the incremental future of the guitar ?

guitarfishbay

TTBZ said:

guitarfishbay said:

Clarky said:

what would you guys consider to be the last big innovation?

Evertune

Fishman Fluence pickups too, but evertune is even more significant IMO because it alters a core characteristic/limitation of the instrument in a way nothing else ever has until now 

Really keen to try an Evertune guitar out, think I will try and swing by the ESP booth at NAMM to try out an EC1000! 

I get so annoyed with tuning issues, especially with my SG which seems flimsier than most. Would be great to have something rock solid in a Les Paul style body. Do you think they nevatively affect tone/sustain at all?

They change the character of chords more so than the overal tone, if that makes sense. As in you lose that slight chorusing from the string pitch envelope on each string as they go sharp on the attack and flatten out. So it’s a personal preference thing.

The sustain thing is a weird one! I’ve only found it noticeable on plain strings higher up the fretboard on my MH1000ET. My theory is it’s something to do with the resonances of the neck itself. My other evertune guitars are fine.

So if you’re a Les Paul player try to check out the 22 fret Eclipse, as the 24 fret one has different ergonomics (more similar to an SG/24 fret PRS with the neck extended more off to the side). Either will be cool though just the 22 fret is closer to an actual Les Paul.

In terms of trying one for the first time my advice is to set it up for bends, a lot of people seem to love the idea/feature of turning bends off but it’s totally unnecessary if you’re a decent player. To do this turn the tuning peg up until it starts to raise the pitch of the note out of zone 2 (the active zone). Then turn it back, so you end up right at the top of zone 2. If you’re trying it at NAMM then someone on the booth could show you if my explanation doesn’t make sense. This way it plays as close to a normal guitar as possible and bends and vibrato are still easily achievable.

guitarfishbay

If you play heavy styles and want things to sound as in tune as possible an evertune is simply incredible. I don’t play my non evertune electrics anymore unless I’m just noodling at home

SlopeSoarer

ICBM said:

SlopeSoarer said:

What always amazes me is how Gibson and Fender got it so right so long ago.

The question is - did they really? I think you could argue that the Strat is pretty close to totally right - at least in the overall construction, shape, and basic hardware... but I'm less sure about the Les Paul.

If you were designing a guitar from the ground up, knowing what we know now, would you come up with anything even close to a Les Paul? It has some real problems from an ergonomic and structural point of view.

Or is it more likely that these designs are just what we're used to?

It is true that Leo Fender had a big advantage in that he was - at least for the Tele, which the Strat is an evolution of - designing from the ground up... and even more in that he wasn't actually a guitarist, so he may have had far less preconceptions.

Sales and popularity are a reasonable indicator for me, also the fact they hold their value and in the long term increase in value, some significantly

guitars4you said:

SlopeSoarer said:

What always amazes me is how Gibson and Fender got it so right so long ago.

Yet none of their classic guitars were intended to be used as we use them today - Great accidents in many ways, especially the Les Paul - Yet this also shows that the guitar is just a blank canvas that allows you to create what you want on it

I agree but how many of todays guitars are blatant copies or a big nod to the big two brands!?

ICBM

SlopeSoarer said:

Sales and popularity are a reasonable indicator for me, also the fact they hold their value and in the long term increase in value, some significantly

That still doesn't mean anything other than that people are familiar with them, so it becomes self-reinforcing. It doesn't mean they're perfect, just a known quantity so the assumption is that they will hold their value better than an unknown one.

WiresDreamDisasters

With my Evertune I set it up to be as close to a "regular" bridge as possible. But it really does work. It maintains tuning very very well.

I sorta wish I'd got a guitar and had the bridge fitted though, rather than buy my ESP. Mainly coz it has 24 frets and I prefer 22.

SlopeSoarer

ICBM said:

SlopeSoarer said:

Sales and popularity are a reasonable indicator for me, also the fact they hold their value and in the long term increase in value, some significantly

That still doesn't mean anything other than that people are familiar with them, so it becomes self-reinforcing. It doesn't mean they're perfect, just a known quantity so the assumption is that they will hold their value better than an unknown one.

Uhmm, fair point but is anything perfect? And to be fair I never said they were perfect:-)

guitars4you

I think with the guitar itself, there is little need to change the fundamental feature of the neck/fingerboard itself - That is what we actual play - It is our piano keyboard as such - Granted we like different neck profiles, fingerboard radius, fret size, but  in essence change this to much and it no longer becomes the actual guitar we like to feel, play and are happy with and learnt our trade upon

Was it the Stepp Guitar Synth that had all the frets the same width - I've never played one, but would expect such a guitar to feel totally alien to me, yet probably offer me nothing extra in return

Neck, fingerboard, body material can be changed, as can the shape but that is more about style as against anything modern/hi-tech

Yet we have seen many changes to the hardware - Most/many are improvements - Tuners, trem systems, active pre-amps/mid boost, acoustic/piezo transducer systems etc - Some more popular than others - Some did not take off and the Gizmo springs to mind - But many 'add on devices' are now part 'n' parcel of our hero's guitars and no longer exclusive to Custom Shop, pro-orientated, boutique built models - 

It does mean that every NAMM we might expect something revolutionary, but in reality most of what we see with regards to the guitar itself, is more of what we have seen before - Good or bad, the guitar has survived and worked in just about every form of popular music from pre Elvis, to today, so it can't really be in need of any/many changes

TTBZ

guitarfishbay said:

If you play heavy styles and want things to sound as in tune as possible an evertune is simply incredible. I don’t play my non evertune electrics anymore unless I’m just noodling at home

Thanks for the explanation! I play heavy post rock stuff in Drop C and there’s talk of going lower. I’m heavy handed and tend to pick things out of tune easily, so it does sound ideal  

guitarfishbay

TTBZ said:

guitarfishbay said:

If you play heavy styles and want things to sound as in tune as possible an evertune is simply incredible. I don’t play my non evertune electrics anymore unless I’m just noodling at home

Thanks for the explanation! I play heavy post rock stuff in Drop C and there’s talk of going lower. I’m heavy handed and tend to pick things out of tune easily, so it does sound ideal  

Yeah I play in drop B and also pick pretty hard, it’s been the best thing I’ve ever bought

OilCityPickups

SlopeSoarer said:

What always amazes me is how Gibson and Fender got it so right so long ago.

But did they? Les Pauls had horrible upper fret access, weak headstocks and tuning issues through poor string alignment between nut and machine heads. Telecasters had slab sided bodies that poke you uncomfortably, often less than inspiring neck pickups, and three saddle bridges that only offer approximate intonation. Strats are arguably the closest to being fully developed and ergonomic, yet they still had weedy bridge pickups, truss rods that require body and neck to be seperated for proper adjustment, and a temperamental trem system that needs very careful adjustment to stay in tune. 
True, some amazing music has been played on all of these, but they were pretty much all that was available at the time. 

guitarfishbay

FWIW my vote on the ‘closest to ideal’ vintage instrument design is the split coil Precision bass.

It sounds great to this day, is humbucking so works with higher gain as well, and is pretty decent ergonomically. I can’t think of a genre that you couldn’t use one for

SlopeSoarer

OilCityPickups said:

SlopeSoarer said:

What always amazes me is how Gibson and Fender got it so right so long ago.

But did they? Les Pauls had horrible upper fret access, weak headstocks and tuning issues through poor string alignment between nut and machine heads. Telecasters had slab sided bodies that poke you uncomfortably, often less than inspiring neck pickups, and three saddle bridges that only offer approximate intonation. Strats are arguably the closest to being fully developed and ergonomic, yet they still had weedy bridge pickups, truss rods that require body and neck to be seperated for proper adjustment, and a temperamental trem system that needs very careful adjustment to stay in tune. 
True, some amazing music has been played on all of these, but they were pretty much all that was available at the time. 

But they are good enough to be revered and copied by many.

The converse of getting it so right would probably have seen both Fender and Gibson quickly going out of business.

Maybe my 'so right' isn't the ideal wording but I can't think of other more appropriate.

It's all speculative stuff any way;-)

Greatape

Reverend and Sterling have brought innovations like roasted necks to low-mid priced instruments. 

Personally, I would like to see the resuscitation of Parker and Steinberger. Failing that, I'd like to be able to buy a strat with a roasted neck, SS frets, locking tuners and noiseless pickups for £1k-£1200. 

Zexcoil are doing interesting things. 

Dan_Halen

I’m happy with guitars. It’s amps I want.

For studio I think the gap between digital and valve is now so close. When recorded, it’s even impossible to tell apart sometimes.

However, I’d love to have the sounds from, say, a plexi, twin, vox etc on stage. Not just the preamp through a frfr sound that you can already get or a real cab plus power amp setup. More like a super lightweight compact 2 or 4x12 that models so it really does sound like you’ve got the real deal behind you with the flick of a patch. All the moving air, the feedback loop etc. I guess sort of like what line 6 tried but better and lighter.

Does that make sense or am I just waffling?

Dan_Halen

Maybe something mental like a foldaway 4x12 that weighs like 5kg but moves air like the real thing. Combine that with a helix or axe and rather than have the sound of 100 amps, it really does sound like each of those amps.

What a dreamer!

AlexC

The acoustic has fundamentally stayed the same for hundreds of years. The electric has been tweaked a bit in the 70 odd years of its existence.
It’s not guitars that need any ‘innovation.’ Same as banjos and pianos and drums all work as they are. 

Forward momentum will come from the way people play and the music they create and the sounds they make.
The last decade has blown me away with the development of sound processing through fx units and pedals. So much possibility now and at a reasonable cost.
What will change is the materials used in guitar manufacturing- because some of the woods are going to become a limited resource.

menamestom

The only future for the electric guitar is young bands playing them more and the charts reflecting that. 

The tech and every application of it we need is already here, we just need more people to buy into the guitar as an expressive instrument again. 

Honestly the best thing for the guitar might be the RHCP’s reforming again in their best lineup.  That’s probably more important that bluetooth this or wireless that.   But that’s only in the hope that it inspires younger people to put down the Xbox controller!

Sassafras

I'd like to see a guitar with a telescopic neck where the strings retract on little sprung wheels.
I'm not even joking.

SteveRobinson

You could call it Nevertune

Sassafras

SteveRobinson said:

You could call it Nevertune

Or Neverwork.