Gibson's Robot Guitar Includes Advance in PowerTune System

by Staff.

Yesterday, Gibson Guitar announced the availability (December 7) of the limited-edition (4,000) Robot Guitar whose main innovative feature is the inclusion of a self-tuning system created by German engineer Chris Adams and his company, Tronical GmbH, based in Hamburg, Germany. In January of this year, Gibson announced that it had entered into an agreement with Tronical for the exclusive worldwide sale and distribution of Tronical’s PowerTune System in both new guitars and upgrade kits. As seen below, Gibson then displayed various Gibson models retro-fitted with the system at the July Summer NAMM Show.

Basically, the PowerTune system is a computer-mechanical method of tuning the guitar. The frequency of the each string's current tuning is obtained by a special bridge and information needed to achieve a desired tuning is transmitted by the string to that string's special tuning peg that adjusts string tension accordingly. By interacting with the Main Control Knob (MCK), which on the Robot Guitar is also the volume knob, a player can quickly tune the Robot to one of seven pre-set tunings:

Regular Tuning: EADGBE
E Major Tuning: EBEG#BE
DADGAD Tuning: DADGAD
Dropped D Tuning: DADGBE
Delta Blues Tuning: DGDGBD
Eb Tuning (also known as Hendrix Tuning): EbAbDbGbBbEb
Double Drop D Tuning: DADGBD

Other features of the PowerTune system include reference tuning (to tune the guitar to an instrument that's not playing A above middle C at 440 Hz) and the ability to overwrite the above pre-sets with different tunings selected by the player.

Chris Adams introduces and explains the Tronical PowerTune system:

The question is, what differentiates the Robot Guitar from a standard Gibson Les Paul retro-fitted with the Tronical PowerTune system? Most of the answers lean toward marketing and cosmetics, but one offers an important advance in the PowerTune system.

Unique to the Robot:

1. It's a limited edition. Only 4,000 of the model will be made, with only ten units allocated to 400 different retail outlets worldwide.

2. It features a one-time-only finish: nitrocellulose Blue Silverburst. According to Gibson, "It will never be used on any other Gibson guitar."

3. It comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

4. Each Robot serial number is sequential to the run, beginning with RG0001.

5. Each Robot comes with an equally limited edition first-run case of silver tolex with a plush silver interior.

6. The Tronical PowerTune system offers a preset of G Major (GBDGBD) instead of the Robot's Delta Blues Tuning (DGDGBD).

7. Unlike the original Tronical PowerTune System, the Robot's tuning modes include an additional setting for adjusting the guitar's intonation.

The proper intonation of a guitar is critical to the instrument truly playing in tune throughout the range of the neck. It's not enough for the open strings to sound as if they're in tune to a stable outside reference. If the instrument's intonation has not been correctly set, those in-tune open strings may sound sorely out of tune further up the fingerboard. The Robot's bridge saddles will not automatically adjust for proper intonation - you'll still need a small screwdriver - but the Robot's MCK system promises to easily guide you through the process.

While the Robot Guitar's street date (December 7) is less than a month away, an important question remains: whether or not Gibson intends to offer new otherwise-production model Les Pauls and SGs with the Tronical PowerTune system as originally envisioned (and, if so, whether those models will include the Intonation feature included with the Robot). Gibson has indicated that a non-limited edition version of the Robot Guitar will go into production in 2008, though plans for other applications of the Tronical PowerTune system and the system's availability for retro-fitting are unclear.

According to music equipment retailer Sweetwater Sound, Inc., the Robot Guitar's MSRP is $2,499 and though only ten units have been alloted per store, the guitar can be pre-ordered (though not deliverable before December 7).

Related Links
Gibson Announces Robot Guitar
Gibson's Robot Guitar Web Pages
Tronical PowerTune Website
PDF of Robot Owner's Manual
PDF of Tronical PowerTune Owner's Manual
Gibson Guitar Signs Worldwide Exclusive Agreement for the Tronical PowerTune System

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