The eccentric and quite oddly shaped body is the first thing you notice with this guitar: it’s built to look like one half of a pair of sunglasses. It’s an acquired taste. But beyond its aesthetic is a plug and play piece of technology that can be used with basically any sound generating module.
Where it maintains the feel and playability of a traditional guitar is in its build, constructed with a maple 22 fretboard, single coil pickups, and unlike many other technologically-minded guitar designs, it uses real strings.
The guitar is charged with a 16Mhz processor with the capability to send notes in 100th of a second for minimal latency, while a unique fretboard scanner enables the pioneering use of a tap mode: here a note is played instantly when you press a string on a fret. Other practical features include the potential to switch off each string and thus mute the MIDI output of any particular string, an easy-to-use Pitch Bend function, and a body that lights up in different colours.
An easily accessible control panel offers unprecedented functionality: MIDI volume control, a joystick for the aforementioned MIDI Pitch Bend, the ability to shift octaves, to change play modes and switch off a string. There’s also your standard guitar volume knob and pickup selector switch.
We’re not exactly sold on the looks of this particular unit. However it does boast some terrific features, and leans closer to traditional guitars than many other modern interpretations. Although it will set you back by around $2300US.
For more information visit rorguitars.com
