappy guitar." It's not even mine. It belongs to my friend who, before handing it to me, said, "Yeah, I let my kid hit this thing with stuff. Also, I've never changed the strings." It seemed like the perfect test subject for a new peg-turning auto-tuner from the makers of the Roadie. Typically, the older the strings, the more an instrument slides out of key. Basically, if you even looked at this guitar the wrong way, it sounded horrible.
Fender brings its guitar tuner app to Android devices
Fender kicked off its digital push back in August with the release of the Tune app for iOS. Now the guitar maker is bringing that piece of mobile software to Android devices. Fender Tune is now available from Google Play, delivering a convenient option for tuning your guitar or bass without having to back an extra piece of tech. Sure, there are already a number of apps that do this, but the company takes tuning one step further.
Fender's guitar apps will sync wirelessly with its new amp
Fender revealed its plans for a suite of guitar apps back in August, but some of the software will also pair with one of the company's upcoming amps. According to Bloomberg, Fender has a new guitar amplifier in the works for 2017 that will connect to its apps wirelessly via Bluetooth. So far, the company's digital initiative has only released the Tune iOS app, but there are more options coming soon.
'Rock Band VR' is a completely different kind of guitar game
When Oculus first teased Rock Band for virtual reality, it sounded like kind of a stupid idea. A guitar game? In 2016? In virtual reality? How passe. It was hard to imagine how the series' iconic stream of colored notes would translate to VR, and I immediately dismissed the idea. It turns out I was right -- Rock Band's classic game mode didn't make a smooth transition to VR, so the team at Harmonix had to come up with something completely different -- and it's so much better than awkward rhythm game I was expecting.
Fender is working on guitar apps for beginners and pros alike
Mobile apps that help you keep your guitar in tune are nothing new, but now a big name in the instrument game is getting in on the action. Today Fender announced its Tune app for iOS, offering yet another option for tuning your guitar or bass with your trusty handset. The software is part of the iconic guitar maker's quest to provide tools to players at all skill levels through its Fender Digital subsidiary. The tuner app is the first product to launch from the effort.
Fender's Mod Shop lets you customize a new guitar on the web
Typically, ordering a custom guitar not only means spending more money, but it usually means an extended wait as well. Fender has a solution for both of those issues, taking a cue from the likes Motorola and other companies that have offered customers the ability to tweak the design of a product or device before ordering. With the Mod Shop, Fender will let you put the finishing touches on a Stratocaster, Telecaster, Precision Bass or Jazz Bass so that the instrument matches your sense of style exactly.
Magic Instruments' digital guitar makes it easy for anyone to jam
Magic Instruments co-founder and CEO Brian Fan knows the pain of learning new instruments. A Juilliard-trained pianist before starting his own company, he spent years trying to learn the guitar, only to put it down after realizing that all his previous work didn't help him suck any less. What young, would-be rocker hasn't been there? His version of rising to the challenge was a little different than you might think though. Rather than dedicating another chunk of his life to mastering the basics, Fan dedicated a chunk of his life to building a new kind of guitar. He calls his $299 Bluetooth-connected brainchild a "digital rhythm guitar," and its raison d'etre is to let anyone to feel the thrill of playing music.
ICYMI: VR Mars bus tour, self-assembling nanowire and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-456992{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-456992, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-456992{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-456992").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Lockheed Martin is encouraging kids to get into STEM with a Mars Experience Bus, with giant displays that look as though they're actually driving on the surface of Mars. Rice University created nanotubes that quickly self-assemble into nanowire. And Yamaha created an acoustic guitar that can store and loop back reverb and chorus sounds. We are also collectively irritated by the latest smart mattress with sensors inside, designed to catch your partner cheating, on your own mattress, when you're not at home. Ugh. As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
AirJamz is a wristband that turns air guitar into wear guitar
The tagline reads: "AirJamz is the wearable Air Guitar that you have to see to believe." To be fair, you probably can believe it, especially if you're familiar with Zivix. The company is best known for Jamstik, a small wireless guitar that helps you learn to shred, or play more than just axe-sounds, with your iPhone and iPad. AirJamz is for those that want to forego the whole playing part altogether, and just pretend they're slaying. Imagine Guitar Hero boiled down into a $50 wristband with an accelerometer and an app that "plays" guitar if you strum along in time and you've basically got it. We got to see it in action at SXSW, demoed by some of the world's finest fictional fretboard aficionados.
The Ben Heck Show's Felix hacks a guitar
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-252904{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-252904, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-252904{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-252904").style.display="none";}catch(e){} While Ben is away, Felix and Karen will play... the guitar! Karen uses lasers for the electronic housing while Felix prototypes the microcontroller, audio codec and LCD display to embed in an acoustic guitar. It takes a bit of modding, cutting and even an accident with the screen! Watch the episode above to hear how well the guitar plays, and then head over to the element14 community to talk to The Ben Heck Show team and find the build files for this project.
Cardboard Fender Stratocaster shreds without being shredded
The Signal Snowboard crew is known for its unorthodox snowboard projects. Now the team has partnered with Ernest Packaging and Fender's custom shop to create a playable cardboard Stratocaster. Except for its corrugated body and neck, the guitar is outfitted with the usual pickups, electronics, frets and knobs found on traditional wood guitar. The end result is something you can see through while shredding.
ICYMI: 7-D heart MRI, astronaut cups and tech tats
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-906391{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-906391, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-906391{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-906391").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: NASA just shipped the astronauts on the International Space Station a cup that will let them almost drink like earthlings. GE announced scanning tech that would reveal the intricacies of the heart far quicker than conventional MRIs. And temporary tats that can monitor health and beam the information right to a doctor are here, coming to sick little people or elderly folks someday. If you've ever been woken up a couple times a night in a hospital, so a nurse could loudly check your vitals, you know what a win these could be.
ICYMI: Egyptian tomb tech, new fusion reactors and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-20787{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-20787, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-20787{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-20787").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Everyone who ever wanted to be Indiana Jones or just give up on it all and join an archeological dig will be interested in this: A new project called "Scan Pyramids" will use infrared scanners and cosmic ray detectors to search for new tombs inside pyramids in Egypt, as well as attempt to discover the engineering details of how pyramids were constructed. Fascinating stuff! Plus scientists at the Max Planck Institute want to launch a new design for a fusion reactor. It has a twisted shape unlike the traditional donut design, which its scientists believe is safer than the first version.
Marshall's Stockwell speaker is a guitar geek's dream despite its flaws
When I first saw a Marshall-branded speaker announced some time ago, I immediately dismissed it as a gimmick. As a recovering musician, I figured the company's line of headphones and other portable audio gear was just some middle-of-the-road tech decked out in the stylings of the brand's iconic amplifiers. I began to doubt my stance recently, though, as Marshall trotted out its London smartphone aimed at folks who are serious about playing music on their daily driver. The device turned out to be a respectable piece of kit, and pushed me to finally spend some time with one of the company's speakers. With that in mind, I gave the $229 Stockwell Bluetooth option a go. While it may not be the best-sounding choice, it certainly checks all the design boxes for this former guitar player.
Marshall's 'London' is a smartphone for music lovers
For a long time, Marshall's bread and butter was guitar amps. Then came headphones and Bluetooth speakers (via its partnership with Zound, makers of Urbanears) -- a fairly fitting diversification. Today, the brand is moving on to phones, announcing the "London," an Android (Lollipop) device for music lovers. We bet you weren't expecting that? Us neither, to be honest. But it's happening, and we'd be lying if we said we weren't a little curious.
Marshall's Kilburn speaker packs even more guitar amp aesthetics
If you like your portable audio gear to match your guitar rig, Marshall's new Bluetooth speaker fits the bill. The Kilburn not only handles music-playing duties via the aforementioned wireless connection, but its design resembles one of the company's guitar amps. From the speaker grill to the outer shell, gold-accented controls and guitar strap handle, the device looks just like a miniature version of what you'd see on stage. Sure, Marshall's been selling speakers for a while now, but this is its first portable option. Inside, a 4-inch woofer, a pair of 0.75-inch tweeters and three amps (two 5W and one 15W) handle those playlists for up to 20 hours before needing a charge. It won't arrive until next month, but when it does, the Kilburn will set you back $300.
A close look at the new, yet familiar guitar in 'Guitar Hero Live'
Tim Dunn and Nate Coppard are on a mission to rewire your brain. They're respectively the senior producer and senior designer behind Guitar Hero Live's new six-button guitar, and while neurological change is not their direct goal, it's a side effect they seem to relish. The new guitar has two rows of three buttons each, stacked on top of each other at the end of the neck -- this not only adds an extra button to the series, but it allows for fresh challenges. "It's not something people will be familiar with," Dunn says, glancing down at the Guitar Hero Live guitar in his hands. He taps some of the buttons. "It's a new thing." Seated next to Dunn, Coopard adds, "We've had a lot of people saying they can feel their brains kind of adjusting and kind of rewiring to the new way of playing it as they play through the songs, and then gradually getting to grips with how the difficulty ramps up as you jump around between the two layers."
Your Apple Watch can help you tune a guitar
The Apple Watch is handy for a lot of things, and now you can use the wearable when you tune your axe. Thanks to the folks at IK Multimedia, when you employ the company's UltraTuner app for iOS, note info is beamed to your wrist while tuning that stringed instrument. The software's Stage mode offers a full-screen interface for maximum visibility, and when this setting is selected, a smaller version of the chromatic tuner is displayed on the wearable. IK Multimedia claims that UltraTuner is ten times more accurate than mechanical strobe options -- down to +/- 1/100th of a cent. As you might expect, those figures make it the most accurate tuner available for iOS. If you've already splurged for the $5 app, you'll need to update to the most recent version to pair it with the Apple Watch.
