Dark Fire??

[Wondo]

I think this is a pretty cool guitar since I am into writing some ambient guitar stuff now. However, how is this guitar any different than any other guitar with a piezo other than the tuning capabilities? It says it has digital capabilities, but I must be missing something. If you had something like Line 6 GuitarPort, what would the Dark Fire do with Guitar Rig that would be any different than any other guitar?

[dark]

I am not seeing this as a great thing. More like a joke, a bad joke. A gimmick, and an overpriced/expensive one. I would rather see Gibson pay more attention to the quality aspect of their guitars. I have been playing and owning Gibson since I bought my first SG in 1968. The new models do not have the feel, sound, and attention to quality that the guitars made a few decades ago and earlier. Besides, one could buy a Gibson LP Standard, have enough money left over for a quality acoustic, a laptop, and some interface such as M-Audio Black Box, Guitar Rig, whatever. I love Gibsons, older ones, please, NO more gimmicks, and no more chambered bodies. I would like to see continuous improvements to quality and attention paid to details like fit and finish, something that is lacking on the new LPs. I am in GC on a regular basis and play all the new models. Why not try to find ways to make more affordable, quality, Les Pauls? Instead of making models that will end up in the same demise as the Fender VG or lol the Roland Synth guitar.

[nolongermike@gibson]

I think this is a pretty cool guitar since I am into writing some ambient guitar stuff now. However' date=' how is this guitar any different than any other guitar with a piezo other than the tuning capabilities? It says it has digital capabilities, but I must be missing something. If you had something like Line 6 GuitarPort, what would the Dark Fire do with Guitar Rig that would be any different than any other guitar?[/quote']

 

Hi Wondo, this is way more than a piezo with robot tunings. An amazing array of pickup selection capabilities, super-fast auto-tuning in a variety of open tunings, drop tunings, standard tunings, all the functionality of the digital guitar (you can send the sound from each string to its own track when recording), plus the ability to tap that hex pickup with Roland or other MIDI guitar setups, acoustic sounds that can blend with electric sounds, it includes the full version of Guitar Rig and Ableton Live Lite. The quality is astounding. PLEK setup, perfect intonation and it stays in tune as you play it, can rapidly be switched to another tuning, etc. I spent a good deal of quality time with Dark Fire today, and I am in love.

 

Dark Fire is an ambient guitarist's dream come true. You'll be able to create sounds with it natively that will amaze, but when you take it to the extreme and start dialing up a different sound for each string on your recordings, plus blend in acoustic sounds, and use open tunings, plus pick from any number of the pickup configurations, then tap into the MIDI pickup possibilities by paring it with a Roland or other MIDI processor for guitars, and on top of all of that use Guitar Rig with its endless possibilities, you'll be making some serious ambient music that will boggle your mind.

[Anderton]

My take on Dark Fire and its suitability is that it's designed for:

 

* People who use, or would like to use, alternate tunings. There is simply nothing equal or better for that application, and the Robot II technology is much faster than the original.

* People who need a wide tonal palette without going the modeling or synth route. It reminds me of a guitar I made once with a zillion switches for doing every conceivable pickup/coil combination, but it was unwieldy. DF makes it all much easier to use thanks to the MCK knob and the readout. Add the EQ, and it really does deliver lots of sounds but they're all analog, not synthetic.

* Those who play live and want to use only one guitar - you don't need a tech to swap out different guitars for different sounds or tunings.

* Studio guitarists because they'll only need to take one guitar to the session (well, except for a 12-string) and be able to give whatever sound the producer wants.

* Experimental guitarists - I'm a big fan of the hex pickup capabilities in the Digital Guitar, and Dark Fire has that.

 

Far from being a gimmick, I think it solves a particular set of needs for guitarists who place importance on the above characteristics. And if it's not your thing, that's cool too. But it's nice that people such as myself who like to push the boundaries of the guitar have new options.

[elantric]

Well stated Craig!

 

I'm happy that Gibson has the inertia and the history and clout to pull the whole Dark Fire project off so well - and that they have teamed with the best.

My closet has a mix of vintage american, single purpose asian knockoffs, and Variaxs, and GK 13 pin capable guitars to interface with Roland VG-99.

 

Many VG guitarists will tell you the Roland VG-99 has the finest Alternate tuning emulation at this point in time ( fall 2008 ) , but as a slide player, i find that there is no way the VG-99 can do what the Dark Fire can do . To play Sonny Landreth, Lowell George, Bonnie Raitt style slide - you need the actual free air coupling effect of a singing guitar amp's speaker - re-energizing the actual guitar strings, to give you that "good" kind of feedback so necessary for good sustain and tone. This "speaker to string "physical path is broken in Variax and VG-99 systems - and getting real sustain from those systems during alternate tuning mode engaged is very daunting, even when fernadez sustainers or Maniac Music Stealth Sustainiac's are added to these instruments.

 

With the Dark Fire, I look forward to being able to actually perform many alternate tuning compositions live - and have a simple rig with high use-ability i can actually navigate during creative moments and hectic inspiration at live gigs - with minimal gear.

 

You have to remember that at the 1949 NAMM show they all laughed at Leo Fender, calling the guitar we now know as the Telecaster

" just a toilet seat cover with a neck sticking out of it"

 

And of course in 1958 many of the first Flying V' dealers hung these guitars from the ceiling and employed them as "Arrow Signs" pointing to where in the store the Gibsons were hanging on the wall.

In the realm of music innovation, Les Paul represents more than just the guitar line that bears his name.

 

I never thought I'd say this , but i want to thank Henry Juszkiewicz and everyone at Gibson for vision to raise the bar, and assemble and create the Dark Fire Project Team - which brings us working tools and allow us to be more effective and efficient in our musical efforts.

[Lazvision]

Im a salesman at a Guitar Center in the NY Area

 

I hope to be able to answer any unknowns about tomorrows launch of this awesome instrument... at least as far as it goes in my store.

 

Confirmed:

 

We are going to have 5 in stock as of Monday dec 15th.

 

Not a single one will be allowed to sold until 5pm eastern time.

 

We CAN TAKE DEPOSITS before then. If you really want this beauty, we can take a deposit for it now, and you will have yours sealed in a box.

 

We can take deposits over the phone and I can ship from my store in Brooklyn, to any where in the U.S.

 

For the first hour only, these will not be transfered from store to store... ONLY AVAILABLE IN BRICK AND MORTAR SHOPS!!... ie: NO GC.COM... you must deal with a salesman.

 

If anyone got those 10% off coupons in the mail, or gift cards sent by us... you may apply them to this purchase.

 

If you got any questions.... shoot me a msg, or an email at lazvision@gmail.com