If the entire new system is on the headstock, that could make for easier repairs, since they could just replace the whole thing. Gibson couldn't get a new board to replace it at the time. My friend's robot that failed had a problem with a circuit board at the control knob on the guitar, if I'm understanding his description correctly.
I now see a major difference is the fact this new system is all on the headstock. I think that Gibson might have abandoned the exclusive on these tuners (you may be able to buy them, at least, without buying a guitar upon which they're hung), so it's possible that there may be customer service available now.Īgain, big thanks to those sharing real world experience with the system. I'm not sure what a mechanical system would do with a Floyd.īeyond the Variax, of course, there are also the MIDI synth type solutions, which are even less limited.Īnd finally, as you note, getting the mechanical versions repaired can be an interesting process. I've got a JTV89F (Floyd) on the way (availability TBD). There's no change in tension or bendability. Digital pitch shift occurs immediately (including via stomp on a Pod Live).
ETUNES BY ROD TYLER FULL
Both, as you know, offer digital pitch shift of up to a full octave down and around half an octave up. I've been using a Variax 500 and an Acoustic 700. You're still standing around strumming for several seconds while the tuners get themselves correctly set. With the mechanicals, you have to be very aware of string gauge too light and you break strings, too heavy and you break tuners. You're limited in the number of steps in either direction (five half-steps?). The mechanical versions share the same problems - some of the strings become cheese-slicers, others get floppy. Now, with the Wilkinson system apparently no longer available, the Gibson appears to be the only cost effective option. I'd really prefer a mechanical version that works. I've tried two Line 6 Variaxs (a 700 and a Tyler) and I find they fall short. I'm not into digital pitch shifting solutions for multiple tunings. So if anyone else has any more insight I'd like to hear it. But as a slide specialist, a new standard LP was not what he needed. To their credit, it was a significantly more expensive guitar than the robot LP Special he'd bought. They went back and forth with it then finally Gibson offered him a new, non robot, Les Paul. It worked fine for a month then had a problem and Gibson, for whatever strange reason, couldn't get the parts to fix it. That was the problem with my friend's robot. It's also really important they can be repaired if necessary. These are so new it may take a while to discover whether or not they'll be reliable over the long haul.
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