| Author | Message | ||
| tmoney61092
Senior Member Username: tmoney61092 Post Number: 576 Registered: 9-2008 |
well i figured i'd just share this with everyone, looks just slightly ridiculous, yet thought provoking with everything on it http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Firebird/Gibson-USA/Firebird-X.aspx ~Taylor | ||
| mike1762
Senior Member Username: mike1762 Post Number: 670 Registered: 1-2008 |
Wow... I can't believe they're leaving that comment board up and running. | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 825 Registered: 10-2006 |
Having had close personal relationships with a '53 Les Paul & a '59 ES-330-TD, I weep every time Gibson brings out something like this. Peter | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 864 Registered: 3-2004 |
I've been laughing over this for some time. It doesn't really bother me that they simplified a guitar for people who are too lazy to tune it themselves. It doesn't bother me that they pretended to be original and unique in dropping a bunch of crappy effects into an old design. And, it only marginally bothers me that they've chosen to pollute a elegant and classic instrument that has it's own unique voice. What really bothers me is the hype they've thrown up around this. It's just laughable to pretend that any of this crap has revolutionized the guitar world. This hardly counts as innovation. Gibson should stick to making instruments that focus on tonewoods, construction, and the illustrious legacy of their company. Cramming gadgets into their old instruments is a tired approach that has never worked. | ||
| chuckc
Member Username: chuckc Post Number: 86 Registered: 7-2004 |
Well, it's not as bad as the Reverse Flying V they came out with a year or so ago. That has to be the ugliest, over-priced, disgusting guitar they could have possibly thought of. http://www.robinmalau.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/gibson-reverse-flying-v.jpg | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 1546 Registered: 9-2002 |
A friend who's a Gibson nut had forwarded this to me last week, and it struck a thought I had when I worked there in the early 90's, which also occurred to me about motorcycles: IF you are an iconic brand such as Gibson or Harley-Davidson, how DO you move off into the future with new products while saddled with your landmarks? Certainly, Gibson will always make Les Pauls and the usual suspects. There'll never be a Harley without Sportsters and ElectraGlides. But then what? How do you grow your business with new products with your identity? This was prompted as I've certainly admired (Hinckley) Triumph's success: Yes you can still buy a latter-day Bonneville or Scrambler, but their new products have retained an obvious Triumph/British identity. BMW's mold-breaking S1000RR is another case, certainly a huge jump from their Boxer twin past and present. Of course, this is condensing a huge problem to a short posting, there's lots of business school grads wrestling with this in the ad business, Mad Men indeed. It's always seemed like in the instrument business this problem seems to linger. Fender is up against this. Yet on the other hand, other companies never establish an identity. There's lots of nice Ibanez axes, but WHO are they? Then there's the occasional runaway hit, like the DX7 for Yamaha, or Hartley's amazing run with the Wolfgang axes. It seems easier for a new company to establish something new (PRS, Taylor) then for an established player to 'change its spots' (Martin's seemingly endless run of 'Signature' axes, do I really need a Richie Sambora six and twelve?). I don't like Gibson. I also don't envy the corner they've painted themselves in, but they certainly bought the paint and brushes. And yeah, this thing is horrible ! J o e y | ||
| terryc
Senior Member Username: terryc Post Number: 1408 Registered: 11-2004 |
Maybe we musicians are stuck in traditionalism and frown upon the classic instrument builders designing and constructing such instruments. Bigredbass..you mention Ibanez but somehow we expect the japanese to do stuff like that because it has always been like that with japanese products..Sony Walkman, Yamaha DX7, Roland GR synth guiters etc. Does any one here object to master volume, twin volumes, twin filters, twin Vari Q and two output sockets on their basses, some Alembics have even had bass & treble controls as well as the filters..is that versatility or just control overkill?? | ||
| tmoney61092
Senior Member Username: tmoney61092 Post Number: 577 Registered: 9-2008 |
A couple months ago I saw on Fender's website where they had made a Stratocaster that had an automatic tuning system like Gibson developed, or maybe I'm just going crazy. Gibson has made some really nice products that kind of threw a curveball at me on why they stopped making them, like the Victory Artist bass, easily the best sounding/playing bass I've played Also found this bass, which to me, is actually really cool http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Bass/Gibson-USA/BFG-Bass/Mobile.aspx ~Taylor | ||
| benson_murrensun
Advanced Member Username: benson_murrensun Post Number: 367 Registered: 5-2007 |
While I am not attracted to that new Gibson "computer", I do give them credit for going out on a limb and testing the waters. Joey, I can't resist the temptation to comment when we start comparing guitars to motorcycles... Harley-Davidson is easy to criticise for bowing to tradition, it's like shooting fish in a barrel (why have they not put a water-cooled engine in a touring bike???). However, they did come out with the V-Rod, which is completely non-traditional (as well as a big success). Triumph certainly bows to tradition with some of their current bikes, but with others have completely departed from the old mold (Daytona 675, Speed Four, Sprint, TT600, even the Rocket III). BMW seems to be more daring when it comes to making a better product and then waiting for the consumer to recognize it. When the engineers have as much say as the marketing department, a balance has been struck that can benefit the consumer. Bringing it back to guitars, as long as Gibson doesn't eliminate the old go-to designs, I am interested to see what new stuff they come up with. Success will ultimately be decided by the consumer, for the most part. | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 1859 Registered: 10-2003 |
A friend of mine has a Les Paul Recording Bass from a bygone era. I played it at a jam and was very surprised how sweet that thing was/is, and the sounds that came out of it. I don't seen much that they've done in the intervening years that is better, except for the some of the Artist series... | ||
| rami
Senior Member Username: rami Post Number: 948 Registered: 6-2002 |
I'm still laughing at that "Reverse Flying V"!!! When they came out with that, it marked the moment I TRULY lost my respect for Gibson. They've really lost their way as a company. They're out of ideas and creativity. LOL!!!!  | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 865 Registered: 3-2004 |
You're not crazy Taylor, Fender has the VG Stratocaster. It didn't actually tune the guitar for you, but it did simulate a bunch of alternate tunings. What I appreciate about a company like Alembic is that they are dedicated to a very traditional idea, and that is transmitting the pure sound of an instrument, but they do it in very non-traditional ways. The use of technology by Alembic is intended to bring out the inherent qualities of an instrument. The products from Fender and Gibson seem devoted to imitating something else. There's seemingly little focus on the inherent musical qualities of the instrument, and greater attention paid to modeling it to sound like something it isn't. And let's be honest, as convenient as having effects built into a guitar might be, it cannot compare to the tonal properties of devoted units built by people who live and breathe electronics. | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 1549 Registered: 9-2002 |
Yes, Benson, that was the point: If you're a Harley or Gibson or Leica or Porsche or Chanel or any brand that's thoroughly cemented to an iconic, successful brand model, HOW do you move on and get A) New customers to take a try that it's NOT the same old Brand X and simultaneously B) not drive off the faithful who'll buy the same Brand X thing over and over? BTW, when did tuning get to be such a problem. . . (at this point your narrator is giving a pass to the many tuning-challenged dolts he's played with over the years) . . . when you can buy little credit card-sized tuners for less than 20 bucks? I can see it coming: This onboard tuning will fade as one of those ideas that just didn't quite make it, and the 'pitch correction' technology from recording will migrate to the front face of most amps ! J o e y | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 9818 Registered: 5-2002 |
I suppose the tuning thing would come in handy if you're changing tunings in the middle of a song, as say the A section is in standard tuning and the B section is an open tuning. I guess it might also work for some pedal steel like effects. It might be something that someone like Michael Manring might make use of. | ||
| benson_murrensun
Advanced Member Username: benson_murrensun Post Number: 368 Registered: 5-2007 |
If all this stuff with tuning aids/pitch correction keeps up, I may have a strong reaction and toss all my electronic tuners and go with a tuning fork! (NOT) | ||
| bassilisk
Member Username: bassilisk Post Number: 87 Registered: 4-2009 |
They are merely trying to do something new and different. How many Les Paul variants can you make? Or Strats for that matter? However, what's disturbing is they are heading in a direction that may eventually become something else entirely. One day during a power surge, your guitar may wake up and decide it no longer needs a carbon-based operator to tell it what to do..... "Prepare to be assimilated." | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 826 Registered: 10-2006 |
"How many Les Paul variants can you make? Or Strats for that matter?" How about one variant of each - half as good as the classic ones? (Which to me is late '53-'60 on the LP, '59-'66 for Strats) (edited for afterthought - OK, 2 variants on the Strat, to make the maple-fretboard weirdos happy ) Peter (Message edited by cozmik_cowboy on November 12, 2010) | ||
| zappahead
Intermediate Member Username: zappahead Post Number: 162 Registered: 10-2002 |
I actually really like the ideas going on. I think guitarists sometimes need to apply some time into thinking outside the box. There are a lot of possibilities with something like this. Its obviously about a lot more than just auto tuning. The 3rd party apps open up doors to new ideas, which are sorely needed in production guitars. Its hard for me to believe that people are threatened by new ideas. The modeling world is actually blowing up right now and Gibson is very smart to try and push ideas out there and they are even smarter for giving people a platform to push their ideas out there. Its one of the main things that drove the Iphone and is driving the Ipad and other impressive inventions that have surpassed all expectations. I also like the look of this guitar too. I have no idea why people are so out of sorts about this guitar. Its certainly one of the cooler things Gibson has done in years. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 866 Registered: 3-2004 |
I guess this just doesn't seem that original to me. There have been many manufacturers who have tried dropping effects into guitars, and they've never done well. Besides that, I've tried any number of digital effects, and they've all sounded awful to my ears (with the exception of a few digital delays, which are really a different animal all together). But to be fair, I haven't bothered checking out the stuff that is probably now the leading edge. They act as though they've turned the guitar world on its ear, but it's really just providing an update to something that people have been doing since the sixties. | ||
| zappahead
Intermediate Member Username: zappahead Post Number: 163 Registered: 10-2002 |
The 3rd party app thing has never been done before. The effects in the guitar and the way they have been done is original as well. The robot feature they have put out is original and is the only company out there doing it other than the company that retrofits that stuff into LPs and Strats for like 5k. The digital stuff out is not "awful" by anyones estimation. I think people who bash it all are just being biased. Check out the Axe FX, the M13 or Pod HD stuff and if you think its all "awful" then Id have to call that someone going into the discussion with their mind made up already. Guys like Steve Howe, Dweezil Zappa, Steve Vai, the Edge, Eric Johnson, John McLaughlin and many others who wont say it are all using digital effects and in some cases use them exclusively. The digital effects world is evolving so fast right now and this guitar is the first attempt to let small time developers push an idea out there for people to test and use. This open source type of idea has worked for a lot of other genres and its not hyperbole to say that someone may be able to create something really amazing with this type of instrument. Maybe it wont happen, but Im glad to see Gibson making the attempt. That being said, I think the guitar is too expensive. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 867 Registered: 3-2004 |
I'm not trying to be argumentative, but the robot feature is overblown, if original. I'm sure someone will write songs to fit it's abilities, but I've never seen anyone before who felt the necessity to switch to an alternative tuning mid song (I know this is probably a failing of my poor musical taste, but all the same). And while it's true that no one has dropped a modeling unit into a guitar before, it's not exactly a great leap of thought to imagine it. I admitted that I've not bothered to check out the latest and greatest digital stuff, but I stand by the fact that the older stuff didn't inspire me. And, I do believe that there are folks out there who dedicate their lives to building effects with a much passion as Alembic dedicates to instruments, and that digital clones will never sound the same as an analog unit. But hey, whatever you like is fine. Time will show whether this really works for people, or if it is shelved like so many other innovations. We should all be playing light wave pickups through solid state amps with digital effects if we kept with the edge of technology. (Message edited by hydrargyrum on November 14, 2010) | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 9827 Registered: 5-2002 |
Well, technically, I think one could say that on some songs Manring is switching to alternative tunings maybe every four bars or so and sometimes several times within a measure. But obviously he couldn't do what he's doing with the auto tuners. | ||
| lidon2001
Senior Member Username: lidon2001 Post Number: 443 Registered: 4-2005 |
Parker Adrian Belew Signature - with built in modeling unit: http://www.parkerguitars.com/Signature-Series/ Sorry hydra, had to... T | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 868 Registered: 3-2004 |
Well, like I said, it's a failing of my poor musical taste. And it was also really cool to see exactly how Michael Manring played that song. Regardless, the Adrian Belew model does prove my point that Gibson has hardly re-invented the guitar, and clearly other manufacturers have been doing nearly the same thing. In the end it's all a matter of what works for you personally. There have been any number of superior guitar players named in this thread who employ these devices, and I'll be honest when I say that I don't enjoy listening to them. They're light years ahead of me as musicians, and I could never aspire to play at their level. But, I'd still rather hear a dirty out of tune punk song than a fifteen minute guitar solo that was composed for other guitarists. So I play a guitar with a single P-90 into a germanium fuzz box into a pre-master volume Pro-Reverb. It's pretty raunchy some times, but that's why I like it. | ||
| lidon2001
Senior Member Username: lidon2001 Post Number: 444 Registered: 4-2005 |
Poor musical taste? My favorite Dead song is "Touch of Grey". Beat that! lol T | ||
| hifiguy
Advanced Member Username: hifiguy Post Number: 237 Registered: 10-2006 |
Wow, that thing is so aesthetically horrible on so many levels it sorta defies description. I don't think those built-in effects are going to wear well at all. But Gibson has a history of trying this before. I was paging through Tony Bacon's Ultimate Guitar Book last night and saw a pic of a mid-1960s Gibson EB series bass with a built in "FuzZTone" that you know had to sound like a 60Hz square wave or a ground loop. Gibson and Fender have one basic problem - the classic designs were simply RIGHT and almost impossible to improve on. It's pretty hard to argue that Les', Ted's and Leo's designs can be topped or improved upon by adding faddish gimmickry. And yes, that Reverse Flying V is Onion-level absurd. Judging by the comments on the web page this thing is going over with the Gibson traditionalists like a ham at a Passover Seder. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 869 Registered: 3-2004 |
I'm fond of some of the stuff Leo did with G&L, but Paul makes a pretty good point. The Stratocaster and Les Paul both incorporate such incredible innovations that it would be very difficult to create something anywhere near as unique and lasting. It would be cool to see these companies offer more varieties in terms of pickups, woods, and hardware, but that doesn't fit well with a mass production mentality. | ||
| terryc
Senior Member Username: terryc Post Number: 1416 Registered: 11-2004 |
hifiguy..oh yes 'The Ultimate Guitar Book' pornography for guitarists, the bass section is excellent too..I also bought the sister book 'The Bass Book' In a nutshell the classic Gibson Les Paul, SG, the Fender, Strat, Tele, P & J bass can never be equalled. Okay so the Parker Fly and Modulus/Status basses solve the 'out of tune because of humidity and temperature' but the classics can never be bettered. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 4640 Registered: 7-2004 |
One more iconic guitar I'd add to the above list is the ES-335. The only additional member of that club, IMHO, is the Rickenbacker 360. By the way, if you want to change tunings during a song, you'll need a Variax or similar instrument that "changes" tuning electronically (acoustically, the strings remain in standard tuning, only the output is changed). The robot Gibsons actually change tuning mechanically. The process involves setting the guitar for the desired tuning and then strumming the strings several times while the guitar senses the pitch and operates the electric motors on the tuning machines accordingly. It takes about 30 seconds to change tuning - not practical for mid-song. Bill, tgo | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 9840 Registered: 5-2002 |
Thanks Bill; yeah that makes sense. | ||
| zappahead
Intermediate Member Username: zappahead Post Number: 164 Registered: 10-2002 |
Variax will definitely tune in song, this system will too, but it will set you back a lot more: http://axcenttuning.com/. Im not saying this guitar is the answer, but at least someone is pushing the envelope and I think its pretty cool that it is Gibson. I think the way everyone is piling on tells me that Gibson is doing the right thing. Ive been around enough to know that guitar players tend to resemble conspiracy theorists who line their apartments with tin foil at their reactions to anything new and original. They pile on until an Eddie Van Halen or a Jimmy Page are seen using it. Marrying a guitar, the modeling world and a computer is something that is close but has not happened yet. The closest is what Line 6 is doing, but the naysayers will never buy into it no matter how great it is because its not a strat or a LP. You could make it sound beautiful and some message board will be full with guys blasting it because it doesnt look and sound like their '59 burst. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 870 Registered: 3-2004 |
Well, personally I don't own a Strat or a Les Paul, and I've taken down most of the tin foil around my house (it does help with the cosmic interference in my brain though). I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on the topic of how innovative this really is, seeing as how I still think it's just the latest take on something that's been done since the 1960's. Right now I'm planning on building my own tribute to David Gilmour's Pete Cornish board. I'm going to include a Ram's Head Muff, and Colorsound Overdrive, a Vibrato, a tremolo, and digital delay all in one enclosure. Sure they won't be housed in my guitar, but I've never felt that was a limitation as long as I could step on a switch. I young, but I still recall when a "third party ap" for guitar meant reading about someone's settings. It still works for me. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 871 Registered: 3-2004 |
Sorry, double post. (Message edited by hydrargyrum on November 16, 2010) | ||
| hifiguy
Advanced Member Username: hifiguy Post Number: 238 Registered: 10-2006 |
Oh my stars and garters. I stopped by that Gibson page again just to read the comments and found a reference that led me to this: http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Melody-Maker/Gibson-USA/Jonas-Brothers-Melody-Maker.aspx "The horror, the horror..." Colonel Kurtz in Apolcalypse Now. The mind simply shrivels. There is no jumping back over this shark, Gibson. | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 831 Registered: 10-2006 |
I saw that, too, Paul, but did not think it something I should mention in polite society..... Peter | ||
| zappahead
Intermediate Member Username: zappahead Post Number: 165 Registered: 10-2002 |
There definitely was no one in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s or 2000's allowing 3rd party developers to make apps for their guitars. Its something that has never been done before and that is the definition of innovation. Not sure if it will amount to a whole lot, but it is certainly new, ground breaking and interesting. To me at least. | ||
| ajdover
Senior Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 889 Registered: 11-2003 |
On Manring - is it me, or is he spending more time manipulating keys/levers than actually playing. Don't get me wrong - it's impressive enough and a great tune. But to me it's a hell of a lot of work. I know he's amazing without that stuff - wonder why he uses it other than the obvious reasons (push the envelope, do something different, etc.)? | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 873 Registered: 3-2004 |
I will concede that the only interesting, unique, or innovative aspect of this guitar is the third party feature. But it's still ugly. | ||
| mike1762
Senior Member Username: mike1762 Post Number: 677 Registered: 1-2008 |
Jonas Brothers signature guitar!?!?!?!?!? LOL!!! Of course they made a "Dale Earnhardt" LP a few years ago. That made a lot of sense. If I ever become a famous musician (yea... right), perhaps PING will name a line of golf clubs after me. | ||
| tmoney61092
Senior Member Username: tmoney61092 Post Number: 582 Registered: 9-2008 |
Speaking of sharks...... http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Designer/Gibson-USA/Shark-Fin.aspx ~Taylor | ||
| tmoney61092
Senior Member Username: tmoney61092 Post Number: 583 Registered: 9-2008 |
GIbson also made a 7 string Explorer, I think it looks pretty sweet http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Explorer/Gibson-USA/7-String-Explorer.aspx ~Taylor | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 875 Registered: 3-2004 |
The Corvus may win the the ugly Gibson contest.  | ||
| hifiguy
Advanced Member Username: hifiguy Post Number: 239 Registered: 10-2006 |
The 7-string Explorer makes some sense - it's a popular guitar with metal players, who need that low B. The shark-fin just screams "Skwisgaar Skwigelf after a three-day drunk." | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 877 Registered: 3-2004 |
I actually like the Explorer 7 as well. The change is so subtle from the six string version that I had to look twice. I'd like a 7th string more for jazz than metal. | ||
| benson_murrensun
Advanced Member Username: benson_murrensun Post Number: 376 Registered: 5-2007 |
I once had a silver Gibson Corvus!!! I thought (at the time) that it looked pretty cool. Looks aside, though, it sounded pretty bad! Soon after I got rid of it I got another Gibson from the same era, a white SG Special. It was another piece of junk... extra-muddy sound no matter how you played it and which pickup you used. Those two put me off Gibsons for a while, but then I got recent-issue Melody Maker and that one's a keeper. | ||
| tmoney61092
Senior Member Username: tmoney61092 Post Number: 590 Registered: 9-2008 |
well, it looks like Gibson has come out with something pretty nice, don't see much(if anything) to complain about this one http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Designer/Gibson-USA/Nighthawk-Standard-2010.aspx price isn't too bad to be on Gibson's website and considering that it'll cost much less from a store ~Taylor | ||
| hifiguy
Advanced Member Username: hifiguy Post Number: 241 Registered: 10-2006 |
Now that Nighthawk is much more like it. Different, with a distinctive feature set, but fitting nicely in the classic Gibson tradition. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 880 Registered: 3-2004 |
Those do look pretty sweet. I'm especially curious what the middle pick up sounds like. The price is very generous for a Gibson with those sorts of features. It's nice to see the melody makers and juniors at lower prices as well. | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 2243 Registered: 6-2002 |
I saw bluesman Joe Louis Walker playing one of these nighthawk guitars at Ronnie Scotts in Birmingham years back and it sounded great. In fact his had a fanned fretboard. Jazzyvee | ||
| peoplechipper
Advanced Member Username: peoplechipper Post Number: 227 Registered: 2-2009 |
Sorry folks, I do not like modeling; when the amps get turned up to gig levels, they sound like like bad transistor amps, and I would bet the guitars do too...the corvus made me chuckle;when I worked at a music store Jon and I used to joke that Corvus sounded like an Ozark kinda name of an inbred guy with no thumbs...he later wrote a tune with his band Flophouse jr. called 'ode to corvus'... So many times when these instrument companies try to innovate they fail and they lose sight of what was good in the first place...most new Fenders are bad, those formica Martins-I wouldn't take one for free! and Gibson when they stick to making guitars with nitro finishes and normal stuff are still ok; in other words, when they get out of their own way and just do what they're good at...anyway, just my 2 cents...Tony. | ||
| rami
Senior Member Username: rami Post Number: 950 Registered: 6-2002 |
Here's another one - I know there was a Gibson Custom version as well. I'll try to find the link. Here's the Epiphone version: http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Flying-V/Epiphone/Zakk-Wylde-ZV-Custom.aspx | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 1583 Registered: 9-2002 |
All of these things, regardless of what I think, are just waiting for the right person to find them and change my perception, finding as usual, my thinking was (ahem!) perhaps a bit short-sighted and sinking into curmdugeonry. I must admit: In the mid-70's, I'd have thought 4 grand for a bass with funny pickups and a pointy shape was a goofy idea. So what the hell do I know? Maybe the modelling business is off-putting as I'm old enough to remember all the originals ! J o e y | ||
| rami
Senior Member Username: rami Post Number: 951 Registered: 6-2002 |
Here's another! http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Designer/Epiphone/Zakk-Wylde-Graveyard-Disciple.aspx I particularly like the line,..."block position markers on an ebony fingerboard add a menacing touch of class"... Somebody over there needs to be fired. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 900 Registered: 3-2004 |
I sometimes wonder what age group Gibson is trying to target. These seem like the sort of guitars that would appeal to adolescent boys more interested in style than substance. Maybe I'm just getting old. Cut your hair and turn down that damn racket! | ||
| rami
Senior Member Username: rami Post Number: 952 Registered: 6-2002 |
I agree. They're clearly targeted towards a younger market. Hey, if it sells...best of luck. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 902 Registered: 3-2004 |
I'm guessing that Gibson is banking on the idea that someday the teens who are buying these guitars are going to develop a brand loyalty, and someday they will move into Les Pauls, 335's, and SG's. I think it's a reasonable bet, and who has more disposable income than a teenager living at home? These types of guitars (to their credit) were never marketed as innovative. That is the difference between them and the Robot guitars that Gibson is trying to sell to professional musicians. One of my favorite things about old fashioned analogue effects is that they require a learning curve. They modify your instrument in ways that require careful attention. Sometimes they sound sloppy, or just plain bad. When every setting of a pedal is normalized to a "useful" range, something is lost in terms of user control. And to be blunt, digital modeling sounds bad to my ears. A good tube amp could probably compensate for some of the poor performance of onboard digital effects. I'm just not ready to believe that a true Swiss army knife of tone exists. There are too many variables and too many people with different tastes. | ||
| peoplechipper
Advanced Member Username: peoplechipper Post Number: 228 Registered: 2-2009 |
The coffin guitar would be funny as a guitar in your stable-maybe for Alice Cooper or Misfits songs, but it would suck to have that as your only guitar...and that SG/flying V thing, it looks like a Thalidomide starfish...maybe Zakk Wylde needs to quit drinking...and Gibson needs to stop asking him for ideas! Jon(who I worked with)and I used to talk about modeling amps, and he felt that they disconnected you from the true interaction between guitar and amp that creates all those wonderful overtones and such and I agreed; I have a lot of effects, but I use two at a time at most; more seemed like diminishing returns...Tony. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 4699 Registered: 7-2004 |
While it's not technically a "modeling amp", I'm currently playing through a Pritchard Sword of Satori that has several voices. It's a solid state amp unlike any other out there. Eric Pritchard (worked at PRS when it first started out designing amps and manufacturing machines for them) has a unique system with multiple patents. It is analog solid state and I can get voicings of Fender, Marshall, Vox, Mesa lead, and several others, including an acoustic amp voice that, along with the two horns that I control with a footswitch, gives an excellent acoustic amp tone. I must admit I was extremely prejudiced against solid state and modeling until I ran across this Pritchard. It's nothing short of incredible. At the last Northern Cali Alembic gathering, I had it set up on one side of the drums while on the other was a Marshall double stack. The Pritchard (about 18" by 17") looked like a little toy in comparison, but after we were done, the Marshall guy came over to me to tell me how great my Pritchard sounded! As for the coffin guitar, it would be great for a cover of "Monster Mash" at a Halloween gig, or for backing Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Otherwise, why? Bill, tgo | ||
| hankster
Advanced Member Username: hankster Post Number: 251 Registered: 6-2004 |
I think they're ugly, but I'm adopting a wait-and-see attitude on the concept. I'm totally incapable of playing these guitars-as-triggers type instruments, but let's see what Gen-y does. Happy New Year, everyone, btw. R. | ||
| hifiguy
Advanced Member Username: hifiguy Post Number: 249 Registered: 10-2006 |
Sometimes messing up - whether playing or monkeying around with an effect - is the best way to discover something cool and new. Hendrix said that once and it's true. |
