The Self-tuning guitar: Would Jimi play one of these?

I once played with a guy who had a T-Shirt that read "Tune It Or Die!" Even knowing that it was a joke, I still took a couple of extra seconds to make sure my axe was completely in tune before counting off the first song.

Those worries could be a thing of the past thanks to Gibson's controversial new "robot guitar," a modified Les Paul that not only can tune itself, but can  quickly switch to one of six (programmable) alternate tunings.  The system uses what Gibson is calling Powerhead Locking Tuners, machine heads with servos that automatically adjust the tuning of the guitar. A sensor in the bridge sends a signal to a CPU inside the neck which then tells the tuners what to do.

Gibson plans to make 4,000 of the $2500USD guitars this year, with 200 dealers around the world each getting 10 of the instruments. They'll be available in Blue Silverburst. I wonder if that's the color techie guitarists prefer?

The ability to switch (almost) instantly to a variety of alternate tunings does sound kind of cool. Wanna play Voodoo Child (Slight Return) or Honky Tonk Woman? No problem. You're only a button press away from Jimi and Keith.

Some say that this is great idea... Others say that it's unnecessary and that it takes away from one of the basic skills of playing a musical instrument. Plus, it's 2500 bucks, which could buy a nice tuner, a Les Paul and a couple of tanks of gas to get to your next gigs.

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