Gibson Intros Two New Robot Guitars

Gibson might be looking to cash in on Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but the company is also rolling out two new self-tuning "robot" guitars.

Gibson Guitar might be trying to get a slice of Rock Band (and a bigger slice of Guitar Hero) by trying to claim infringement on a concert simulation patent involving a 3D headset…but in the meantime, the company continues to roll out it’s sci-fi space age vision of music-making by introducing two new self-tuning Robot guitars, this time a Les Paul Studio and a version of its SG solid body electric guitar.

Gibson introduced its first “robot” Les Paul back in November; the guitar is equipped with tuning electronics and servo motors that enable players to switch between common guitar tunings on the fly—or just make sure the guitar is completely in tune. The guitars also offer a “quick intonation” function that walk players through the process of calibrating the intonation on a guitar so fretted notes are in tune.

The first “blue burst” robot Les Paul had a limited production run of 4,000 instruments; now, Gibson has expanded the technology to the Les Paul Studio and SG solidbody guitars. The Les Paul Studio was originally intended to be a budget-conscious version of the iconic Les Paul, offering solid color paint jobs, few appointments (like body binding) and a simplified control configuration. The double-horned SG is another of Gibson’s signature designs, featuring easy access to the upper frets and an aggressive look, that was also designed to tap into the budget-conscious market. Both new robot models feature a metallic purple finish, and will only be available in limited quantities. The “budget” Les Paul Studio carries a suggested retail price of $3,999; the SG runs $3,599. Both are available only in the United States.