No, I don't think the "all in one" idea here is the future. It doesn't seem like there is anything stopping Mooer putting their app and hardware into a separate package for those who already have a guitar they are happy with. It's not like the old days where emulation and modelling needed a separate pickup. I think this is ideal for any youngster just jamming with friends. Whilst everything you showed is quite well done, the basic sounds are kinda generic, and lacking in the kinds of subtleties that old timers like us would typically be chasing.
There was a German band called "Trio", where the guitarist only played on the middle pickup of his Strat. It was a very unique and experimental sound and personally I love there music. In the end, he put the neck and bridge pickup out of the guitar. It was a white old Fender Strat and looked pretty fun after that. He is called Kralle Krawinkel, in my opinion a very good guitarist, if you like the style of music. So this was my comment to "Team Middle Pickup". Very nice video Ryan, as always :)
No, thanks! I don't want that future. When so many things around you are digitalized and become apps on your phone, you would just want a solid old school guitar and amp. Also CHINESE SOFTWARE? God no.
I'm seriously looking into this guitar. I'm a van lifer #vanlife #lifeafter55. I think this fits into a lifestyle like mine. It may not be for everyone, as someone else commented that they prefer a pedal board & amp to get "their" sound. It's not for them, at least not yet. Maybe, just maybe, in the future with even better technology. But for someone like me, with limited space, a "one stop" guitar is perfect. I do have nicer guitars which I keep in climate controlled storage, and play when I'm "home". But while on the road, my home is wherever I park my van. Fantastic review!
I understand that but so long as they make it repairable (like is the rechargeable battery replaceable) and don’t completely lock the hardware of device down it might be fine.
I like the basic idea. It seems like all the innovation in the guitar world is happening on the amp side while the guitar itself hasn't changed much in the last 75 years. I recently started a cover band for a streaming service where we don't use amps to reduce spill and this looks interesting. However, maybe I missed something but it doesn't have an Insert loop to use external pedals, right? That could also be a way to add monitor signals to use the Headphone as a Monitor in a live situation. And I wonder if that App connection is stable in a tightly packed venue full of cell phones and al sorts of Wi-Fi.
Thanks for a great review. Love your beard! Is it possible to pair Bluetooth headphones directly to the GTRS guitar? Is there anyway of using Bluetooth headphones with the GTRS guitar?
I don't think any company would do that, because using your bluetooth headphones to monitor your playing will have a lot of latency. Sounds like a good idea but it's gonna be really disappointing in reality.
Team middle pickup? I made a whole video about how to mod your guitar so you don’t ever have to risk accidentally using your middle pickup again! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u_LgnGX1QxU.html
If they'll make their products modular, so I can yank out one module and plug in a different one, they can view "upgrades" as a revenue stream. I still think they need to strap a keyboard and touch-screen monitor on it - preferably a 27" or larger one. That way, I can play guitar while watching LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, too.
I don't like allen bolts because, when they strip out (and they will), they are difficult to remove and install good ones. And for someone who uses their trem bar, those allen bolts will need retightening. Of course, maybe they used good steel instead of solid lead or tin-foil...
Reminds me of a much improved Alesis X Guitar we have, actually got two of them. Also the modeling Line 6 Variax guitar, we have an old 500 model. This with its Bluetooth app and floor controller is pretty amazing. The price a bit higher than I expected but it does sound great and as a self contained beginner/practice option I'd consider buying one. Fantastic demo that shows it off in a compact and to the point way. Thank you! 👍
7:03 Fret Sprout. In my experience a fairly normal occurrence for guitar built in a completely different climate then the one they will be staying in, long term. Heck this past Winter all of my guitars developed fret sprout because of how cold and dry it was. The heater in my home didn't help either. It sucks, but I think fret sprout is just going to continue to be a thing people will have to deal with from time to time. Even on high end guitars.
Thank you for mentioning that. I was going to make a similar comment. It has nothing to do with the quality control or assembly, it is all about temperature and humidity. I played a Jazzmaster Acoustisonic with some of he worst fret-sprout I have ever encountered, and I have owned several budget-minded guitars. This guitar is obviously manufactured over-seas and fret-sprout is just an unfortunate side-effect of this, Sometimes the fret-boards get acclimatized and expand back into shape and sometimes they do not. For what this guitar offers, it might be worth looking past the small amount of filing/fret-dressing required.
The trouble with all the electronics onboard is that in a year or two THEY WILL BE OBSOLETE! Not to say it will be no good but in the keyboard world that goes on constantly where a cutting edge model becomes passe in 5 years but as long as the instrument itself is good it will be ok.thanks
Old Variaxs still sound great and work well. Even the 20+ year old ones. It's not like they suddenly sound bad when the next new thing comes out. I still sometimes use Pod Farm amp models on recordings even though I have a Helix, NDSP plugins etc. If it sounds good, it is good. If it inspires you, it's worth it.
@@jonlorbacher you're mixing up 2 general types of digial gears: those that come with self-contained software, and those that requires connecting to another piece of backend app. The GTRS is the latter. Sure it's playable until Mooer decides to put ads on the app, or ask you to buy more and more virtual stuff, or update the app out of nowhere and you run into incompatibility issues, or track your data, etc. god knows what else. With all the money you can spend on digital stuffs and plugins, just grab a decent reputable guitar and a Marshall amp or something. In the end analog gears are more likely to be inspirational and has higher resale value down the road.
Actually in the keyboard world... the new Kurzweils use the same synth engine from decades ago. Roland's newest "Zencore" synth engine is mostly the same as the JV/XV synths of the past. Their new Fantom O is similar under the hood to Jupiter 80 and Integra. The new Korg Nautilus is another repackaging of early 2000s Oasys technology, just like Kronos was. People pay big bucks for supposedly obsolete digital synths even now... not even really rare stuff, but like FS-1r, MOSS, the aforementioned Jupiter 80 (not 8, which is a vintage analog, but 80, which is an aging but not vintage digital). Even Yamaha Montage/MODX is still AWM2/FM, a continuation of the old SY-99 lineage. Good digital keyboards don't become undesirable until they're almost vintage!
@@GizzyDillespee Yeah sounds remain desirable and come in and out of desirability in terms of electronic gear. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING USABLE....I have 35 year old pedals that I still use but....I still would not buy this guitar!
@@frankcarter6427 They did go bankrupt a few times and people hate Gibson. IMO the SG and Les Pauls are ugliest girl toy guitars I have NO desire to own!
A noble effort to create something different. Having said that, I think it will go the way of other guitars that tried to slam proprietary solutions onto the guitar itself.
I think I might get one of those, doncha know. That's a heck of a lot of guitars and options for not very much money. Thanks very much for this demo video.
I got a Mooer GTRS w900 recently, and it's currently the entirety of my setup. For my bedroom-guitarist with the occasional jam it is just great. Mine has a built in wireless system, too.
I think it would make more sense to have something that plugged into a guitar's jack, so you wouldn't be saddled with a guitar you didn't necessarily want.
Mooer has released a pedal that is essentially the gtrs system that you can plug any guitar (and I'd assume bass) into to get everything except the pickup modeling.
I like mine. They are coming out with the Pro this month. I have the 800. Thinking about the new pro. No telling how it will play until it is at your doorstep. Great overview
I have one I find it cheap with cheap plastic knobs and tuners. Technology maybe brilliant but the selector on the app is crap so out of date a little tiny drop down menu hardly visible on the phone. Difficult to initially load. Nothing like positive grid app. Disappointing
The effects are mediocre in these guitars. People put technology in everything these days and it doesn't necessarily add up to a great product. Guitar, amp, cable....done.
I have a 1300.00 American strat that doesn't have any of those features..It's just a plain standard blizzard pearl(silver) guitar.. All that thing needs is a way to record to garage band on the iphone
Hot af sparkle red finishes are the future of guitars, yes. The rest? Nah, devices break andd become obsolete and then you're left with an expensive problem.
I think it looks really cool! I really want a strat but this is out of my price range for what it is, and even if it wasn't I think for that amount of money I'd probably buy another 400ish dollar guitar, pay for a pro set up, get a pedal and some strings and various maintenance stuff, or save the extra 200ish and get a Player Fender or somethin :( looks fun but can't just drop 800 on somethin quirky! Probably not meant for me
How do you wanna do this. This guitar only costs 555 euros, thats nothing actually, compared to this and how it sounds. Yes you re are bound to them and their app that not THAT good but still, you are only paying 555,- and even when the battery dies sometime you ll still have agood guitar.
When they can manage to put a bass program on these is when it'll be complete. I don't know how they can do it though, while jamming to just drums is okay, having a bass option would be phenomenal.
Like the Digitech Trio plus footpedal - it would need chord recognition app in the guitar , not sure if it does this either. Cool set up, but I am more into the idea of the new Spark mini amp system.
This type of guitar system will NOT be in my future. I'm not a fan of using my phone to control things in my guitar playing. I'd rather twist real knobs ( If & when I plug in. Much of the time I practice unplugged with my electrics.) The "practice amp" that I own is a very simple Roland Cube Street.....that I use for many things and it does fine until I really want to hear my favorite "sounds". Then I plug into one of my (2) Rivera amps. They make me smile..... 😃
I think of sprout as when the wood shrinks a bit leaving the fret hanging, not sure that’s what this is. It looks like the clipped it but didn’t clean it up after.
@@60CycleHumcast Looking at the photos, they look left undressed as opposed to sprout. As for the rest of the system, there is plenty to work with. I think the modeling tech has room to grow. It definitely makes it easy for the beginning guitarist to dip into different effects without added expense of buying pedals/amps/cabs. It may not be the future right now, but it definitely has a place at the table, right along with all the other modeling tech.
@@djay6651 it could be interesting to have a future where lots of guitars have hardware to host software and then you purchase the software from various companies instead of being committed to one brand per guitar.
Does the chord section have the ability to work with the looper and can it recognize a patterns? Cool system but I'd want to try it before I bought the guitar system - not easy if they are only sold online and not in retail shops. My past preference was the Digitech Trio plus that does bass and drums and looper in a pedal with any guitar you already own. My headphone amp to plug into direct is a ammoon POCKROCK ( pocket rocker ) pretty cool set up under 60 bucks new on amazon with tuner and drums and 7 amp sims plus multi effects like reverb and tremelo etc.... I do want to explore the new Spark mini portable 10 watt amp with built in looper with drums & bass with all the same bluetooth-app set ups for cellphone. Mooer do make fine pedal products for dollar value.
I’m seriously considering buying one of these guitars. BUT, the biggest red flag for me is that any guitarist I’ve seen reviewing it and sing it’s praises, never play it again. I’m Watch this in 2022 and there aren’t any RU-vid channels still using these guitars to make content. 🤔
Call me a Luddite but I don't want apps anywhere near my gear. When I see a device with a mobile app, I see a device that will be obsolete and unusable in 5 years, 10 tops. For reference, I bought my first electric the same year I bought my first PC -- 1990. The guitar (Aria Pro II strat copy) is still sitting next to my desk and is still my second favorite guitar. The PC (a 286 DOS computer with 1Mb of RAM) got scrapped as useless junk over 20 years ago. Try to imagine if the computer technology of 1990 had been built into that guitar.
After using this for a little while my conclusion is that the FX are not actually that good, but one or two amp models are great. As a traditional guitar it plays really nice and I like it enough for that. The alternate pickup options are also good. I set it up to be a CS 60s Strat with a Jag pickup in the bridge and adjusted the gains/EQ so the virtual pickup settings are cleaner/mellower than the stock pickups, so I can get a boost from the super-switch. I'm now getting great results with the Plexi model direct into a delay pedal then into the PA for ambient/mellow tones with my duo and it's amazing for that. The fretwork on mine is excellent. I'd compare it in quality to a higher-end Squier (Contemporary or Classic Vibe)
Could they not license a decent drippy spring reverb emulation? I've got Source Audio Ventris and EHX Oceans 11, and both sound way better than this. Also, SA's app doesn't hide the parameters behind a useless graphic... that's pretty weird. Not a deal breaker, just an odd decision. Doesn't Mooer Ocean Machine have a better spring reverb in it? I don't have one (I'm happy with the aforementioned choices for fake drip), but I always assumed a time effect called "Ocean Machine" would have a surfy preset in it, no? Missed opportunity. I'm a big fan of trichorus, but not necessarily on guitar (maybe ebow?) and I'm sure, based on the other fx that have been demoed, that it wouldn't be QUITE there, but plenty good for practice and inspiration finding new riffs.
EART & GTRS come from the same factory. And in a sense, are exactly the same. Except you over pay for the built in effects. Which is a gimmick. It's a $300 instrument. The effects are not worth an additional $300+. Stay away from GTRS. Just buy an EART.
No. There is no "future of guitar technology". The technology of the 50's and 60's were all the technology that will ever be common. The magnetic pickup, 3 and 5 way switch, and the Strat, Tele, and Gibson bridge are the main tech that won't change and is the future of guitar tech. There have been some later guitar tech that has become popular like locking Floyd Rose bridges, active pickups, coil splitting, locking tuners and tusq nuts but basically the electric guitar tech now is what it was in 1960 and won't change much in the future much. I had a Peavey AT-200 guitar that had the most amazing technology I'd ever seen in a guitar, a guitar that could digitally tune itself perfectly so every note on the fretboard was dead on perfect! And it failed miserably! If that failed then these guitars that have built in effects will fail even worse. It's been tried before by Elektra in the 70's and some other guitar makers since anyway, it's far from being a new idea.
Middle pickups when placed right sound just fine. Fender puts theirs on the 2nd node of the 13th harmonic. That's why they sound squirrelly , quacky etc. I've done builds where I've had just 1 p-up on the 8th harmonic and its a great overall sound, but Fenders placement ends up as a special effects setting. So I love them on custom builds, on Fenders I generally go for using the M in combos only. Series w B of course and M grounded in series w N and B in parallel w each other is a great best of both worlds sound highlighting parallel's air w series power.
Someday someone will make motorized sliding pickups that always move to stay in the nodes no matter where you fret the strings. They can use robotuner tech.
Pickup placement versus harmonic nodes is only a thing if you only play open notes. As soon as you fret, the nodes move and the dynamics change. So the placement of the middle pickup Vs nodes is not why it sounds like it does. If it was then the tonal characteristics would shift all over the place as you fret notes and chords.
@@66tricky Yeah, it certainly seems like that should be true to me too. But its not. I haven't bothered w a theory, but the string somehow "knows" its scale length. Otherwise for some key, the middle pickup would sound like a neck pickup and that never happens.
All very nice...until it isn't. It's only as strong as it's weakest, microscopic, solder joint. Then your entire system is dead and gone. Or until your phone no longer supports the software. Either way, this system is living on borrowed time. I want my gear to have a longer lifespan than 5 years.
So it's a low-to-low-middle guitar with built-in effects and amp sims? I'd rather have my own choice of guitar and the effect/amp thing in a box on the floor to be honest. I'd it was a Varied-type guitar with the effevt/amp thing it might be worth a look. But I'm sorted for hear to be honest and think your product is more for somebody going from learner to first band.
I like the thought, but I can't think of a practical use for it outside of the bedroom. I mean, recording is clearly a different story, but yeah can't jam with people, can't gig, etc lol also, as for metal, not bad. I have a Spider 3 in storage, so I've heard worse haha
I have the Mooer Prime P1 which is pretty much the electronics part of the GTRS guitar in a little box that looks like an old iPod. I have it velcroed to the back of my bass and it means I have four presets I can choose just by pressing a button on the back of the bass. It's very useful when playing in small venues where there's not much space for pedals on the floor.
as you said, looks like an innovative concept. Given the Fret issues, would you recommend someone buy this? most people will not have your fret dressing skills!
It’s called fret sprout and it happens a lot due to expanding and shrinking of the fretboard wood. It sux to be the victim of one but it’s not a deal breaker
I purchased the GTRS 801 and have to say the fret work is very good. I did; however, get the guitar professionally setup. I find that makes a difference when done properly. I think the GTRS build quality is very good and certainly comparable or exceeds the MIM strats I’ve tried. It’s also important to remember that the guitar is fully functional as is without the app. I did find the app somewhat confusing or unintuitive; however, so appreciate the time spent in this video showing that component. Bottom line, I’m happy with my purchase and would recommend it to anyone interested in a strat style guitar, with or without all the added smart features.
its still a strat with that volume knob too close to the bridge pick up. I had been wanting to see a review of this. I also want to see review of their desktop mutli effect PE100
You'll need to be very careful with this guitar, especially while traveling with it. The complex electrical circuitry won't last but a couple years, but by then, I'll be time to upgrade to the latest version of the guitar!
An everything for the person without the space for a guitar and an amp. Nice idea, giving the player acoustic to a 59 LP sound as well as all those amp and cab models. You are bound to find a tone that inspires you to play more. I'd say this is a beginner to intermediate player's guitar that covers just about everything.
At 5:39 It's called fret sprouting; the fretboard and the frets will expand differently when there is a change in temperature, or just from the wood continuing to dry out after it's installed. Chances are, the frets were aligned when the guitar left the factory.
