Okay it was a little harder than that. She set up a sensor on each string, which detect the sounds, then reproduce sampled notes through the original Commodore sound chip. The keyboard also produces additional synthesized sounds. Even though she thinks it could sound better, I think it sounds pretty great. This is definitely one of the cooler guitar mods we’ve seen in awhile – at least since the NES guitar.

[via Laughing Squid via Geeks Are Sexy]

The gTar was launched as a Kickstarter project. It has actual strings, and uses sensors to relay what you are playing to a custom iPhone app, which is supposed to help people learn to play the guitar more easily. The array of integrated LEDs along the fretboard will light up to show you how to play. Each note is relayed to the iPhone, which then produces the sound. There’s even a feature called SmartPlay that mutes incorrect notes. (They could also call this “Cheat mode.”)

It’s more of a learning tool than a replacement for a real guitar, though it does offer a “free play” mode where you can play it once you’ve built up your confidence. In just a couple of days, the project raised the necessary $100,000 to be fully funded. There are still 34 days left. Will it do $10 million like the Pebble smartwatch? You’ll need to pledge at least $399(USD) to get yours (the introductory batch of 200 already sold out for $350.)

The cool thing about the Female Form 6-string acoustic guitar is that it’s a little bit of both. It’s a quirkily-designed guitar, and while it’s not exactly a girl, it’s shaped like the torso of a female. (Read: it has all the right curves.)

The guitar is made-to-order only and is available from Celentano Woodworks on Etsy for $2,700 (USD). It’s not cheap, but it’s definitely unique.

It’s no wonder his name is Gig since he makes a full time gig out of carving. He has been doing it for about twelve years and as you can see, he does amazing work.

As for this guitar, just look at that amazing detail. I can’t carve a turkey, let alone an awesome Alien guitar. He should be helping to build scary sets for Prometheus. I’d love to see that.

You can check out Goldstein’s other guitars at his YouTube channel.

[Guitar Noize via Walyou via Neatorama]

This custom guitar was hand-sculpted in Thailand. Not only does it look amazing and actually play, but the eyes are LED and light up with a blue glow. Another little dragon sits on the headstock. The detail on both monsters is very impressive.

Emerald Guitars made this beast in 2009 for a customer that wanted something very special. It think he got his money’s worth, don’t you? I don’t know about the owner, but I would be too afraid to play this thing because I wouldn’t want to put a single scratch on it. I certainly wouldn’t be “dragon” this thing from gig to gig.

Hit the link below for more images.

[via Obvious Winner]

Created by Rob Sanchez, Ryan Rogowski and Kipp Bradford, the Tabber is a kit which can be attached to the neck of your guitar, using an array of bright LEDs to illuminate the appropriate finger points along the frets of your guitar. What’s really cool about the Tabber is that you can connect it to your smartphone, and have it light up based on the chords programmed into an app. This lets you learn on the go, and without being tied down to a computer or video game console.

The Tabber will work with either electric or acoustic guitars. It’s currently in the prototype stages, and raising funds for a production run over on Kickstarter now. While the prototype still looks a little bulky, the production version will be extremely slim and not interfere with fret fingering at all. A pledge of $150(USD) will get you all the parts to build your own Tabber, while $200 or more will get you a fully-assembled Tabber kit.

Maybe we would have even seen him serenade some of his cute companions. Perhaps, even, the show would have been a straight up musical – like Glee, but with Daleks instead of Sue Sylvester. I’m kinda sorry that didn’t happen. This “regenerated” version of the GuiTARDIS is called the Patrick Troughton since it is the second version of the guitar.

It was made by Arthur Yet Lew, who obviously likes himself some police box rock. Here he is standing next to a Delorean with his GuiTARDIS. I wonder if that will cause some sort of a rift in the space-time continuum.

Arthur has more images of the build on his Facebook page if you want to try and build one for yourself.

[via Nerd Bastards via Neatorama]

A professor at Auckland, New Zealand’s Massey University, Diegel created these beautiful and lightweight 3D printed electric guitars using a combination of alumide and polyamide materials with an EOS Formiga P100 selective laser sintering machine – a serious industrial 3D printer. I doubt you’d be able to do something this impressive with a Makerbot, but I’m happy to be proven wrong.

His current designs, the Scarab and Spider, feature a cool open air design, and tremendous depth and detail thanks to the capabilities of the 3D printing tech. I love the tiny insects and plants on the inside of these things.

Of course, while the guitar bodies are 3D printed, the neck, pickups, frets and strings are all standard electric guitar parts. Maybe someday those can be 3D printed too.

I’m not sure if Olaf is offering these guitars for sale, but if you’re interested, he has contact information up on his University web page.

[via Ponoko]

Take, for example, the Digitar. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that it’s a mash-up of “digital” and “guitar.” This concept design by Formquadrat is basically a futuristic touch-sensitive guitar that makes use of Touchskin surfaces on the neck, drum, and wheel.

You’ll basically be able to play your favorite tunes and strum without risk of broken strings, because these Digitars aren’t fitted with strings. Instead, they’ve got capacitive touch surfaces, and LED fret indicators for music lessons.

While we’ve seen some digital guitars before, this one seems most interested in preserving some of the tactile strumming appeal of the original. It would be interesting to see if they catch on and manage to draw a following if they ever make their way into the market.

[via Yanko Design]

The problem is that you still can’t strum and hear the notes, so who knows how much this would actually help you play. At $30(USD) it might be worth a look, though you are bound to look odd playing with this in public.

[via Redferret]

This killer axe was made by Ikon Customs using birdseye maple, an appropriately evil pincher claw headstock, and has a purpleheart fretboard with glow-in-the-dark dots. I bet that’s exactly what Cthulhu’s heart looks like – purple with glowing dots. At least that’s what I like to imagine. Of course there’s the monstrous green body in the image of Cthulhu himself – complete with beady red eyes. Here’s another one they built, with a slimy looking yellow and green neck – which also seems appropriate.

You can order your own custom Cthulhu guitar for $699 to $1199 (USD), depending on the guitar model and features you select. Cthulhu himself orders you to buy one or he will make you suffer an eternity of madness.

[via Ikon Customs Forums]

Granted, this gargantuan device isn’t really a guitar – the head stock is totally decorative – but dammit he’s carrying a whole console and three effects pedals. That’s a recipe for back problems. The gAtari 2600 also has a track switcher in the form of a joystick, although not in the form of the console’s iconic controller. Watch the video below to see cTrix lug the gAtari 2600 around while rocking out.

What an unbelievably crazy idea. I’m sure he could have taken out the console’s parts and ended up with a smaller instrument, but no, he just went for it. Somehow I can’t imagine a PS3 or Xbox 360 guitar looking as cool as this. Check out cTrix’ website for more of his gadgets and music.

[via Topless Robot]

The TabStrummer uses an Atmel microcontroller, a MIDI output and an audio-out jack. The 12 memory buttons can be programmed with any chord/tab that can be played on a 12 fret guitar, and all the buttons can be programmed into any of the 300 memory SONG locations of TabStrummer’s internal memory. To listen to the TabStrummer, you can use headphones or connect it to your sound system or TV.

Geeky musicians would certainly love to get their hands on this instrument. To hear the TabStrummer in action, check out the video below. It sounds pleasant enough.

[via Hack-a-Day via Geeky-Gadgets]

Ministar guitars were created by after extensive research by guitar builder Bob Wiley. He came to the conclusion that the body of an electric guitar can be removed without dramatically affecting the sound of the guitar. Hence, Ministar guitars only have a neck and head. Take a listen, and you be the judge:

In addition to the guitar, each one comes with portable, battery-powered headphone amp so you can practice on the road. They also offer a bass version of the Ministar, if that’s your instrument of choice. Most of the guitars are around 31 inches long, and weigh three pounds, while the basses average 41 inches long, and weigh five pounds. That’ll certainly shave off a bit of weight if you tend to travel a lot with your guitar.

Ministar Guitars sell for between $280 and $350 (USD), and the basses run $300 to $360.

[via designboom]

The adapter device connects to your iOS device using the charge-and-sync port, and has a thumbwheel to adjust the input level. This makes the iPad or iPhone perfect for practicing the guitar and it will let you play and record sessions on the go easily as well.

You can pick one of these up right now for $79.99(USD) and record all you want to your favorite music app. I wonder how good tbe recordings sound. If any of you are guitar players let us know how this works if you pick it up.

The iTar case and fretboard will dock with your iPad, turning your iPad into a full-fledged guitar in seconds. Couple that with the iPad’s touchscreen interface, and you can play samples, drum it like a beat box, or play it like a synthesizer (or pick up a game of Angry Birds) in-between guitar riffs.

The iTar is the brainchild of inventor Harvey Starr, who has plenty of experience building expensive, custom MIDI-controller. Now Harvey’s company, Starr Labs, has got a Kickstarter project to produce the iTar. They’re still a way off from their $50,000 goal, but assuming the project does get there, it will be pretty cool to see this attachment produced.

You can get in on the iTar project over at Kickstarter now. A $200 pledge will get you your very own iTar (assuming the project hits its goal.)

[via Buzzaurus]

This is Sonoma’s second model of this add-on, and it plugs directly into your iOS devices. It’s got inputs for microphones, guitar cables, and stereo mic/line inputs. There are multiple apps available to modify the tone and sound of your instruments, and naturally, you can record everything as well.

You can pre-order the Sonoma GuitarJack for $149 (USD) right now, and it will ship in 4 to 6 weeks. The older model is on sale now for just $49 but is NOT compatible with the latest iDevices.

[via Ubergizmo]

You can get different effects without needing accessories. The guitar has a “Pure Analog” audio engine and can produce acoustic guitar sounds, but it’s also designed to hook easily to a computer for recording and updating. The guitar also has an open architecture that will allow developers to create apps for the guitar, and Gibson plans on launching an app store for downloading guitar software.

The Firebird X also has real-time control over settings on the side of the guitar so you don’t have to reach a pedal board to change settings. One of the coolest features is that the guitar has Robotic Tuning Technology. This allows the guitar to store multiple tunings and tune itself easily and quickly.

The Firebird X is available starting today, and only 1800 of this limited-edition axe will be made. You can find out more about the guitar’s numerous features here.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Guitarist Julien Brasart has previously kicked out one of the best Star Wars medleys I’ve ever heard, so when he sent me the link to Angry Birds on electric guitar, I was happy to give it a listen. So without further ado, I give you… Angry Electric Birds!

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Now wasn’t that better? It seems at least a little more appropriate to me. Still, I wish the green piggies had their own “dark” theme song, sort of how Darth Vader has the Imperial March.

The thing is, you most likely won’t be carrying around some musical instrument while you go about your business everyday–unless it’s right on your bag like on the Electronic Rock Guitar Bag, that is.

Most bags that are for the musically-inclined feature designs of musical instruments like guitars and pianos and drums printed on the bag. But on this bag, you can actually play the guitar.

That little box you see in the lower right corner is actually a mini-amplifier, and that’s where the sound will play through. So how do you actually play this thing? Just place your fingers on the desired frets on the shortened neck on the bag and move your thumb across the strings at the bottom of the bag.

The bag is large enough to accommodate a 17-inch laptop, and comes with six small pockets and two larger ones to carry all your other stuff. The Electric Guitar bag is on backorder right now at ThinkGeek, and is priced at $49.99 (USD).

[via Geeky Gadgets]