Tuning
Where so-called robot tuning was once the exclusive domain of Gibson's higher end models like the gorgeous Firebird X, the introduction of its Min-ETune system at this year's Musikmesse in Frankfurt, Germany sees the iconic guitar maker widening the field a little. The folks behind the technology were also at the trade fair, showing off a retrofit auto tuning system called TronicalTune. Essentially the same as Gibson's new mechanical tuner, the Tronical kit comes in a number of different configurations to cater for do-it-yourself installation on various guitar makes and models. Read More
Review: Peavey AT-200 guitar with Auto-Tune technology
Gizmag has been following the development of the Antares Auto-Tune for Guitar technology with great interest since it was first teased back in May 2011. In January 2012, it was launched in two guitars at the Winter NAMM show, but only one of those has actually made the leap into production. Peavey released its AT-200 as last year came to a close, and I've spent the last few weeks in the company of this game-changing guitar while also chatting with some of the folks involved in its development. Read More
Peavey's AT-200 electric guitar featuring Antares Auto-Tune pitch correction technology, which was launched in January 2012, has now been released. Read More
CapoSonic - the world's most innovative capo?
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
Hennessey's 1,226 horsepower Cadillac CTS-VR
Talk about American muscle … Thumbing its nose at hippie ideals like fuel efficiency, the 6.2-litre Cadillac CTS-V is a monster muscle car in stock form, putting out 556 horsepower and 551 foot-pounds of torque straight out of the crate. But for those for whom too much is never enough, aftermarket tuner Hennessey Performance has released details of a souped-up "CTS-VR 1200" that brings together every performance upgrade in the Hennessey catalogue to produce an eye-watering 1,226 horsepower and 1,109 foot-pounds of torque. Handy if you need to tow a trailer… Just watch this thing light up on the dyno rollers. Read More
A closer look at Don Gilmore's self-tuning piano system
A few years ago Gibson began introducing some clever new technology to a select few guitars which automatically tuned the instrument and kept it there (seen most recently in the gorgeous Firebird X). I think that it's fair to say that robot tuning has not quite been a phenomenal success, perhaps due to the fact that tuning six strings only takes a few seconds and doesn't require any specialist training. That's certainly not true of the piano, which has more than 200 strings divided between 88 keys and its tuning is, for the most part, gratefully handed over to the experienced ear of a professional technician. In the 1990s, Kansas City mechanical engineer and classically-trained pianist Don A Gilmore created a mechanical self-tuning device for the piano. From there he went on to develop a thermal system that can bring the whole instrument to tune within a minute. Read More
The sound and feel of modern music was changed forever in the late 1990s when Antares launched its Auto-Tune pitch correction technology. As well as putting some life back into flat performances, the system was also used to great effect by the likes of Cher and T-Pain to give a unique twist to vocal tracks. The company announced its intention to bring the technology to the electric guitar in May 2011, sending shivers down the spines of purists everywhere. Now Peavey and Parker have launched the first guitars to incorporate Auto-Tune for Guitar and we've had the chance to take a closer look at the former's AT-200 in action at Winter NAMM in Anaheim. The verdict: pretty impressive. Read More
Stretching guitar strings using finger and thumb can be a very fiddly pain in the behind. String Stretcha makes the process a lot less random and a whole lot easier. Made from a crush-resistant epoxy material, the ergonomically-shaped tool features a grooved hook and heel which grip the string between them and allow the player/tech to give the strings a proper and consistent stretch in about five minutes. Read More
German tuning company G-Power is claiming to have set the record for the world’s fastest sedan with a BMW M5. G-Power’s M5 Hurricane RR achieved a top speed of 372 km/h (231 mph) beating its own record of 367.4 km/h (228 mph) set earlier this year. But it’s not just the two-ton vehicle’s top speed that’s impressive – it can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.35 seconds, up to 200 km/h in 9.5 seconds and up to 300 km/h in 25.8 seconds. Read More
One of the best-known names in guitars, Gibson, has released a free iPhone download – the Gibson Guitar App. The App includes a standard metronome, a versatile tuner, chord charts and access to video lessons. Read More
