Music

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!

A world-leading guitar amp and effects emulation company has distilled much of its digital wisdom into a tiny but mighty sub-$300 practice amp that gives you one-touch, free access to more than 10,000 editable tones and some very smart learning tools.

The kalimba is the commercial version of a traditional Zimbabwean instrument known as the mbira, which dates back thousands of years. That said, a brand-new high-tech tool has been designed to teach people how to play the thing.

Many smartphone makers have recently turned their backs on the humble audio jack, meaning that your favorite earphones and headphones may need some help to get you plugged in. Luxury audio brand Astell&Kern has responded with a portable USB-C DAC.