Ugly Truth About Vox Starsteam Guitar

From time to time Vox has released a select line of guitars. Many of these guitar of late have been vintage inspired instrument with a special flare. Vox has always hit the mark in the looks department, as far I'm concerned. That is, until now. But first, let's hear Vox's side of the story:

Created to provide a wide range of sounds including electric guitar, acoustic guitar, synths and other stringed instruments, the VOX Starstream Type-1 is the ultimate instrument for players looking to redefine the electric guitar and what it can do. Whether you are playing with a band, in the studio or practicing silently at night with headphones, the Starstream Type-1 offers exciting new possibilities.

Incorporating the AREOS-D system, the Starstream Type-1 is the latest evolution in onboard guitar electronics, furthering VOX’s reputation of breaking the boundaries when it comes to advanced guitar electronics.  Putting control over your sound at your fingertips, the system integrates several essential elements: magnetic pickups for authentic and classic electric guitar sounds; a piezo pickup system for rich-sounding traditional and acoustic instruments; a powerful DSP engine; familiar volume, tone and pickup selector controls and a Control Module that provides instant access to important tone-shaping parameters. 

The unique frame construction is three dimensionally contoured for maximum comfort, easily conforming to your personal style. Equipped with a smoothly shaped neck, unlimited upper fret access, warm-toned resonant wood body, specially voiced magnetic pickups and a balanced, easy to use tremolo system; this is the ultimate modern guitar.

• Exclusively developed AREOS-D system uses the guitar’s traditional magnetic pickups to create the electric guitar sounds for greater realism and accuracy.
• Nine banks of instruments, with three variations in each, plus two user banks to store up to six favorite sounds.
• Synth sounds track effortlessly and respond dynamically to touch, pick attack and vibrato.
• Simple, intuitive volume, tone and three-way switch make changing models and sounds quick and easy.
• 1/4” output for live performance or recording and 1/8” output for use with headphones for private listening and practice.
• Sculpted mango body; 22 fret maple neck with rosewood fingerboard; 2 x XLM humbucking pickups; 2-point fulcrum vibrato; sealed die cast tuning machines.

 Having that been said, let's talk truth.

Yes. It's Ugly

This is a striking looking guitar to say the least. I was on the fence, until I saw the video of a person playing it. It looks like someone strumming an over-sized electric violin, which no doubt was at least somewhat of an inspiration for the design. It is goofy looking, but worst of all the is the on board controls. They look straight out of the 90's. There is no attempt to blend them in with the look of the guitar. They stick out like a sore thumb. Maybe the thought was to make the guitar so distracting that you don't notice the honking bit of kit bolted to the guitar... Swing and a miss Vox...

There Are Others Out There

Maybe you like this guitar. Maybe you aren't a guitar player so much as an experimental-soundsmith. (you must be lost) If you want a guitar to sound like a bunch of other guitars, then take your pick. I'll just say it, Line 6 is you best bet. Their VariAX line has you covered. If you are into synth sounds, then prepare to be disappointed, because you get your choose of two sounds with this guitar and I was inspired by what I saw in the Vox promotional video. Looking for crazy sounds out of a guitar, then Ibanez made that weird Kaoss guitar a while back. That should take care of weird. (but why not look into Earthquaker Devices pedals. Lots of weird stuff for guitar and more...)

Maybe there are some good sounds in there

I know that's not an "ugly truth" but come on, I've been slamming this thing pretty hard, and it's kinda sad that I have to say 'maybe'. The 12 string and 'banjo' sounds in the video that Vox put out themselves, sound terrible. It might have something to do with the fact that the guitarist playing in the video was probably on par with my own playing, meaning it was nothing special. Nothing in that video made me want that guitar. However, I didn't hear the acoustic sounds. Those might be surprisingly good, but probably not, because they never are. there just isn't much about this guitar to get excited about. And I love Vox...

Maybe they will develop this line in the future, but right now it's a hard pass.

The Ugly Truth About The Ibanez RGKP6 Kaoss Electric Guitar

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.