gTar could bring out the virtuoso in you

Unleash the Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan in you with gTar, a fully digital iPhone-powered guitar that recently launched on Kickstarter. Not to mistaken with the Sitar, gTar comes with a built-in iPhone dock that uses sensors to relay what you are playing to a specially designed iPhone app. Startup company Incident developed the gTar out of the need to create a digital “educational” guitar that will help aspiring guitar players learn the instrument and to experience the thrill of playing it without the frustration and time-consuming regimen.

Basically, all you have to do is dock your iPhone in the guitar body, load up the gTar app, and an array of interactive LEDs along the fretboard will show you how to play it. According to the company, while most guitars have pickups to amplify the sound of vibrating strings, they used sensors to detect exactly what is playing in real-time and relay each note to the iPhone, which then produces the actual sound. They also developed an intuitive feature called SmartPlay, which mutes out incorrect notes.

You can enjoy all three levels, starting from Easy to Hard. gTar is more like a learning tool than a replacement for an actual guitar. Although I personally believe that there are no shortcuts to learning how to play the instrument, gTar is a great tool for beginners. Professionals on the other hand, might also benefit from the fun and digital experience that they will be getting from gTar. The company is planning to release an SDK for developers and said that gTar will retail soon for $450.

Gene Ryan Briones
Categories: Audio, Cellphones
Tags: guitar, iPhone, Music