Peavey's AT-200 electric guitar featuring Antares Auto-Tune pitch correction technology, which was launched in January 2012, has now been released.
Externally, Peavey's new AT-200 guitar looks like any other modern super-strat, but it features an active system that can tune the strings and then keep them in tune. Unlike instruments that use hardware-altering machinery – like the RoboHead tuners and Tune-o-matic/Piezo robot bridge found in Gibson's gorgeous Firebird X – pitch-perfect string tuning is performed by the AT-200's onboard DSP technologies developed by Antares.
The guitar's Auto-Tune technologies are powered on by pushing in the tone knob on the front of the guitar, after which the volume knob comes into play to activate the actual tuning. In addition to the standard concert pitch affair, players can switch into alternate tunings like Drop D or Open G, tune the guitar to a chord, introduce virtual capos, and more.
The system's Solid Tune feature continuously monitors the precise pitch of each individual string and electronically makes any necessary adjustments to ensure that notes and chords always remain in tune, regardless of finger positioning and pressure. Peavey says that Auto-Tune is even smart enough to recognize intentional bends and vibrato.
Players can also add a growing list of popular tunings and new features from Antares, which are loaded into the AT-200 and controlled by any MIDI source (footswitch controllers and smartphones/tablets running special software, for example).
There's a 3-way selector that's used both when the Auto-Tune system is active, and when the in-house twin dual-coil humbucker pickups are in passive mode. The active circuitry is powered by four AA-sized batteries or remotely via the optional AT200-B breakout box plugged into the 8-pin DIN connector next to the expected 0.25-inch audio out jack.
Elsewhere, the guitar has a solid basswood body, and a 25.5-inch scale maple neck topped by a 24-fret rosewood fingerboard.
Peavey has given the black or red AT-200 a suggested retail price of US$999, with a recommended street price of around $499.
Product page: AT-200
The main features are outlined in the following video demonstration from Peavey.