Gibson Releases Self Tuning Guitar

Is this what its come to? We're so freaking lazy that we can't even be bothered to turn the tuning pegs on our own guitars?

I adored my Roland hands-free tuner when I was on the road. It was the first thing on my pedalboard. I plugged my guitar directly into it, then from there to the rest of my toys with a volume pedal at the other end of the chain. If I went out of tune at all, it was simple to back off the volume pedal, quickly bring my axe back into tune and I was off and running.

I agree that it's good for a player to know how to tune their instrument by ear, but I can certainly see the live performance value of being able to flick to an alternate tuning in seconds without having to swap guitars.

I need a self-playing, self-harmonizing guitar. Know where I can buy one?

Oh that is just too cool. Thanks for posting that Rugcat. That would be so handy during live performances, especially outdoors where the humidity / heat / cold play havoc with tuning. Just hit a switch between each song. I wonder if it could do what you're talking about Charlie - where you program in an alternate tuning. That would be incredibly helpful as well. Too bad they don't make one for locking trem systems, but those tend to stay in tune much better anyway, depending on the guitar.

maestrowork said:

I need a self-playing, self-harmonizing guitar. Know where I can buy one?

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I think we already have a thread for that.

If I had one of those in high school, I never would have quit.

*is amazed at what this generation has become*

III said:

I wonder if it could do what you're talking about Charlie - where you program in an alternate tuning. That would be incredibly helpful as well.

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It mentioned that in the article:

Shadow_Ferret said:

*is amazed at what this generation has become*

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Young whippersnappers don't know what hard work is, dagnabit. Why, when I was their age, I had to get up to change the channel!

ChunkyC said:

It mentioned that in the article:

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Oops - I didn't scroll down past the ads. Thx.

That's what I'm here for, buddy.

If you have a minute, check out the video linked to at the right of this page. In it, the guy mentions how keyboard players never have to worry about their instrument drifting out of tune on them, which I think is a very good point. Nobody considers a keyboardist an inferior musician because he doesn't have to manually tune his instrument, so why shouldn't the modern guitarist have his instrument stay in tune all the time?

Wow, so it can take the regular tuning, plus your Jimmy Page, Ed Van Heflin and Jimmy Page tunings. Nizz-ice.

Just $2,500, but it IS a Gibson, so ...

PS, a rep and the wamrth of my heart to anyone who gets the Ed Van Heflin reference.

ChunkyC said:

... have his instrument stay in tune all the time?

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My wife asks me this ALLLLLLL the time.

rugcat said:

Good point. Although you still need to trust your ears to tell when something's gone awry

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Oh yeah, definitely. And I do think it's really important, especially for a beginner, to learn how to do it manually. It helps train your ear. Once you're ready to use it to enhance your playing, you could add the Powertuner to your bag of tricks.

jst5150 said:

My wife asks me this ALLLLLLL the time.

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jst5150 said:

Wow, so it can take the regular tuning, plus your Jimmy Page, Ed Van Heflin and Jimmy Page tunings. Nizz-ice.

Just $2,500, but it IS a Gibson, so ...

PS, a rep and the wamrth of my heart to anyone who gets the Ed Van Heflin reference.

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Van Heflin was an actor, wasn't he?

Hint: it's an obscure Saturday Night Live reference ...

III said:

I think we already have a thread for that.

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But that's a game. I want something for real.

ChunkyC said:

Nobody considers a keyboardist an inferior musician because he doesn't have to manually tune his instrument,

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Yeah, we reserve that for drummers.

ChunkyC said:

Nobody considers a keyboardist an inferior musician because he doesn't have to manually tune his instrument, so why shouldn't the modern guitarist have his instrument stay in tune all the time?

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Wait a minute. What do you mean? Last time I looked at a piana you had to tune that bugger manually. In fact, we always had a piana tuna come over to do it. A professional. Because, as they say, you can tuna piana, but you can't tuna fish.

Anyway, I consider a keyboardist an inferior musician because he's a keyboardist, not because of how he tunes his instrument.

*looks around for keyboardists*

Seriously, I do concede your point that a player should not use something like the Powertuner as a substitute for having a good ear.