Music

Last year, we featured an interesting prototype electric six string from Fern Guitars that allowed players to install pickup modules in a host body, without having to break out the soldering iron. Now the Phoenix guitar has launched on Kickstarter.

We've seen 3D printing used to create a good many musical instruments over the years, including guitars, saxophones, violins and more. The latest to join the orchestra comes from education software company Sensio in the striking form of the MyCello.

We've seen a number of projects over the years that turn gestures and body movement into music, including the Fitbit-like Mictic and Beatjazz Hands. Now Sony is jumping on stage with a wearable effects generator for musicians called Motion Sonic.

There have been a number of attempts to add digital sound processing tech to analog guitars, including the Fusion and Acoustasonic Jazzmaster. The latest hybrid shredder comes from Shenzhen's Mooer Audio in the shape of the GTRS 800 Series.

Late last year, we caught up with accomplished Italian guitar player Luca Stricagnoli to take a closer look at his novel slide guitar attachment prototype. Now the Reversed Slide Neck has undergone some modification ahead of upcoming production.

High-end audio brand Astell&Kern has added a new music player to its A&futura line, which slots in just below last year's SE200 model. The stand-out feature on the SE180 is the ability to pop out the existing sound module and swap it for another.

Learning to play the guitar is hard, and we've seen a number of solutions leveraging digital smarts to help kickstart the process. The latest is a funky X-wing smart guitar that was designed to open up playing to the disability community too.

Last month, Fender launched its third Acoustasonic hybrid acoustic, and we got to play with the Jazzmaster and interview the company's R&D chief. Now Master Builder Ron Thorn has given the Custom Shop treatment to the guitar, and it's a beaut.

Pearl Jam's Mike McCready is perhaps most associated with a Fender Stratocaster, and his vintage '59 model is his most prized. So it was this instrument that was chosen for a very limited Custom Shop replica run. But not all was as it seemed.

Fender conceived the Acoustasonic as the "modern acoustic" guitar. Slim, lightweight and super easy to play, it's a digital twist on a familiar organic form. We spoke to Fender's VP of R&D about how this "transitional" guitar works and what it means.

Responding to feedback from the synth community, Moog Music has launched the Moog Sound Studio – an all-in-one package that includes "all the equipment, cables, accessories and educational tools needed to explore sound in an immersive new way."

This tiny, $100 gadget plugs into your guitar where the lead would normally go, and gives you instant access to 12 beautifully modeled amp sounds and a range of effects through headphones, for super-portable practice and recording. Very impressive!