The Gig-Saver: One guitar, 15 tones

[MerlinTKD]

I didn't make up the headline.

Bruce Jacob, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Maryland, had a musical problem. His new electric guitar just wouldn't give him all the sounds he wanted. He used his knowledge of electronics to solve his problem by building his own guitar.

Jacob developed an instrument that could be switched back and forth through a range of sounds, all without pedals or add-ons. Along with the help of some his students, including Joe Gross, Jacob turned this guitar into a business.

"Joe [Gross] was looking over my shoulder and said, 'You know, a lot of people are gonna want that.' It was an experimental thing, and he made me realize this is actually a product," Jacob says.

What it comes down to is something I think those of who've modded a guitar have already managed to do, in one form or another: include coil-tapping in multiple combinations. His guitar has 4 controls, consisting of Volume, Tone, a 5-way selector switch, and a three-way switch that sets the humbucker coils in series-parallel-out of phase.

To hear him explain it (and give a demo): NPR Media Player


I find it an interesting switch combination, and kudos to him for thinking of it... but it's not groundbreaking by a long shot. Still, I do like his simple solution to covering all the possibilities. What do you think?

 

[mlp187]

I think I'd bang that spalted maple prs shaped guitar sideways all day long.

 

[MerlinTKD]

I think I'd bang that spalted maple prs shaped guitar sideways all day long.

Actually, I had the same thought!

 

[signalgrey]

id output in its input....


see what i did there?
gross

 

[Demiurge]

I heard about that. Somewhat interesting, although I think the only guitar player that has ever used and therefore needed more than 2 or 3 different sounds out of a guitar is Brian May.

I heard that those guitars a Korean-made and will go for about a grand-maybe a little too steep. Perhaps selling the switching circuit-thingie as an aftermarket part is something that I'd be on board with.

 

[mlp187]

...Perhaps selling the switching circuit-thingie as an aftermarket part is something that I'd be on board with.

I couldn't agree more.

Sometimes people come out with great ideas that get lost in an overpriced package deal.

 

[synrgy]

The only word that keeps coming to mind is "meh".

 

[SnowfaLL]

lol how is this considered a versatile guitar when theres things such as the Variax out, which ACTUALLY replicates many different kinds of guitars. This just sounds like a cheap gimmick to explain a simple mod

It is impossible to replicate multiple guitars into one, simple on the basis of feel being an important factor; a shredder 27 fret wizard neck guitar is never going to be the same as a 15 lbs thick contour les paul, and etc.

 

[TomAwesome]

This is all fairly standard stuff, really, unless I'm missing something.

 

[Trespass]

Besides some of the higher end pups, does anyone actually like the sound of a split or out of phase humbuckers?

 

[Arctodus]

i never understand this "get soandso sounds" out of one pickup. Who gives a shit. You don't buy a Dimarzio Tone Zone so you can put it inphase/out of phase. You wire it so its RED HOT so you can do blistering solos and ear busting riffs.

I think all the combinations are just a pain in the ass, the micro switches eventually break and then your SoL. I had a Carvin that had something like this had tons of sounds but I never used them because guitar playing, especially electric guitar playing is very simplistic. Some people just dumb it down to a single pickup and volume knob, which is essentially all you need. Because thats plenty enough to get a plethora of sounds

 

[SnowfaLL]

you buy a tonezone because A) you wanna sound like horse shit on fire, or B) you are totally misinformed and misled about what its suppose to sound like (like me)

I personally can't use just one pickup, I need seperate for rhythm/leads or cleans, so I dunno how guys do it with just a single humbucker with no tone knob (unless they just play one style of music)

 

[Harry]

It's cool I guess, but I have strong doubts many people need that much combinations.

 

[Trespass]

PRS Guitars - 513