I used to take guitar lessons as a kid and my instructor would tune the guitar every time I went in using a tuning fork and his ear. Things are a lot simpler now with high tech tuners like the new Intellitouch CT1 Capo tuner from OnBoard Research. The turner clips to the guitar and will work with 6-string and 12-string guitars.
The tuner uses vibration-based tuning technology with a single action capo. The thing is automatic and shows the measures note on a large backlit LCD for easy tuning. The backlighting on the screen changes from red to green when the note is correctly tuned.
The tuner can be put on any fret on the guitar and can be put on the headstock when the capo function isn’t needed. The device is made from aluminum and uses a CR2032 battery. Users can also change the A-Reference from 430Hz to 450Hz if wanted and the tuner will shut off automatically after 3-minutes of inactivity. The CT1 sells for $54.95.
This is what’s called the Misa Digital Kitara multi-touch guitar and it’s the weirdest thing I’ve seen since air guitars turned into pieces of cardboard that people purchased at a store. This is no joke though, this is wild, crazy, and a completely real instrument. Not for kids! Three main components make up its mysterious whole: a full fretboard, a multi-touch touchscreen, and an onboard polyphonic synthesizer with pre-loaded effects and sounds.
Finally your guitar video game skills will come to some non-lame use: instead of strumming strings on this Kitara guitar, you use one of six buttons on the frets in combination with your hand brushing the screen below. You can set the screen to show six strings and pick each string as you would on a full-fledged normal guitar, or you can map sounds and effects in a wacky amount of ways along the x and y axes on the body (again, in the screen.)
This monster beast will ship in April of 2011, pre orders being taken now. You’ll be paying $849 for the standard version (hard plastics) or the limited edition aluminum version will run you around $2,899. I’ll be going for the Gene Simmons Axe Bass… if they ever make one, that is. I can’t wait for Jonathan Coulton to get his hands on one of these – WEEEEEEIIOWWW WONK.
Remember The Fingerist, the guitar headstock-themed speaker and case for your iPhone or iPod touch? You know, the one with the shoulder strap for public (and private) performances with all of your favorite music making apps? Well, it seems that it’s finally available in the states. Indeed, there has been so little fanfare behind this announcement that the company responsible, Evenno, hasn’t even acknowledged it on its site. But don’t worry: we found this bad boy for $150 on Amazon. And if that’s not enough, iLounge has done a series of hands-on photos (see the More Coverage link, below). Or, if you’re like us, you can skip the thing altogether and groove to Rick Wakeman after the break. We do have one more thing to say about the Fingerist, however: at least it’s not endorsed by this guy.
Anyone familiar with guitars and the music industry will recognize the Peavey name. The company has been in the sound market for years with speakers, amps, guitars, and more. Peavey and Wicked Audio have teamed up to bring a new music entertainment set to market called Rockmaster.
Rockmaster is a complete stagepack that has all the user needs to rock out on stage or at home. The bundle includes a guitar, an internal 2-channel headphone amp, cable, integrated digital tuner, strap, picks, and a GT-5 amp with an MP3 input.
That MP3 input allows the user to play along with their favorite tunes. The set also has an instructional DVD as well. Wicked Audio is bundling a pair of black Jaw Breakers earphones with each Rockmaster system. Rockmaster kits will start shipping this fall and will hit Best Buy for $199.99 each.
I have played my share of Guitar Hero and Rock Band and playing the guitar is a lot of fun. I would bet there are a lot of people out there who wish they could play a real guitar as well as they can play Rock Band. A music game called Power Gig for the PS3 and Xbox have been out for a while now, and the game is notable for the real six string guitar controllers it uses.
A couple of handmade, limited edition guitar controllers for the game have been unveiled and are available to pre-order for the PS3 and Xbox consoles. Both versions of the controller will set you back about $250. The controllers are fully functional six string guitars that work like wireless controllers for the game.
The guitar controllers are limited editions and are handmade with a single cutaway basswood body, humbucking pickup, and a maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. The controller can register the users input all along the guitar neck.
My life is generally pretty hectic between class, work and all the things in between and I sometimes like to take the stress volume down a notch or two with my trusty Les Paul Custom. The problem is it’s generally 3am or later by the time I have a chance to sit down and do such a thing, so cranking up a Marshall full-stack to 11 is not an option. That’s why when Peavey’s AmpKit LiNK, a portable electric guitar interface for the iPhone, came across our desks a few weeks ago I was immediately interested (and by interested I mean I went running around the office with a replica Highlander sword shouting “There can be only one… reviewer.”).
The AmpKit experience begins with the free AmpKit app (or it’s feature packed paid version AmpKit+) from the iTunes App Store. The application itself is very sleek, the primary interface is a virtual view of the amp head/cabinet, microphone and effects that you currently have set, giving you a good overview of all your settings. The interface also provides a number of preset configurations, a metronome and tuner, and an interface for recording clips and transferring them wirelessly to your PC or Mac.
The second piece of the AmpKit experience is the AmpKit LiNK device. Just plug the device into the headphone jack on your iPhone and then plug in your guitar (via standard guitar cable) and a set of headphones into the AmpKit LiNK. Next, select one of the presets from the AmpKit app and you’re ready to go. You can also use a standard 1/8in stereo cable to hook the device into your PC or Mac, a feature I found particularly useful for recording tracks in GarageBand. After spending a few days playing with the different amps, mics and effects I have to say I’m impressed by the overall quality of the sounds produced, particularly when considering the cost of the unit.
Which brings me to the final point on this device, with a price point of $39.99 for the hardware, the AmpKit LiNK is an affordable tool for any guitarist with an iPhone. New amps, effects and microphones can be purchased from within the AmpKit app for $4.99, $2.99 and $0.99 respectively which may seem a bit pricey when compared to other downloadable media. However, considering the costs of their real world counterparts and the quality of the sounds they produce, these prices are a bargain.
You may not want to be seen rocking one of these at your next gig, but if you’ve been trying to juggle your phone and guitar while using some of the endless number of apps out there, you might just want to consider this so-called Guitar Sidekick from Castiv. As you can see, there’s not a whole lot to it — just a bracket that attaches to the neck of your guitar, and an adjustable mechanism that will accommodate just about any smartphone (or even a PSP). No word on an iPad version just yet, but you can grab this one right now for $30.
Japan tends to be on the weird side of any coin, and The Fingerist does nothing to undermine that reputation. This accessory for the iPhone and iPod touch was conceived at a “mutton BBQ restaurant” when one dude said to another that he needed an amp for his guitar app. Lo and behold, after an apparently successful CES appearance, the axe-imitating speaker thingie — replete with a guitar strap and line-out to jack into real amplifiers — is now on sale for ¥14,800 (or $150 for the rest of us). We can’t wrap our minds around such an expense just for the privilege of fingering our touchscreens, but then you can make some pretty sweet music using these things (video evidence after the break).
I have no musical talent. The extent of my musical ability is to load tracks on my iPhone and listen to them in the car. If you are the musical type who likes to play the electric guitar and you want a portable amp that you can use wherever you may roam, the AmpliTube iRig is perfect.
Guitarists can purchase the new AmpliTube iRig system for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. The system includes a hardware adapter that lets you plug your electric guitar into the headphone port along with a port on the iRig for headphones so you can listen in private.
The app that goes along with the adapter is free and offers a guitar amp that has lots of features. The app lets you combine up to three stompbox effects at the same time and add other amps and effects as needed. There are a total of 11 stomps, five amps, five cabinets, and two mics in the app custom shop. The iRig adapter sells for $39.99.
I have no musical talent. The extent of my musical ability is to load tracks on my iPhone and listen to them in the car. If you are the musical type who likes to play the electric guitar and you want a portable amp that you can use wherever you may roam, the AmpliTube iRig is perfect.
Guitarists can purchase the new AmpliTube iRig system for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. The system includes a hardware adapter that lets you plug your electric guitar into the headphone port along with a port on the iRig for headphones so you can listen in private.
The app that goes along with the adapter is free and offers a guitar amp that has lots of features. The app lets you combine up to three stompbox effects at the same time and add other amps and effects as needed. There are a total of 11 stomps, five amps, five cabinets, and two mics in the app custom shop. The iRig adapter sells for $39.99.
