New Gibson robot electric guitar tunes itself

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Just imagine, a robot guitar that tunes itself. Well, you don't have to imagine because after 15 years of research Gibson Guitar is launching a limited edition Les Paul Robot Guitar in December that has players expressing enthusiasm and skepticism.

"It will not make you a better guitar player but it will allow the average player to access some very sophisticated tunings," Gibson Guitar Chief Executive Henry Juszkiewicz told Reuters on Tuesday.

The six nonstandard preset tunings were used on hits ranging from "Honky Tonk Women" by The Rolling Stones and Hendrix's "Voodoo Child" to Led Zeppelin's "Going to California" and Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game."

Gibson says the robot guitar is aimed at amateurs who have a hard time keeping their guitars in tune, as well as professionals who now use technicians during concerts to keep about 100 guitars tuned to different keys.

Temperature variations, changing strings and simply playing the instrument have long been tuning challenges for guitarists with even the best musical ear. Gibson said the robot guitar is the biggest advance in electric guitar design in more than 70 years.

But some have already poured scorn on the robot guitar.

"I'm sorry, this is just lazy. With stuff like this, tuning is going to be a lost skill," wrote LettheBassPlay on the www.ultimate-guitar.com website forum.

Gibson said the robot guitar is the biggest advance in electric guitar design in more than 70 years.

Gibson will launch 4,000 limited edition, blue silverburst Les Gibson Robot Guitars around the world on December 7 at a price in the region of 2,500 U.S. dollars. It expects to roll out a standard robot edition starting in January 2008.

www.chinaview.cn