Radical redesign of the electric guitar is put through its paces

[snoop1130]

Radical redesign of the electric guitar is put through its paces

By Stuart McDill

 

Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien plays a Circle Guitar, a radical redesign of the instrument that strums itself, in a studio in London, Britain, October 1, 2020. Picture taken October 1, 2020. REUTERS/Stuart McDill

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British band Radiohead's rhythm guitarist Ed O'Brien has been putting a radical redesign of the electric guitar through its paces.

 

The Circle Guitar features a rotating disc that can be fitted with plectrums to strum the strings, freeing up one hand for the guitarist to experiment with new sounds.

 

O'Brien described the instrument as one of those he had been "longing to find."

 

"It's like learning a new language, really," O'Brien told Reuters during a session at The Church studios in London. "I want to spend a lot of time with it ... I think it's extraordinary."

 

The spinning wheel can rotate at up to 250rpm and allows the musician to program different rhythmic patterns with magnetic plectrums that fit into 128 slots in the disc.

 

Created by designer Anthony Dickens, it was inspired by the search for new sounds.

 

"It's not really a guitar to be honest. It's a different kind of instrument," Dickens said. "It's like Frankenstein's cousin."

 

The guitar can be synchronised with a computer, drum machine or digital interface.

 

"I like electronic music and drum machines," Dickens said, "so taking the organic, lovely sound of a guitar and making it so precise is creating this different kind of feel and vibe to music."

 

There are plans to make two versions of the Circle Guitar: one with a single output for the classic rock guitarist and one where each string is a separate output for record producers like Oscar and Grammy award-winning Paul Epworth.

 

"I think the Circle Guitar is an incredible innovation which really does challenge how you play an instrument," Epworth said.

 

"This is really in a league of its own."

 

Two years in development, Dickens said he hoped to start commercial production of the Circle Guitar next year.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-13

 

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[worgeordie]

Jimi Hendrix must be spinning in his grave ..........

regards worgeordie

[Emdog]

Uhhhh....... no. sounds about as much like a guitar as having keyboard player using guitar sample... but I suppose if your goal is to have "industrial" guitar sound devoid of human aspect, yeah then it works. How about adaption that does the chording, fingering so all you have to do is hit a switch, then go drink coffee or beer?

There is sooooo much more to guitar playing (and music) than merely hitting notes on the beat. When playing with others responding to the moment, varying the tempo slightly (or greatly), changes too many to mention... I don't see how this could help. Might as well use karaoke. Same goes for electronic drums, which these things are after a fashion. I don't even like to use loopers. I've been playing for decades longer than I care to admit. I'm old school: real people playing with each other, bouncing off each others ideas in real time.

[stouricks]

Didn't Messrs Godley & Creme of 10cc fame invent something like this way back when, I forget the name of it, but it was an automatic strummer device.

[stouricks]

Come on, which songs would you play on this guitar. Round & Around by the Stones/Chuck Berry, Circle of Life by Elton, Wheels on Fire by Brian Auger, Windmills of Your Mind (listen to the words), Revolution by Beatles, 

[J Town]

Try and get two guitars like this in sync on a song. They will be out in moments.

[Beeline]

4 hours ago, stouricks said:

Come on, which songs would you play on this guitar. Round & Around by the Stones/Chuck Berry, Circle of Life by Elton, Wheels on Fire by Brian Auger, Windmills of Your Mind (listen to the words), Revolution by Beatles, 

 

4 hours ago, stouricks said:

Didn't Messrs Godley & Creme of 10cc fame invent something like this way back when, I forget the name of it, but it was an automatic strummer device.

It was called the Gizmo. The background noise from the device was a problem.

[stouricks]

4 hours ago, J Town said:

Try and get two guitars like this in sync on a song. They will be out in moments.

The OP does say that the speed can be conrolled by a computer, or I assume midi clock. So not really impossible to do.

[J Town]

1 minute ago, stouricks said:

The OP does say that the speed can be conrolled by a computer, or I assume midi clock. So not really impossible to do.

Two individual computers will clock very close but not exactly identical, and there is still the human component.

[stouricks]

13 minutes ago, J Town said:

Two individual computers will clock very close but not exactly identical, and there is still the human component.

I did mean a clock signal from the same computer which is for example running a DAW.

 

And as for the human component....a computer will usually only do what it is told to do....usually!

Edited October 14, 2020 by stouricks

[khunPer]

Turning an electric guitar into a kind of hurdy gurdy, interesting development...

 

If you don't know what a hurdy gurdy is, then it's a fascinating medieval instrument, which of course already has seen a new era after being electrified...

 

 

[khunPer]

16 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Jimi Hendrix must be spinning in his grave ..........

regards worgeordie

Jimi would have been so exited with all that new possibilities. He was a creator of new ways to make a guitar sounds; only because he became member of "The 27 Club" his creations stopped with the now classic Hendrix-way-of-guitar-sound...

[Purdey]

6 hours ago, stouricks said:

Didn't Messrs Godley & Creme of 10cc fame invent something like this way back when, I forget the name of it, but it was an automatic strummer device.

Yes, they invented the Gizmo, or Gizmotron, in 1969 and patented it. It was used by Jimmy Page on parts of In Through The Out Door. It was used in the 10cc album Sheet Music and others. 

Production ceased in 1981.

[stouricks]

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

Turning an electric guitar into a kind of hurdy gurdy, interesting development...

 

If you don't know what a hurdy gurdy is, then it's a fascinating medieval instrument, which of course already has seen a new era after being electrified...

 

 

 

[Justgrazing]

17 hours ago, stouricks said:

Didn't Messrs Godley & Creme of 10cc fame invent something like this way back when, I forget the name of it, but it was an automatic strummer device.

Gizmotron as used by 10cc ..