Techy Guitars

We live in a world now that is totally dominated by technology. Music itself is now full of tech, not just in the recording process and listening to music but in the playing. Instruments have been invented these days that rely completely on technology and now, its leaking into the world of guitars.

Most of you will remember a few years ago, back in 2007, when Gibson released their 'Robot Guitar'. Originally based on a Les Paul, they then went on to release it as an Explorer and as an SG. It had features such as automatic tuning and a crazy control knob that could do things only Steven Hawking could understand. They followed all this up with the Dark Fire guitar and the Dusk Tiger - I feel Gibson need to work on the names. But that's besides the point because this has been taken to a whole new level with the Firebird x (anddddd cue the outrageous vomiting)

Now I'm a fan of technological advances, things that make you step back and go, oh wow. But this? This is just wrong. What this does is it takes the soul away from a guitar. Filling a guitar with technology is like trying to fill Blenheim Palace with 48 inch TVs in every room and a KFC drive-thru by the kitchen window - ridiculous. The thing is just too mind-boggling and what you'll find if you try one is that it detracts from the playing. All the knobs and switches are simply too much and you can't focus on what you're playing.

The appeal in this guitar could be enormous and on the face of it (to someone who doesn't know an awful lot  about guitars) its a good buy. Lots of different tones, lots of different fx, lots of -and I quote- 'Revolutionary Features'. The pedals that come with this are linked to the guitar via bluetooth. It has 3 Piezo mini humbuckers that apparently can create 2,000 different pickup combinations using the guitar effects processing unit built into the back of the guitar.It even has a case that's been especially designed so it can be dropped from a six-story building. And there's a fantastic reason as to why that case has had to be developed because when you get home from your gig, you're going to head straight for the roof and hurl it as far as you can.

I'm not just having a pop at Gibson here. They are arguably the joint top greatest guitar makers in the world. And that my friends is a good note to leave you on. If they are so great, what possessed them to do this?

Peace, Linus