If you were alive and going to small shows ten years ago, you might have noticed that once in a while there would be a band with a strange little device that made even stranger sounds. Most people would just shrug and thing that was odd. A gear-nut, such as my self, would then go online and find out what made that sound. The device is a Kaoss pad. It is made by Korg and get gained a lot of traction in Screamo/Metal scene (as well as others). Now they can be heard in much of todays pop music and EDM. This device has tons of filters and sounds built in and can be manipulated with a track pad. This makes it extremely intuitive, with as many variants as there are swipes of the finger. In the right hands, they can become a very expressive tool. It was only time that someone stuck one of these things on to a guitar. Thanks Oba... I mean, Ibanez.
The Guitar Makes Me Sad
These guitars are in the RG series, which means they are the second to last rung of the Ibanez ladder. They aren't anything to look at. They have one single coil sized humbucker in the bridge position. As far as traditional controls, it have a single volume knob. If this was all it has, I'd call it a California style set up, but it has a build it headphone amp. That's neat, but the controls are in a very awkward spot (at the back of the body) and includes some fizzy distortion built in. The body of the guitar is nothing to look at. It's listed as "Mahogany" but I have my doubts. The finish look like a thin coat of paint on top of bare wood. I like minimal aesthetics as much as the next guy, but this just looks cheap. Maybe some cost cutting due to fact that they are plugging a $150 effect into the body of the guitar.
The Whole Thing Says Gimmick
Don't get me wrong, I love innovation and weird sounds, but this is a little suspect. I don't know if this is an attempt to sell guitar to synth guys or sell synths to guitar guys. In reality most people who seriously want a Kaoss pad have the full sized Kaoss III. Guitar player have an abundance of choices when it comes to making weird sounds that don't involve buying a completely new guitar (that looks and probably feels like a cheap starter guitar). The Kaoss mini is a very interesting piece of gear on its own. It has a huge library of sounds, drum machine, built-in microphone, and real-time touch pad control. The question we have to ask out selves is, "Does a neat device warrant the purchase of a sub-par guitar?
I Kinda Want One
I'm not going to lie. At first thought I dismissed this thing faster than Fez after he has already said "good day.". But then I saw something. A video, that I almost dismissed just like the guitar. It was Rob Champman of You Tube fame, and they were review a Ibanez guitar. This is not something I'd normal watch. I'm not interested in Ibanez guitars. Not that they're all bed, but they aren't my cup of tea. The video description guaranteed that I'd want one if I watched the video till the end. Sure enough, I enjoy the video so much that I too want one. It seems more like an expensive toy than anything else. Something that guitarist break out when friends are over and they want to muck about. Think about when the last time a piece of gear made you laugh. That why this guitar exists.
I think you need to learn to spell mate that review has so much bad grammar in it I can't take it seriously lol
ReplyDeleteI think you need to learn to spell mate that review has so much bad grammar in it I can't take it seriously lol
ReplyDeleteI think this setup was used on a low end guitar to gauge interest without losing money. I think its the potential start of a great trend. Theres other guitars like this out there that cost a couple grand if you feel like youre talent is only as good as the price tag of your guitar, but those of us with actual creativity can get a lot out of this. Guitars like this have come out over the decades and usually dont live on because theyre cheap. This is a solid step between the older onboard fx guitars of yesteryear and the $3000 full sized Korg KP3 guitars used by bands like Muse. Sure you coyld build one yourself from a much nicer guitar, but you definitely couldnt build one for cheaper.
ReplyDeleteI have one of these and have used it for the last 2 years on stage. The main draw back, which is annoying, is the difference in sound output drop, when you flick from clean to dirty. They should be equal, but I have to compensate with the volume knob which comes down to a good "guess" as to how loud you are heard in the audience. Not good. For a cheap guitar it does play well with nice action.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback!
ReplyDeleteI doubt anyone sees this in time but it's $249 right now on a big sale at Musicians Friend. I wonder if it's discontinued yet. That has to be inevitable right?
ReplyDeleteAt that price GET TWO :)
ReplyDelete