Are electronic guitar tuners a thing?
December 11, 2013 9:20 PM
Gibson is actually offering this system standard (which they licensed and named Min-E-Tune) on Les Pauls and SGs for 2014. I wouldn't really want to use this on a tremolo-equipped guitar, though, yeah. And I think it weighs something like nine or ten ounces, which I suspect would make an SG sort of hard to play, since it's already so neck-heavy.
Still, it's actually pretty cool, and appears to be as easy to install as a new set of tuners. If I had $300 burning a hole in my pocket I might buy one.
posted by uncleozzy at 7:50 AM on December 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Still, it's actually pretty cool, and appears to be as easy to install as a new set of tuners. If I had $300 burning a hole in my pocket I might buy one.
posted by uncleozzy at 7:50 AM on December 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Pretty sure Jimmy Page had some version of this years ago. Will have to go and look for a reference, but it's definitely been a thing for a while. I also remember a mythbusters type show doing a human vs electric tuner challenge where they pitted a professional roadie against one of these systems. I don't remember who won unfortunately but I like to think it was the roadie.
posted by TwoWordReview at 6:26 PM on December 12, 2013
posted by TwoWordReview at 6:26 PM on December 12, 2013
Aha!
In 1990, TransPerformance delivered the first working system to Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame, who is commonly referred to as the “master of open tunings”. Today, Mr. Page owns three of our self tuning guitars and plays them regularly. Mr. Page is shown here playing his favorite self-tuning equipped guitar on December 10, 2007 at a Led Zeppelin benefit concert in London, England.
posted by TwoWordReview at 6:33 PM on December 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
In 1990, TransPerformance delivered the first working system to Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame, who is commonly referred to as the “master of open tunings”. Today, Mr. Page owns three of our self tuning guitars and plays them regularly. Mr. Page is shown here playing his favorite self-tuning equipped guitar on December 10, 2007 at a Led Zeppelin benefit concert in London, England.
posted by TwoWordReview at 6:33 PM on December 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
I've seen them on the Gibsons in ads and thought 'eek, do not want' but I'm probably just being a curmudgeon.
Although honestly tuning isn't a big deal is it? I'm a stickler for tuning but between the Boss TU-3 and a cheap headstock tuner I'm covered. Although I have eyed that polytune thing once or twice.
posted by sweet mister at 7:28 PM on December 12, 2013
Although honestly tuning isn't a big deal is it? I'm a stickler for tuning but between the Boss TU-3 and a cheap headstock tuner I'm covered. Although I have eyed that polytune thing once or twice.
posted by sweet mister at 7:28 PM on December 12, 2013
It would be great if they could accept midi signals or a stomp box trigger and synchronize tuning changes within a tune.
posted by umbú at 11:14 PM on December 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by umbú at 11:14 PM on December 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
between the Boss TU-3 and a cheap headstock tuner I'm covered
You have to use your hands? That's like a baby's toy!
posted by uncleozzy at 4:41 AM on December 13, 2013
You have to use your hands? That's like a baby's toy!
posted by uncleozzy at 4:41 AM on December 13, 2013
roland guitar synths, like my old gr-1, can do this through midi - also their virtual guitar systems
i picked up mine, including pickup, for less that 200 - and it makes odd, unguitar like noises if you like
guitar like noises seems to be a little harder, but i haven't done much tweaking of the guitar presets - but i did retune the pedal steel preset to a c6 tuning and that was convincing
the problem with mechanical system like this is that your guitar may not be setup properly for all the different tunings you can do - depends on the guitar, but i've dropped the bottom string to c on some guitars and it's floppy and out of tune
posted by pyramid termite at 6:46 PM on December 13, 2013
i picked up mine, including pickup, for less that 200 - and it makes odd, unguitar like noises if you like
guitar like noises seems to be a little harder, but i haven't done much tweaking of the guitar presets - but i did retune the pedal steel preset to a c6 tuning and that was convincing
the problem with mechanical system like this is that your guitar may not be setup properly for all the different tunings you can do - depends on the guitar, but i've dropped the bottom string to c on some guitars and it's floppy and out of tune
posted by pyramid termite at 6:46 PM on December 13, 2013
It would be great if they could accept midi signals or a stomp box trigger and synchronize tuning changes within a tune.
Oh man, you've got to believe this is coming. Guitar players just need to learn approximately where to put their hands on the fret board and the sequencer does the rest for them. Like lip synching crossed with auto tune for guitar.
posted by dobie at 3:13 AM on December 23, 2013
Oh man, you've got to believe this is coming. Guitar players just need to learn approximately where to put their hands on the fret board and the sequencer does the rest for them. Like lip synching crossed with auto tune for guitar.
posted by dobie at 3:13 AM on December 23, 2013
Oh man, you've got to believe this is coming. Guitar players just need to learn approximately where to put their hands on the fret board and the sequencer does the rest for them. Like lip synching crossed with auto tune for guitar.
I hope so! I'll buy a guitar if they ever do that.
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 2:26 AM on December 24, 2013
I hope so! I'll buy a guitar if they ever do that.
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 2:26 AM on December 24, 2013
Guitar players just need to learn approximately where to put their hands on the fret board and the sequencer does the rest
Frets already do that!
posted by grog at 7:58 AM on December 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
Frets already do that!
posted by grog at 7:58 AM on December 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
Frets already do that!
I had fretted & fretless Jazz basses sitting next to each other on stands and a non-musician visitor asked me what the difference was. Before I could answer, the drummer piped up and said "This one, he plays out of tune, and that one shows him where to put his fingers." A drummer! The nerve!
posted by Devils Rancher at 6:31 AM on February 15, 2014 [3 favorites]
I had fretted & fretless Jazz basses sitting next to each other on stands and a non-musician visitor asked me what the difference was. Before I could answer, the drummer piped up and said "This one, he plays out of tune, and that one shows him where to put his fingers." A drummer! The nerve!
posted by Devils Rancher at 6:31 AM on February 15, 2014 [3 favorites]
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I'd imagine it would be hell on the Bigsby.
posted by chococat at 10:19 PM on December 11, 2013