Guitar

British pro-audio manufacturer Focusrite has announced U.S. availability of its iTrack Solo audio recording interface for the iPad. Featuring studio-quality guitar and microphone inputs, the palm-sized device is claimed to be "the perfect companion for any singer/songwriter wanting to take their demos to the next level – with audio quality that's so good, they can be used in the final mix."  Read More

Marking something of a diversion from the company's more familiar analog synths, tonesmiths at Moog Music are in the early prototype stages of a novel technology capable of activating and controlling the natural harmonics and resonant frequencies of the strings of an acoustic instrument, and placing them at the disposal of the player. The LEV-96 sensoriactuator is currently installed at the sound hole of an acoustic guitar for beta testing, and features touch-enabled sliders and buttons for precise sonic tweaking and adjustment.  Read More

Fender has announced a new addition to its budget-friendly Squier line of guitars, in the form of a Stratocaster with integrated USB connectivity. This feature allows users to record and share tracks without the need of an additional interface. Though the guitar is clearly marketed with Apple’s iOS platform in mind, the company states that it is also compatible with Macs and Windows PCs.  Read More

The latest guitar invention is a capo unlike any other. The CapoSonic can hold down notes directly under the capo, or a fret above or below it, allowing guitarists to quickly and easily arrive at "open tunings" – or new sound configurations – without having to relearn the entire fretboard in the process. Gizmag had a chance to speak to CapoSonic inventor Ben Ryan about his new device.  Read More

While many players will insist that great tone can only result from the use of certain exotic woods, guitar design pioneer Allan Gittler saw things a little differently. He methodically stripped away all that he deemed unnecessary and redundant, and embarked on a minimalist instrument design adventure that resulted in the iconic Gittler guitar. Steel sitar or electric fishbone, the instrument had arguably its most famous public airing in the hands of Andy Summers of The Police in the 1983 Synchronicity II music video, and featured 31 frets, individual pickups for each of the six strings, and unique tuners. A new and improved version of the Gittler guitar is set to make its official debut at NAMM 2013 this coming January, and Gittler Instruments has opted to pull back the curtain early for a pre-production peek.  Read More

Although I grew up surrounded by the big hair rock of Bon Jovi and the like, my first introduction to the Talk Box guitar effect was not Living on a Prayer but Joe Walsh's Rocky Mountain Way over a decade earlier, followed a little later by Peter Frampton's epic Do You Feel Like We Do. Although it continues to be used by a good many guitar gods to this day, the long tube that invariably runs up a microphone stand to the player's mouth does make it something of a special addition to a guitarist's effects arsenal rather than a regular feature. The Talking Pedal from Electro-Harmonix does away with the tube altogether in a rocking chassis expression pedal with no moving parts.  Read More

The WTF from Loud Button Electronics brings together high gain distortion and a low frequency oscillator (LFO) in one effects pedal. The result is somewhat difficult to explain but a number of adjectives do spring to mind (weird, psychedelic, out there, oddball). However, none seem to fit better than its given moniker.  Read More

Sadly, the funding campaign for the Unlimited travel guitar with built-in speaker that we covered late last month was unsuccessful, but fear not because VOX Amplification has come to the rescue in impressive retro style. The company has dipped into the past to bring back two of its most iconic guitar shapes as modern travel/practice instruments. The beautiful VOX Teardrop and Phantom have been reborn as the Apache Series, each featuring two speakers, built-in effects and rhythm patterns, and the ability to jam along to favorite tunes via direct input from an external MP3 or CD player.  Read More

Travel-friendly guitars like the Backpacker from Martin are all fine and dandy if you're into acoustic playing but those of us who prefer electric portability will likely need to seek out something like Traveler's Speedster or Bob Wiley's Ministar. The problem with the latter choice is also having to lug around an amp and cables in order to be heard. Stanford graduates Andrew Penrose and Ari Atkins have developed a go-anywhere electric guitar called the Unlimited that features a built-in, battery-powered amplifier and smartphone-controlled digital effects.  Read More