I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ❤️ LOVE ❤️ LOVE ❤️ LOVE ❤️ LOVE ❤️ LOVE ❤️ LOVE THIS VIDEO....THANK YOU FOR UPLOADING THIS VIDEO...VERY INFORMATIVE AND VERY HELPFUL..
First off, you are a musician and you are proficient. You teach and demo very well . We are always our worst critic. And what you call sloppy may just be your interpretation of music being filtered through your heart, soul, and body. Love the demonstration. Thanks
I loved your groove... I have been playing since 1967, I really enjoyed your manipulation of the fretboard never seen a style like your style. I am a retired (26) year US Military Pilot, I flew Blachhaves, I also did a tad of Gulf Offshore oil rig flying and 8 years of civilian EMS flying plus from 1972+ thru Nov 1979 I was a Los Angeles County Emergency Paramedic. Great video...
@@markwelsh9068 oh well that’s just great. I clicked on this video to learn something but let’s all just get out our tape measures and measure each others dicks instead 😠
Thanks for making this video! I've been looking at lots of videos of people demoing these things and most of the videos aren't that good. You really demonstrated what these things could do and how they sound. I'm really looking at getting a triple play pick up now.
I know you probably have a life and everything, but I would love to see your videos more often. You are one entertaining guy. Thanks so much for your videos.
Great video. Most guit/synth guys I know prefer to set pitch bend range to 12 or 24 semi tones, as long as the receiving synth can also be set to the same. It seems to track string bends better. I've had the majority of systems since 1979, ( my fav is the gr 300), including the Yamaha. My real problem with that one was it was too fragile. Please make more vids, this brings back some great memories!!
I hear you Jeff. It's my belief that any guitar player that has an ear for exploring the different tones of the six strings cannot help but to be enticed by the plethora of tones available in the realm of music synthesis.
Well said and inspiring; I am ribbed by purists who suggest I am lured by the costume jewelry of synthesis and even the simple introduction of a light doubler on bass when I played with blues-ish players (not traditionalists) seemed to intimidate some in spite of our reaching into blues similar to Led Zepplin interpretations
POTUS YUUUGE BIGLY wow, you sound like me. I've been play 25 years or so myself and I'm getting in synths now. I've always had a broad taste in music but lately I feel a bit burned out with rock music. I'm digging the retrowave stuff and also the darker stuff... Industrial, gothic and that sort of thing.
I actually enjoyed another close up look at the Godin Montreal. My genre is acoustic,folk, celtic, etc. so I am after a guitar with three voices that can mix and interact nicely. This seems to be it. I want to eventually be able to bring orchestration along side an acoustic sound using volume pedals without needing to distract my playing. Thanks for a great demo and and entertaining side as well!
I've been losing my mind with my GR1 sending incorrect notes to my JX 08. Thanks so much for mentioning the pitch bend issue. Gonna give that a shot. Was about to give up.
Great video! The old Rolands are great for chump change these days. I picked up a GR-1, VG-8 & VG-88. Also picked up a GI-20 converter and MKS-30 module (GR-700 sounds but with faster tracking) To top it off I found a GKP-4 parallel box so I can run all four at once. madness! arff!
"These are words with a "C" this time" . . .great King Crimson reference ( Elephant Talk). Thanks for posting this demo. I'm still looking for a decent guitar synth that tracks well and doesn't sound fizzy like the Boss SY 300.
Just bought my uncles G10 rig for $500 he bought in Japan when he was in the Air Force. I was like 13 in 1986 when he had that so It has been a long wait but mine now I enjoyed this video as it makes its way towards me via fedex ground
I be gotta be honest. Everything was wonderful till the surprise came last. Probably I was expecting a different sound... for when that cartoon tickling chirp-chuckles rushed in 😳 I couldn’t stop laughing. You are entertaining to say the least. 😂 Love it. I just lost an auction with that Godin xtSA at $520 on eBay. But there’s a BOSS SY300 who can do most everything GRs can requiring only a regular electrical guitar. What is your opinion of the Boss synthesizers? Thank you. 🍷
I was just now doing a google search on the Fishman Triple Play and came across this video. It's nice to see how it stacks up against other synths, especially the old ones you selected. The Korg was totally forgettable. You have a lot of velocity in your playing (Al Di Meola move over!), so you're really able to put the synths through their paces. The Yamaha tracked better than I expected, and I was amazed that the old Roland tracked as well as it did. I own a Roland GR-33 (bought it back in about 2001) and I've always been happy with its tracking. It does handle string bends, by the way. I really like the Hammond B3 with string bends enabled. Add some sweep to it for good measure, and you've got one helluva sound. The GR-33 doesn't have a lot of built-in instruments, but those it has sound really good to me. I've seen several demos of the Fishman Triple Play, though, and I gotta say that I'm tempted by it. I especially like the way it can interface with DAW software. So am I right in assuming that the Triple Play is installed into the guitar by Godin, the way they did with the 13-pin Roland compatible guitars? I used to own one of the nylon string Godins with the GR electronics installed. It was an interesting instrument -- especially handy for fingerstyle and classical arrangements. Now I just use the pickup attached to one of my Strats. So anyway, the big question for me is -- do I really need that Fishman? I think this is more a matter of want than need.
Hi. New to your channel and I’m becoming quite interested in guitar synthesizers myself(recently scored a couple Roland G707s). Attempting to setup my own studio too, something like what you have. Do you have a video about that? Did it all just happen piece by piece or one piece at a time?
Oh well! I guess in one sense I was close! Would be cool to see you set that up though... :) Meanwhile, what in your opinion would be the easiest way to get a guitar to CV controlling an SH101 and also a PolySix? Got a bit of cool old gear cause I was born a bit earlier than 1989! (Still, that was a very good year for me), Love your work - just found you on the tube tonight - have subscribed and will be in touch! Cheers, Steve in Aus - land of cool snakes and pouched animals...
This Guitar Synths are not for to play it like a Guitar, that makes NO SENSE! This Guitar Synth are for Guitarist that can't play a Keyboard, to play a "SYNTH" !! Thats all...it must not be playable like a Guitar, it mus transfer the the right tones wichones you wanna be trigger a Synth ... for compose a Song! I absolutly don't understand why you think this "Plastic Monsters" must be playable like a Guitar ...that is senseless! !! The "NEW" JamStix Studio, is a Real Guitar that you can play like a Guitar, with FULL Midi integration and "Bluetooth" ...very Interessting Guitar!! And with Midi you don't must play in your REAL BPM TEMPO, you Play the Tempo Half! And when you are correct ...and finish your Recording, you crank up the Tempo at will! I don't Understand what you are try to transmit...that makes no sense?? Its not for making Live Music...its for a Guitarist that can not play Keyboard .... TO COMPOSE a Song with Synth's!!! But the "Fishman" does a very good Job! The Roland Guitar is very Modern, but the GR-1 is OLD , when you connect a NEWer Roland Guitar Synth ...than this Device is sure the best one...i think so!?
for the last 2 weeks i haven't been able to put it down! .....i've been playing my prs thru "midi guitar 2" software and I'm blown away by the tracking! needs no hardware of any kind ...AND it both hosts plugins and runs AS a plugin. you guys shood really check it out .... its goin into my rig for sure!
Are the six knobs on the right of the Yamaha rack unit's faceplate gain controls for each string? Fantastic video, btw; I just picked up the FTP after trying one of those Godins with one built in. I've played guitars with GK2 & 3, RMC piezos, and the FTP; playing changes/improves, but I do prefer the piezos overall.
That's correct - those are individual gain / sensitivity controls. I'll be honest - I haven't played that guitar synth since this video was made 6+ years ago!
Honestly, in the years since this video I've kind of given up on guitar synthesizers. The most recent thing that I tried was Fishman's TriplePlay Connect, and it just frustrated me more than anything else.
I have a g10 too , back when they came out , They were the best trackers . I use a Yamaha tx 81z for keys, brass, organ ,Rhodes, clavinet,flute and piano .A TX 16 w sampler for strings with two volume pedals for each Tone module to blend the strings in,it worked very well. I had a alesses effects unit with Lesley for the organ that worked with the modulation wheel. A programmable peavey EQ that would change with each sound .I still have it all .
The main reason why the GR1 doesn’t track as well with the VST is because of the bend transmit. Set it to chromatic or a pitch range of one (and make sure the VST is set accordingly) and it will be fine.
Nice shootout. I was hoping for the "Mystery Date" to be the Ibanez X-ING IMG2010 + MC1 ... plus maybe a little IFC60, if it was handy ... still, learned some stuff about some controllers, and I like your style!
enjoyed the video.... seems like maybe you should shorten your guitar strap by a little bit. Like the Godin guitars very much.... nice playing, no doubt. The only guitar synth I own is an old Korg X-911. Even though I've owned a guitar with a built-in GraphTech 13 pin midi p'up for 11 yrs now, I just haven't found a synth worth integrating into my setup/sound so far. I bought it for the piezo output w/ 3 band para eq. Cheers from Montreal! (better late than never?LOL)
My first Guitar Synth was back in the Late 70s ~ It was the 360 Systems Spectre Guitar Synth..made by Bob Easton. I still have it.. & also it's Sequential Circuits Programmer... in one on my racks... I haven't turned it on in many, many years though! I think the Serial # is 012...? The Spectre was a 19" Rackmount unit that came with 2 Oberheim Oscillators with envelops & gates & with hex pickup and of course "Hex Fuzz!!!" But, unfortunately... it was not Polyphonic :((. After that the next advancement in Guitar Synths was from New England Digital > The Synclavier !!! Wow that was nice! That was the top dog.. But it cost $100,000 plus tax... so it was a bit too pricy for most guitar pickers. and more for the studio than Live. My Opinion...the GR-55 Roland (a side from it's limiting layout design issues..) The GR-55 is top Dog in the Guitar Synth arena ~ (once you re-adjust it and tweek it...) Only then...It comes to life... It sounds & tracks as good (if not better) than the Synclavier. at less than 3% of the cost! But, from back then to today.... one thing hasn't changed...... That... all technology has its limitations.... and it is up to YOU.... to always try to work around what it can't do with... what it can do! ~ Lets face it... It's all about creativity! and even more about the expression of creativity into " Sound & into Tone " !!! Thank you for taking your time to post your review! Gerard
tripped across your video this morning while looking for info on some of the newer guitar/synth pedals. Glad I did, very well done. And you've inspired me to blow the dust off my G10 and IVL Pitchrider and get back to work. Thanks!
I have had a roland Gr1 since they came out. I have used the GR20 and Gr30 and Gr33 and GR55. I feel each of those had some improvements and a few nice features, but I feel the GR1 was still far better than the others. I have used the GK2 and 2a and GK3 synth pickups but I prefere those built in like the ones on the Godin guitars. I haven't tried the Yamaha. But right now my go to rig is a Godin SA guitar with GR1. Thanks for the video. You did a great job. I guess I am a fraud and phoney too. I have made a few CDs and people think I can play keyboard, and fiddle and sax and all the rest. But I am "just a guitar player". But I love it. You just have to phrase things like those other instruments to make them believable. And that is the challenge, but a fun one
Thanks so much for your comment. I'm on the lookout for the even older GR50 - it supposedly doesn't track as well as the GR1, but the synth engine is a lot more interesting.
The GR-50 tracks faster than the GR-1, GR-30, GR-09, etc... I just sold mine on Reverb for about $150.00. Pretty easy to find them. I believe you would truly like the GR-50
This is fantastic! If you ever get curious to do a follow up, I think the G10 has some built in patches for the TX802 and TX81Z, and if you can get your hands on a Yamaha G50 it has some patches for the VL70m/PLG150VL.
If I'm being honest, I've really soured on guitar synths over the years. Even with the best ones, I've had to make too many compromises in my playing. At this point, I'd rather use pedals to make my guitar sound not like a guitar. Sorry I can't be more helpful!
Nope - in fact, I lost the small handful of sounds that I edited when I repaired it a few months ago. I'm pretty sure that I didn't have a compressor on the audio track or on the master bus, either.
Excellent presentation and overall demo Sir !! Maybe one of the best videos about this guitar synth 'subject' . In case you ever get your hands on a vintage Blue Chip AXON i bet you''ll love its tracking and string/frets layer 'features' and will definitely hate its awfully done editing parameters menu :^) It was also nice to humor about your level of ''supposed sloppiness ''' as i just see a very talented and musically oriented guitarist who can indeed play ! Kudos Jeff .
Thank you for the kind words! I'll keep my eyes open for an Axon. I'm only vaguely familiar with them. I'm pretty sure that John McLaughlin used to use them.
Great video. I have been hemming on an FTP for that superior tracking, to run software synths in studio, but pricey for just a pup (especially when you factor in the guitar multiplier)... And then how do you use it w/out the PC? I could tap MIDI out from my GR-33 or 55, but instead I usually suffer my horrible keyboard playing and lots of takes, or use Guitar Wing. I don't find tracking an issue with either GR unit a problem w/GK3 pups (on various 84-91 superstrats w/FR trems), only with GK2A on an HSS Strat gives me grief periodically. Could just need further adjustment I guess...
I love this comment! It's actually not as precarious as it looks, but I intentionally put stuff there and/or stack cans to see if anybody will say anything about them.
In the G10, there must be a way to create or built something so the sound won't bend if you choose not to. Like a switch with some software or electronics. I want to know if that could be done ? A specialist in electronics,computers and instruments may be able to do create that.
Something I didn't mention in my video: when I record something using the G10, I'll often edit the MIDI track after the fact to remove any unwanted bends at the start of notes. It doesn't take too much time, so I've always considered that a reasonable workaround.
Nice presentation.I have the roland gr700 w/505 controller..I know, it's a juno with a guitar trigger,still some nice sounds here and there.i rarely use it. if I were not a tech it would have been in the incinerator with the rest of the obsolete roland parts a long time ago.the analog horns abd woodwinds are nice.My regular synth of choice is the roland gr 09. particularly when I use it as a module with my studio logic keyboard controller.great sounds and layers.any idea where i might find a wide formay roland hex pick up for my 505 guitar?
Have u had a chance to demo the boss sy-300 guitar synth yet? Kind of exciting that it doesn't need a piezo pick up system just normal 1/4" output. But from what I seen it doesn't allow for midi multi timbral instruments just synthesized sounds. Which is fine but I like the compositional aspect of classic instruments that the gr-1 could leverage. ( some of the sounds could be quite convincing when u altered yer style of play for them like the vibes and some of the wind/reed instruments ) Enough to compose some interesting ideas save for percussion sections for which 6 strings are inadequate. But between Guitar the Alesis D4 drum module ( and homemade radioshack velocity sensitive piezo buzzers repurposed as pick ups ) and the gr 1. I could at least notepad a composition that expressed how the classic instruments would contribute. Got out of recording strangely enough in the mid 90's about the same time I got into computing. But never married the two. Kind of depressing that u had to kill the pitch. Did you try to adjust the pickup sensitivity for each string in combo with a lighter pitch setting ( and an altered style of play? ) to trigger midi on yer computer. I always assumed that as much would work as well as the stock sounds? :( ( I had an emu proteus rack and that use to work with my gr 1 flawlessly ) don't have it but still have the gr 1! soundcloud.com/theuglyman0war/darkmancini-strut?fb_ref=Default
Yes. I too was wondering whether you have tried out the SY-300 yet, and your thoughts ... ? Nice vid and thank you. Just found your channel and sub'd ... Cheers! K
LGxt Godin with the GR01 using internal sounds. I thought the sound you choice would track a lot faster than a piano sound with has the latency problems
Interesting. I bought the Fishman Triple Play pickup when it first came out. Great idea but I couldn't get it to work successfully with Logic Studio on the Mac. Probably works great if you are using a PC. Retailer did accept return and I got a refund.
I just picked up a gr-20 at a local pawn for 50 smackers, I have a gr-55 , but I heard the 20 can actually be better on some patches. The 55 sounds great when it tracks right, real fickle on which guitar I equip with hex pickup. I still can’t get it to track pianos decent. Strings , pads are do-able, but I can’t get the pianos to track good unless I install the hex on a certain guitar. Scale length of the guitar seems to affect it quite a bit. I’m interested to see what up with the gr 20, I heard it tracks better, just less instrument and sound tweaking abilities
Sorry I'm late to reply to this. The Godin takes the signal from its piezos (one per string) and uses those for its Fishman TriplePlay connectivity. It doesn't need a separate bulky pickup, which is nice.
Jeff, thank you for the. Vid; especially teaching me a out the G10. Two questions: do you know of any LAP STEEL guitars with built in synths. Then, what do you think of the YAMAHA EZ-EG for a rank beginner like me. I am not Django, but I do have partially crippled hands from a NASTY table saw accident. Thank You.
You only play rhodes in this video.. that is the last thing I would play with a synth.. If I had money I would buy a sy300 right now.. and if I had more money, a gr55, and if I was rich a sy1000
I also wouldn't use a Wurli sound with a guitar synth under normal circumstances. However, that's exactly why I used it here: it reveals all of the tracking issues with the various guitar synths.
@@TheMusicAddict yes man, I am checking your channel. I realise it is all for the purpose of tracking checking.. I thought this video was going to start with a gp10 (the yellow one). Anyway, I have an electribe 2 and a boss gt10, it is quite a basic setting but you know, gt10 has enough things, preamps are difficult, difficult to set up to get proper stuff, but in the basic level it has phaser, chorus, any sort of delays, reverb and 100 things more. I am the sort of player that grabs his guitar once a month.. but for that, it is enough setup. I recorded some presets, only once I recorded both things together, it sucks because I am not very good, dont devote too much time, but here it is.. watch?v=rhlZe_drveQ
I found this in a search for midi guitar - as I too have a mental/muscle memory issue with keyboards. (Not a phony though as I'm vey open about it.) The search however, was due to tying in my Roland GR-55 to an Akai MPC, as I was looking to deal with some velocity issues.... Something, I'm working out on my own, but once I do work it out, it may help you as well... In the meantime, I love the the idea of the 'synth addict' (as I too am) who also has an aversion to keyboards (as I) - who has similar hurtles... I feel less alone now... I hope you do too. (We are not going to date....)
So glad days of synth guitars and pickups and boards are pretty much gone. Just buy the $100 software from jam origin, download or buy some awesome vsti synths and use any guitar with it and works a lot better than any old school synth pickups or boards or guitars! Great and fast tracking. Can do poly or monophonic too! At least great for studio/home use, not sure about live, so maybe live you still need pickups and synth type guitars.
This stuff is fine and wonderful unless you are playing live. The Fishman stores it's virtual instruments on a computer so you have to have that too for live performances. If you're just doing recordings have fun but if you're playing live the Roland GK and Gr55 on a Strat make the most sense.
Maybe you can help me solve one of the great mysteries of (my) life; how the hell do you change the backup battery on the G10? I took mine out of storage after years, and can't figure out where they keep that battery...Anyway, I'm a guitar synth junkie too; have a GR-55 and a VG-99 in addition to the G10. My all-time fave was the Photon controller. Got busted in a move and I have regretted tossing it ever since. Thanks for the great video on a strange passion...
incredibly clean technique, inspiring! I see how Yamaha solved the lower-pitched-string tracking issues back in the 80s, all 6 strings are ultra-light gauges on the G10, aren't they? too bad it's useless as a regular guitar. I have a Roland GK3 pickup mounted on a custom guitar tuned down to CGCFAD (56-10 gauges) going into a GR20. While the 1st to 4th string track fine, the 5th/6th strings are nearly unplayable, their latency is outrageously high. I suppose that's the tradeoff, the GK3/GR20 rig cost me $350, the fishman seem way better but it gets prohibitively expensive; is it even possible to drive a hardware synth/rom-module with it?
Thanks very much for the kind words! The strings on the G10 are all .016s. They all need to be tuned to approximately G-ish in order for the unit to track properly. :-)
that figures. You mentioned the Godin has Roland electronics, but I see no GK3. why is that? I also hear no latency when you play 5th & 6th strings, can you do staccato or fast picking on those?
I researched the G10 brian system. I am not going to pay $350 for one. So, I am going to let the YAMAHA g10 GO. Too bad, it would of been fun to play. I may have mine up for cheap on EBAY in the near future unless I can find a head unit for $100-$150.
The tracking and latency on any of these is no better than the one I had in 1990. They're just not ready for prime time. Electronics are so much cheaper now It's a real shame they can't make something like the SynthAxe today....
