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Is the moog guitar just not all that?


fatusstratus

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It's funny, the original Ebow patent anticipates a hex system and for years and years people said that's what they wanted.

There's even the "no, we dont have a hex system" in the sustainiac FAQs

 

SO now it's here, but it doesn't seem all that popular. For instance, youtube videos seem pretty much market material, not a whole lot of independent users posting stuff they've done.

 

Is it just a price point as barrier to entry thing? (the custom shop one is expensive, but the regular one doesn't seem all that bad and seems inline with a PRS or Les Paul or something)

 

Or is it a cool idea that isn't all that cool in practice?

 

Just too new or different? (I don't think electric guitarists are really the nonconformist rebels they are made out to be...at least not anymore)

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Here's my take:

 

Yeah, I'd like to give one a try. But it's a different instrument, right? It's going to take some time to figure out what to do - musically - with variable sustain (and anti-sustain), which means that I'd want to have one at home for a few months.

 

$3,000 for an experiment is pretty steep... I might consider investing $500 or so in an add-on for an existing guitar, but $3,000...? Nope. No way.

 

And then there's the matter of aesthetics. Yup, I'm shallow. Looks matter. And that instrument doesn't have the slightest bit of appeal to me in a visual sense.

 

So, $3,000 for an ugly (to me, at least) instrument that may or may not turn out to be musically useful...? That's why *I* won't buy one.

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I'd also be very interested to try one out, but as mentioned the price is an issue as far as buying one. I'm also not crazy about the three color options available for the standard model. My PRS Santana SE has a Sustainiac and Roland synth pickup installed and it gets me into some of the territory that the Moog might go, but if money was no object, I'd probably grab one of those original limited edition Moog guitars.

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I(I don't think electric guitarists are really the nonconformist rebels they are made out to be...at least not anymore)

 

 

I agree. If I had plenty of money to burn on some kind of guitar-like synth interface, I'd probably spend it on an Eigenharp rather than a Moog Guitar. But that's just me.

 

Well, with that kind of money I'd have enough to also get a Moog Lap Steel, with a hex pickup so I can run into a VG-99 for instant alternate tunings.

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Part of it is that people just don't understand what it does (most of the demos I've seen don't really help), so it's just kind of a black box (and a very expensive one, at that). But I think the biggest problem is that guitarists are very picky about things like neck shape, scale length, fret size, strings, etc. If you could plug the system directly into any guitar it would probably be more popular, but (kind of like the Variax), few guitarists are going to buy it if hey don't like how it feels . . . (if you can even find one in a store to try it out - I haven't seen any). I think that's the biggest hurdle. (I'd love one, by the way - I could probably live with however it feels, but even $2k for the B-stock is hard for me to justify . . . )

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and guitarists (mostly) have very little interest in overpriced "guitar-like" instruments

 

 

yeah, it's a funny one. I mean some guys (like Segovia) have talked about electric guitars along those sort of lines.

 

what's interesting about this one though is really closely related technology gets play. From quite a few of the answers, seems like price point and some aesthetic factors are major players

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Its priced for exclusivity in combination with the average tonally ultra conservative guitar audience which will make it essentially a musical oddity until a high profile player works some of the unique tones its capable of into some pop songs. If you haven't seen the demo vids where they put one in the hands of Vernon Reid, Kaki King, and a few other pros, its worth watching to see their reactions.

 

[video=youtube;b3SsYQrgcyA]

 

[video=youtube;8chzLaBSWRo]

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moogophiles have very little interest in guitars, and guitarists (mostly) have very little interest in overpriced "guitar-like" instruments


notable exceptions

5PuxGvzXEayME.jpg

 

I don't think you need to be a Moogophile to be interested in something like this. Unless by "Moogophile" you mean "someone who likes to buy very expensive name-brand MI gear"... ;)

 

 

 

As far as the "guitar-like instrument" comment... I think you're onto something. As I said, I'd love to experiment with a Moog guitar. I know it's a different instrument that will require some adaptation by me in order to exploit the capabilities of the instrument as best *I* can, given my own skills and aesthetics. But I'm not prepared to spend $3,000 on an experiment... Heck, I'm not sure I'd even be playing a *guitar* if the initial cost of entry was several thousand dollars... :)

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Its priced for exclusivity in combination with the average tonally ultra conservative guitar audience which will make it essentially a musical oddity until a high profile player works some of the unique tones its capable of into some pop songs. If you haven't seen the demo vids where they put one in the hands of Vernon Reid, Kaki King, and a few other pros, its worth watching to see their reactions.

 

 

I've watched the videos, and they *are* very intriguing. The variety of approaches to instrument exhibited in the many celebrity demos online just reinforces my notion that the Moog Guitar needs to be approached as something not-quite-a-guitar. Watching a demo doesn't tell me anything about how *I* might respond to the instrument.

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I've watched the videos, and they *are* very intriguing. The variety of approaches to instrument exhibited in the many celebrity demos online just reinforces my notion that the Moog Guitar needs to be approached as something not-quite-a-guitar. Watching a demo doesn't tell me anything about how *I* might respond to the instrument.

 

I think it gives you as good an idea as any gear demo. I mean, certainly no vid can tell you the limits of you own personal creativity, same with the demo of any effect or instrument for that matter. I can demo a Jazzmaster but give one to Thurston Moore and the experience would be night and day. ;) But surely it gives you a good idea of the potential such a piece of gear has and how it offers an experience far beyond a traditional guitar without too much effort. Those demos are initial reactions, not after learning special techniques nor dialing the thing in for months (though they probably had some help from sales/marketing reps). I'd love to own one really, just too pricey. Cut the cost by a grand or so and I'd be way more tempted, cut the cost in half and I'd already probably own one.

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yeah, seen the videos, they are pretty much marketing materials ("moog factory tours" and such) I haven't seen a great number of more independent videos.

 

Sounds like the price point is a pretty big factor for most guys...whew! good thing we play guitar, we're spoiled with cheap instruments.

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yeah, seen the videos, they are pretty much marketing materials ("moog factory tours" and such) I haven't seen a great number of more independent videos.

 

 

It's interesting to see which of those big-name players featured in the videos actually went and got a Moog guitar afterwards. I do know Fareed Haque (appears in several Moog videos) has one.

 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-01-24/entertainment/ct-live-0125-jazz-moog-guitar-20110124_1_moog-music-robert-moog-fareed-haque

 

Even if the E1's price gets cut in half, another barrier to widespread market penetration is the need for specialized strings to work with the Vo Power.

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Where can I try one out? I'd like to SEE one. I've never seen one in person! It's expensive sure but.... I want one. With hex output and analog out. I could do a lot with one I'm pretty sure. I don't think it looks too bad myself, but guitarists are a conservative lot and have problems with "new things that do things nothing else does". This is for the sonic explorer/trailblazer.

 

Honestly, for what it does it's very expensive. It's as expensive as any three guitars of mine put together. I've been playing for 33 years now and I have some expensive gear but I've never paid that much for a single piece of gear. If it were to get stolen or destroyed I'd be out of commission.

 

I still want one though.

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It's interesting to see which of those big-name players featured in the videos actually went and got a Moog guitar afterwards.

 

 

It would be. Or rather, if they use it

 

 

I do know Fareed Haque (appears in several Moog videos) has one.

 

 

yeah, that album he did was called "Discovery: Present the Moog Guitar" and in a way I think it's kind of a showcase for the guitar (almost marketing materials).

 

 

 

 


Even if the E1's price gets cut in half, another barrier to widespread market penetration is the need for specialized strings to work with the Vo Power.

 

 

Yeah, they mention that in a pinch you can use others, but maybe they should show that, unless it doesn't work that well...then they'd amplify people's apprehensions instead of calming them.

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Where can I try one out? I'd like to SEE one. I've never seen one in person! It's expensive sure but.... I want one. With hex output and analog out.

 

 

hex actually is analog...it's just a different strings down different channels. It's not digital until it hits whatever processing in the box.

I think it's kind of weird that Moog even talks about it as a "MIDI" option.

 

 

If it were to get stolen or destroyed I'd be out of commission.

 

 

Yeah, I suppose that's a concern esp for the touring musician or someone who just cant have down-time. Can't just go pick one up.

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yeah, that album he did was called "Discovery: Present the Moog Guitar" and in a way I think it's kind of a showcase for the guitar (almost marketing materials).

 

 

No, that's not the album mentioned in the article I linked. In fact the article does not mention any album.

 

It does mention a new trio called MathGames. Can't find any album releases under that name... at least not yet.

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I was just talking about what he's done in that area, the impact, if it smacked of marketing material (or kind of served that) - that kind of thing.


To be honest, while I've listened to his stuff, a lot of it isn't my cup of tea - but that's just personal taste stuff.

 

 

One reason I'd rather hear a MathGames album is it's further removed from "Moog Guitar marketing" - it would be a jazz trio album, not an "advert" album.

 

Just like I'd rather hear Pat Metheny's real albums than a "Roland Presents: Roland Guitar Synthesizers with Pat Metheny" album.

 

I haven't seen Haque play since he toured with Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. That was one of the better jazz shows I saw that year.

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