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Location: Fort Worth, TX | I have been thinking for a few days about an onboard electronics system for acoustic guitars I am wondering the viability of? It would consist of a system capable of recording a track you play onto a memory card. I've seen some of those up to 6gb now and possibly bigger ones exist.The guitar would have an array of micro speaker inside it, some of those I've seen and heard produce incredible sound quality. With the speaker aimed at the soundhole, you would have a playback function to accompany yourself on the prerecorded tracks. Heck, I'd even go as far as to say it could have a rhythm track programming function, much like electronic drum machines. Talk about a one man band with a guitar! Maybe it would be something that could bring Ovation back to the head of the pack.
The memory card could be processed with a computer to add effects to it with an audio editing/recording software program. Am I dreaming needlessly about something that wouldn't appeal to anyone? Or even about something that already exists in some form already? I'd sure want one if it became available. Talk about the ultimate way to play with yourself!
Edited by DaveKell 2013-01-05 8:45 AM
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Location: Northwest Arkansas | I have a Boss BR-1200 digital studio that works great for that. It also has a bass player and a GREAT drummer. Plus you can burn CD's directly from it. |
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Location: Fort Worth, TX | mymartind35 - 2013-01-05 8:48 AM
I have a Boss BR-1200 digital studio that works great for that. It also has a bass player and a GREAT drummer. Plus you can burn CD's directly from it.
But is it built into the guitar? |
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Location: Denver, CO | Dave, I think the technology is out there, and what you are suggesting is already being done in several ways...I have seen several guys performing live with "loopers" of one kind or another. Professor BB is actually pretty decent with one, another guy who just amazes me with a looper is Danny O'ertli. The issues as I see them are the cost of building an ultra-compact looping system that would be marketable at a reasonable (read: accessible to the mass market of broke musicians who would be interested) price; and then, how to fit a quality set of controls into an onboard mechanism. The pedal setup seems to work because it keeps your hands free. Where would you put a set of controls that would allow access to drums and other sounds, as well as loop recordings and layer other sounds, within a guitar body and within hands' reach while playing on-the-fly? My instincts say if someone (I would not be surprised to find someone in the industry is/has already been experimenting with some sort of prototype) put a system together of that sort, small enough to install in a guitar body, the end-user cost would be astronomical, and, honestly, I think most of us would just as soon go to GC and shell out less than 5 bills for a pedal unit. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | I rescued this one from Ebay some time ago. So anything you can imagine can be built... 
Edited by MWoody 2013-01-05 12:59 PM
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Location: Denver, CO | So does anyone know what all the Variaxes were capable of? I used to play with a guy who had one, but even he didn't know what all it would do... Maybe that would qualify as a crude version, or a precursor to the kind of technology we're talking about? |
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Location: SE Michigan | Not to pee in your pie, but what is the merit of having such a system on-board the guitar? Having an external system would solve the weight, power, and size problems and have the added advantage of being able to be used with different guitars. Such systems exit today; looping pedals. |
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Location: Tennessee | Not sure if I'm missing something here, but aren't you essentially talking about an iDea preamp?
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Location: Flahdaw | DaveKell - 2013-01-05 9:44 AM
Talk about the ultimate way to play with yourself!
I sure wouldn't want the "built-in speakers". Talk about embarrassing......
Actually, I kinda get what you're talking about. I HATE cords, so eliminating all the external devices and having it all built in would be fairly cool. The speakers would give it some heft tho... |
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Location: Denver, CO | Bobbo, maybe now would be a good time for you to explain everything the iDea will do. All I've ever heard anyone say is how limited it is and everything it "doesn't" do... |
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Location: Upper Left USA | I would search You toob for all the idea presentations.
There are a bunch. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Google iDea for dummies and you'll find Dave's site. It has everything you need. |
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Location: Fort Worth, TX | bkok999 - 2013-01-06 10:27 AM
Not to pee in your pie, but what is the merit of having such a system on-board the guitar? Having an external system would solve the weight, power, and size problems and have the added advantage of being able to be used with different guitars. Such systems exit today; looping pedals.
As for the weight, power and size problem, I have an iPod that functions variously as a high fidelity stereo system, game console, GPS, hand help movie theater, contains all the functions of my desktop PC, and other functions too numerous to mention. I don't think any electronics mfr worth their salt would have a hard time minaturizing such a system to be only slightly larger than the currently largest pre-amp system. To address Bob's comments about the weight of internal speakers, I have looked at any number of iPod docks with incredibly small speakers that put out a big sound and the whole units wouldn't add the weight an early Adamas I picked up had from the Kbar. Also, like Bob, I would be very put off by an array of cables going to a unit on the floor in front of me. I have [played recently with a Les Paul player who sits two floor units full of effects in front of him on the floor and he is basically confined to that spot the entire time he is playing. As for Jon's (dwgpreacher) comments about making changes on the fly while playing, I was talking about something more like chord progressions prerecorded to play along with, not a unit you would be making changes to any settings while playing. I see the advantage of being able to pop out a memory card and process the sound on a computer to your liking to have as an onboard accompaniment track for a whole repertoire of songs one might play in a setlist. It essentially becomes a solo artist who is playing two guitars at once. As for using something that could be switched between different guitars, I'm not talking about the need for that. I'm wondering about the doable viability of a guitar equipped with world class, miniaturized onboard electronics that can be produced cheaply enough that it would be in reach of most "broke musicians" as Jon said. i can see someone having an entire collection of memory cards in many different musical styles for any gig they could either have recorded lead playing on to then chord live with or chord rhythm accompaniment to play live lead work to. I will have to educate myself as to what a looper is/does. Is there an ac/elec guitar with those already built in? Do they have the functionality I've described? BTW, I'm not bothered by the few comments ridiculing the idea. I've often wondered about what the first guy faced in a board meeting who proposed building quarter car washes. He would have been told "why would anybody drive someplace to spend a bunch of quarters when right now everyone washes their car at home with their hose". Personally, I'd love to own a guitar with the unit I know I am envisioning. The onboard drum machine was probably taking it too far since most solo guitar players rarely are accompanied by a drummer. |
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Location: Flahdaw | So you show up to a gig with just a guitar. On your 8 gig memory card, which inserts into the preamp, you have your set list of 60 songs with complete backing accompaniment (bass, rhythm, effects, maybe even harmony vocals). You plug your guitar into the house PA and you're done, no lugging around a bunch of stuff. I can see some merit to the concept.
That said, an Ipad that attaches to the mic stand is not that cumbersome (guitar to Ipad to PA) and could do all that and more, PLUS show all your lyrics). |
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Location: Denver, CO | Right now, I show up at a gig with a guitar and a laptop. Plug in guitar. Plug laptop into sound system and AV if it's available. Proceed to play a 3-hour gig with a full rock band accompaniment, plus video effects and slideshow support. And this happens with any ac/elec I choose. I've seen guys do the exact same show with nothing but a guitar and a smart phone. I can, however, see the appeal of a guitar with all those capabilities onboard. Then you go back to my comment on cost. |
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| I show up at a gig with a guitar and a laptop. Plug in guitar. Plug laptop into sound system and AV if it's available. Proceed to play a 3-hour gig with a full rock band accompaniment . . . .
If I had that capability, I'd just send the laptop to the gig, stay home and watch the game.
Edited by 71Jasper 2013-01-07 8:38 PM
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Science Fiction Onboard Electronics....
