The Gibson Robot Guitar (a.k.a. GOR) is a limited-edition self-tuning

Gibson Gibson may refer to: People * Gibson (surname) Businesses * Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment * Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based * Gi ...

guitar, typically a

Les Paul Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz guitarist, jazz, country guitarist, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid body ...

.Gibson Robot Guitar
/ref> The first run of limited edition Robot Guitars was exclusively made up of Les Paul bodies. Five different Gibson models were available (2008-2011, Robot X-plorer 2008-2012)) with Robot Guitar features: The Robot Les Paul Studio, Robot SG, Robot

Flying V The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1958. The Flying V offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Explorer, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designe ...

, Robot X-plorer, and a Robot

Les Paul Junior The Gibson Les Paul Junior is a solid-body electric guitar introduced in 1954 as an affordable, entry-level Les Paul. It was first released with a single-cutaway body style; models with a double-cutaway body style were later introduced in 1958. T ...

. Developed by Chris Adams, its most notable feature is that it uses an onboard computer to automatically tune itself. This is not the first guitar to be able to tune itself, but it is regarded as the most modern, unique, and non-invasive self-tuning model available, because it does not employ cams or

cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cant ...

s throughout the body of the guitar.Blackett, Matt. "Gibson Robot Guitar." ''Guitar Player'', February 2008
/ref> The non-limited edition SG and Les Paul Studio are available in a variety of finishes. The Flying V and Explorer are only available in metallic red. The price can range from about $1,000-$3,000 or more for custom options. In the case of the "Original 1st Production" Robot guitar, the only finish available was Blue Silverburst nitrocellulose, a color which Gibson has stated will never be used on any other Gibson guitar (see photo to the right). The original Robot guitar also featured headstock and neck binding which are not standard on any current Les Paul Robot as well as a chrome truss rod cover with "Robot Guitar" engraved. The production version featured 22-fret rosewood-bound (standard finishes) or white-bound (metallic finishes) ebony fingerboard with figured acrylic trapezoid inlays, white-bound headstock with MOP Gibson logo and flowerpot inlay (metallic finishes) or unbound headstock with screened logo (standard finishes), three-per-side robotic Powerhead Locking tuners, tune-o-matic Powertune bridge, Powertune stop tailpiece, two chrome-covered humbucker pickups (490R, 498T), four knobs (three normal, and one Master Control Knob that controls the robotic actions of the guitar), three-way pickup switch, Neutrik jack on side of guitar, chrome hardware.

Technical information

The tuning system used on the Gibson Robot Guitar is based on the aftermarket Powertune system, which was developed by the Tronical Company of Germany. The Gibson system uses the standard Tune-o-matic style bridge typical on their guitars, but modifications were made to have individual piezo saddles that transmit each string's pitch to the

microprocessor A microprocessor is a computer processor where the data processing logic and control is included on a single integrated circuit, or a small number of integrated circuits. The microprocessor contains the arithmetic, logic, and control circ ...

. The computer analyzes the signal, and then controls each of the Powerhead Locking Tuners. Each tuner is run by a small

servo Servo may refer to: Mechanisms * Servomechanism, or servo, a device used to provide control of a desired operation through the use of feedback ** AI servo, an autofocus mode ** Electrohydraulic servo valve, an electrically operated valve that c ...

motor that works in sync with the bridge to bring the string up to pitch by altering the string's tension until it is within a desired tolerance. The entire system is powered by a nickel metal hydride

rechargeable battery A rechargeable battery, storage battery, or secondary cell (formally a type of energy accumulator), is a type of electrical battery which can be charged, discharged into a load, and recharged many times, as opposed to a disposable or prima ...

pack housed in the control cavity of the guitar.Gibson Guitar Corporation

Features and functionality

The Robot Guitar appears to have the standard four knobs for individual pickup volume and tone controls; however, in place of the bridge pickup tone knob, there is the Master Control Knob (MCK). The control functions like a “push-pull” knob: when in the down position, it functions like a standard control. When in the up position, however, the MCK is what coordinates the automatic tuning for the guitar by sending the information and power to the neck PCB through the strings. Then the PCB activates the robot tuners by contact. Users can choose from seven factory presets for tunings, six of which are editable. Each tuning can be returned to "standard" tuning of A (440 Hz) by simply pulling up on the MCK knob, and strumming the strings lightly.

Similar systems

While Gibson advertised the guitar in America as a "world first,"The Gibson Robot Guitar is Coming!
- gibson.com 2007-11-07 similar systems developed by Transperformance have been in use for decades.

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...

currently uses a Les Paul Goldtop with the Transperformance system in it. This system is also endorsed by

Graham Nash Graham William Nash (born 2 February 1942) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, photographer, and activist. He is known for his light tenor voice and for his contributions as a member of the Hollies and the supergroups Crosby, Stills ...

as well as

Ed Roland Edgar Eugene Roland, Jr. (born August 3, 1963) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the rock band Collective Soul. He is also active with his side project ...

. The drawback to the Transperformance system is that it requires heavy modification to the instrument, including routing and installing multiple cams and cantilevers. Gizmag. ''The Transperformance self-tuning guitar.'' (15 March 2008)
/ref>

References

External links

Gibson Guitar CorporationTransperformanceGibson Les Paul
{{Gibson Les Paul Products introduced in 2007 Robot Guitar

Robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be ...